Iona Lynn wrote:
Oh yuck...

That is horrrid, was this in a profesional studio?
buisness licence?
cards?
website?
buisness number?
did he act like a profesional abit a bit absent minded?

Heck I'll prob be in greensborro NC during X-mas and if you PM me I may be able to help you out...

Iona Lynn

Oh give him a beat down! And if you want, I'll even teach you my forbidden techniques.

Mirabela wrote:
I look at the agency where he told me he work and i look at his work and i thought that he was good!!!But today when i call the agency that guy name never worked there!!!I know i was immature but i learned already but now is too late!!!!

Okay, THAT takes things into an entirely different area. If you're sure he represented himself as working for an agency that he doesn't really work for, he's a con artist, not a photographer.
Get the help of somebody who speaks English as their first language (no offense, just to avoid any misunderstandings) and call the agency back. Tell them this guy is pretending to be an employee of theirs, and took your money.. they might be interested. They should be, anyway!

In the meantime (I know I'm going to get flamed about this) shoot with a few local photographers who do TFP. If they have good portfolios and references you may get a few useful pics, and at least it won't cost you anything! You're not in a major city, after all, and you're not a fashion model. Don't spend money without a good reason. Yes, I agree with Inese that a really professional portfolio development costs a lot of money, but I doubt it would get you work where you are, so why bother? Start with some TFP shoots and see how they turn out.

For instance.. I am NO kind of fashion photographer, but I took some pics of a friend and got images like this:


Not good enough for a real port, but certainly enough for a photographer or agency in a small city to know if they're interested, IMHO.

e-string wrote:
Oh geez. Why did you do the shoot without agreeing to a cost?

I know i was stupid and i don't know what i was thinking!!!!But today about the photographer with that i have the appoiment today he take a great pict and tomorrow night i'm gonna have them and like all u say i haven't to pay anything i'm soo exciting to see the resolt and finally nice pict to add at my port!!!U are all welcome to look at and tell me what u think!!!!

Miles Chandler wrote:

Okay, THAT takes things into an entirely different area. If you're sure he represented himself as working for an agency that he doesn't really work for, he's a con artist, not a photographer.
Get the help of somebody who speaks English as their first language (no offense, just to avoid any misunderstandings) and call the agency back. Tell them this guy is pretending to be an employee of theirs, and took your money.. they might be interested. They should be, anyway!

In the meantime (I know I'm going to get flamed about this) shoot with a few local photographers who do TFP. If they have good portfolios and references you may get a few useful pics, and at least it won't cost you anything! You're not in a major city, after all, and you're not a fashion model. Don't spend money without a good reason. Yes, I agree with Inese that a really professional portfolio development costs a lot of money, but I doubt it would get you work where you are, so why bother? Start with some TFP shoots and see how they turn out.

For instance.. I am NO kind of fashion photographer, but I took some pics of a friend and got images like this:


Not good enough for a real port, but certainly enough for a photographer or agency in a small city to know if they're interested, IMHO.

I think the pict wat u put up here is nice and like u say i call the agency actually my friend did today and they say that they don't know him and they ask me if i wanna go there and they want to look at me and if they like me they gonna take some shoot for free!!

Miles Chandler wrote:

Okay, THAT takes things into an entirely different area.  . . .

Agreed. This is suddenly a very different deal. The guy is a fraud.

Chip Morton wrote:

Agreed. This is suddenly a very different deal. The guy is a fraud.

yep definelly!!!!!grgrgrgrgr

Mirabela wrote:
And when i ask him how much i have to give to him he say that is $150 for the first pic and 50$/h we shoot for 2 h so i write the check and he say that he's gonna send me the pict on my electronic email and later on my mail!!!And today i try to talk to him all day and sent him messages but i still don't have any clue!!!

Is it too late for you to call and cancel the check?
I for one don't believe in stiffing a photographer, but if you truly believe he was misrepresenting himself and his work, then I would see about canceling the check.

Envy wrote:

Is it too late for you to call and cancel the check?
I for one don't believe in stiffing a photographer, but if you truly believe he was misrepresenting himself and his work, then I would see about canceling the check.

he already take the money!!!

Mirabela wrote:

he already take the money!!!

This shoot happened yesterday and you said you paid him with a check correct?

Envy wrote:

This shoot happened yesterday and you said you paid him with a check correct?

no this happen 2 day ago!

inese wrote:
Now first of all Mirabella $ 250.00 is very very cheap that's why he has a bad quality.

