DarioImpiniPhotography wrote:
I read a photographers guide from an established photographer who said you pay after -- keeps them in the shoot.  Pay before and you've essentially taken away the financial incentive to "perform".

This is essentially the mechanism you see across many professions.  Except for politics and CEOs.  Aside from them, everyone else is paid on performance.

makes perfect sense. thanks!

DarioImpiniPhotography wrote:
Pay before and you've essentially taken away the financial incentive to "perform".

I rip the twenty dollar bill in half and give the model one half before and the second half after the shoot. This way she knows that she ain't getting screwed over and I know she ain't taking off in the middle of the shoot with my twenty bucks.

Andrei Ku wrote:
Models and photogs, what in your experience the usual practice for paid shoots with internet models like ones from this site: paying before a shoot or after?

Would paying before a shoot be better in terms of getting the model more relaxed/comfortable? 

Or it does not matter to you most of the time either way?

Or does someone find that paying after the shoot is better, perhaps because it's when you know the exact hourage (wait, is that a word? I mean, elapsed time length of a shoot) ...   Could it be more motivational for a model?

To me as a photog it really seems like a non issue, nevertheless I am curious as to what the common practices are...and what's the uncommon ones, too!

Also, same question about signing model release form -- before shoot or after?   I've heard horror stories about photogs obtaining the absolutely best shoy of their lives and then having a model flake out in a middle of a shoot w/o signing...scary traumatic stuff!!!

Cheers,  and thanks in advance for your insights experience and wisdom!

Loving this site and folks here,

--Ak

For every model I've ever hired -- glamour, catalog, lifestyle, editorial, adult work, you name it -- I've always paid at the end, and have never heard any complaints.

Model release is signed within five minutes of her arriving at the location or studio.

Paul

Fotticelli wrote:

I rip the twenty dollar bill in half and give the model one half before and the second half after the shoot. This way she knows that she ain't getting screwed over and I know she ain't taking off in the middle of the shoot with my twenty bucks.

Haaa!  Twenty bucks?  Is that the going rate now?  You are too funny!  Do you bring along tape to tape it together with after the shoot?  I love it!

DarioImpiniPhotography wrote:
I read a photographers guide from an established photographer who said you pay after -- keeps them in the shoot.  Pay before and you've essentially taken away the financial incentive to "perform".

This is essentially the mechanism you see across many professions.  Except for politics and CEOs.  Aside from them, everyone else is paid on performance.

You forgot..hookers are paid up front.

Fotticelli wrote:
I rip the twenty dollar bill in half.......

Where does one find these $20 models?   And do you pay them the remaining $10 in crack?

Fotticelli wrote:

I rip the twenty dollar bill in half and give the model one half before and the second half after the shoot. This way she knows that she ain't getting screwed over and I know she ain't taking off in the middle of the shoot with my twenty bucks.

I place the money in a bottle tied to a string and then to a poll which is then tied to the model. This serves two purposes.... 1. She knows she's getting paid and 2. She keeps moving as she reaches for the money. LOL

StMarc wrote:
Pre-shoot protocol:

1) I send my booking confirmation email, which has links to my website and my photo release in PDF format, and advise the model that she *must* have a non-expired, government-issued Photo ID that shows her face, her legal name, and her date of birth. It also advises her that she will have to sign a release to get any pictures and/or get paid.

2) When the model arrives, I ask her if she has her ID. If she doesn't, I ask her to go get it. So far only once have I had to drive a model back to her house to get the ID. (Usually she left it in the car.)

Post-shoot protocol:

1) I give her the release and invite her to read it.

2) She reads it, or not. If she has questions, I answer them. The answer may include, "If you want to show it to an attorney, go right ahead. But I won't pay you until I have the signed release."

3) She signs the release. This includes date, initials, and 2257 information if appropriate. If in doubt, the 2257 section gets filled out.

4) I take a picture of her holding the release and her ID.

5) I take the release and put it in my bag.

6) I give her her money.

7) She leaves.

M

Meanwhile, later that night you slap your forehead and exclaim, "Shit! I forgot to take her pictures!"

Curt Burgess wrote:

You forgot..hookers are paid up front.

They are?  Never knew that.  I guess they want to know they're gonna GET paid.  I'd give them half up front and half in the rear.  Err...  I mean, afterward.  You know, as an incentive.

StMarc wrote:
Pre-shoot protocol:

1) I send my booking confirmation email, which has links to my website and my photo release in PDF format, and advise the model that she *must* have a non-expired, government-issued Photo ID that shows her face, her legal name, and her date of birth. It also advises her that she will have to sign a release to get any pictures and/or get paid.

2) When the model arrives, I ask her if she has her ID. If she doesn't, I ask her to go get it. So far only once have I had to drive a model back to her house to get the ID. (Usually she left it in the car.)

Post-shoot protocol:

1) I give her the release and invite her to read it.

2) She reads it, or not. If she has questions, I answer them. The answer may include, "If you want to show it to an attorney, go right ahead. But I won't pay you until I have the signed release."

3) She signs the release. This includes date, initials, and 2257 information if appropriate. If in doubt, the 2257 section gets filled out.

4) I take a picture of her holding the release and her ID.

5) I take the release and put it in my bag.

6) I give her her money.

7) She leaves.

M

whats the 2257? is this a tax form?  what if I get paid cash?  I'm not joking, I am new to USA and have little modeling experience here in USA but a lot in Colombia.

Ximena Bright wrote:
whats the 2257? is this a tax form?  what if I get paid cash?  I'm not joking, I am new to USA and have little modeling experience here in USA but a lot in Colombia.

2257 has nothing to do with taxes.  It is the record  keeping requirements for adult oriented photoshoots.

Alan from Aavian Prod wrote:

2257 has nothing to do with taxes.  It is the record  keeping requirements for adult oriented photoshoots.

OK good.  I don't want to get audited by the IRS.

StMarc wrote:
What Alan said. Basically, my rule is that if I can see your naughty bits, you have to fill out the form. I don't care if they're Edward Weston nudes, them's the rules. This is due to a very vague and idiotic series of laws and regulations which content producers lump together and refer to as "2257 requirements" after the number of the regulation in the Federal code.

I don't 1099 (in other words, I don't give them tax documents, that's the number of the form) models because I never pay any individual model more than $600 in a calendar year. If I had a job that paid her that much, it would be a client paying her, not me.

I see in your profile that you moved to the US to get married. Have you got permanent residency/citizenship? If you're still a Columbian national, be sure you have all your ducks in a row: with the current wave of anti-foreign-worker sentiment, even modeling for a few bucks could get your lovely behind deported otherwise. That would be a shame.

M

Yes I have my permanent residency interview soon...wish me luck!!!!  I also have my social security # so I am legit   I want to play by all your stupid USA rules so I don't get deported!

My husband is in the military and I had to do a big background investigation on me because of his security clearance etc.  it sucks, like 10 pages of personal questions.  But I had to do one in Bogota too when my sisters married Marines from the Colombian Navy...no big deal.

bang bang photo wrote:

For every model I've ever hired -- glamour, catalog, lifestyle, editorial, adult work, you name it -- I've always paid at the end, and have never heard any complaints.

Model release is signed within five minutes of her arriving at the location or studio.

Paul

me too.always.
agree terms first
pay after

although often i wondered if i was gonna  GET paid

lol

like the torn notes idea!!!