I would be willing to bet that she could have gotten better images and had a more enjoyable experience for about $250 less with any of a number of good TFCD photographers.

Her description of how that photographer acted is enough to convince me that they were a hack, such as giving out "blink" images.

Chip Morton wrote:
Also, Mirabela, for what it's worth . . .
You will indeed have sessions where you hate the photos. Even when all parties involved have the best intentions, just sometimes different people have different ideas.

I shot the other day (trade, no pay) with a great  model. She HATED the photos. I like them. We had talked before hand, she liked my work . . . you know what I mean? It'll happen. Not every martini is a great one.

Oh yeah, this does not excuse the ass that misrepresented himself and took your money.

yea i understand and i agree with u but my point is if i can use the pict y i have to pay that much!!!But now is ok today i had a photoshoot with another photographer and he is great and tomorrow night they will be online so i hope everyone will tell what they think!!And the most great part is that i take my real photoshoot!!!LOL finally!!!

Mirabela wrote:

no this happen 2 day ago!

It's still worth a shot. He may have the check in his hand but it is no good until it is cashed. If you call you bank and cancel the check he cannot cash it. You will pay a fee for a canceled check, but it's better than someone running around with your hard earned money. Call your bank right now and see what you can do.

rp_photo wrote:

I would be willing to bet that she could have gotten better images and had a more enjoyable experience for about $250 less with any of a number of good TFCD photographers.

Her description of how that photographer acted is enough to convince me that they were a hack, such as giving out "blink" images.

Now i learn and i found a really great photographer so i will forgot about that and i will be more careful next time any bad experience teach u a lesson and i learn it with my money!!!Is all good was i think my unlucky day!!

Claire Elizabeth wrote:
You definately should have checked references and you never should have paid for crappy pictures.

i agrre

charles kafka wrote:
When I shoot (unless its a wedding or some other one time event) I usually give a satisfaction guarantee. if the pictures don't come out great or to the buyer's expectations, we re-shoot, or I return the money (of course I get the images back).

How ever until you start making 10's of thousands of $ on your modeling career you shouldn't have to pay, except in travel, time, costumes, and maybe some make-lessons, for pictures, always find photographers who are willing to do tfp, or test shoots with you, and get as many pictures as possible.

Remember, nothing implied or promised, is binding between you and the photographer, it must all be spelled out in the model release, don't be shy about putting in extra conditions, or limitations based on your own personal worries, before the shoot. and if its not an established photographer, (and sometime with established ones) its ok to bring along an escort, as long as you get the photographer to agree to it before the shoot.

good luck, have fun, and get as many pictures from as many photographers as possible.

Charles Kafka

is this what i'm doing now next week i have already 3 day photoshoot with different photographer i can't wait!!!

Leo Howard wrote:
Sorry to hear this happened to you, unfortunatley it seems to happen quite often.

However as someone commented about business license's websites, cards, yada yada yada. . . that doesnt guarantee anything, only that he paid money to appear legit.

The PROOF ( no punn intended ) is in the results, plain and simple. . .

She said he showed her beautiful work, but the results of her shoot with him were bad at best, that tells me he was a scam to begin with.

However, it has only been 2 days, maybe post production is where most of his magic happens, if after a week or so she has not heard from him, then she probably got taken to the cleaners.

I dont know why you cant find local TFP photographers, im sure they are out there.

Good luck with your modeling

< < Edit > >

I would even consider flying you to Phoenix to shoot, I just checked and the round trip airfare isnt all that bad actually.

i'm gonna think about!!! i want to try to see how this is gonna work out!!!For my experience today look like the photographer like me and my expression so i guess is a good start to put more energy on it!!!

Mirabela wrote:
i call the banck and i cancel the check i had to pay $25 dollars but still beter than $250!!But if he is gonna call me and make me trouble???

He might, but if you are right about him lying about working with an agency, he won't have a leg to stand on. That's your excuse for cancelling the cheque. He won't give you any pics, of course, but you don't want them anyway.

Miles Chandler wrote:

He might, but if you are right about him lying about working with an agency, he won't have a leg to stand on. That's your excuse for cancelling the cheque. He won't give you any pics, of course, but you don't want them anyway.

But he have my phone number!!!I just don't love trouble or discussion!!!!

Dewi Morgaine wrote:
You should never pay a photographer in the first place.. If you are experienced they should pay you, but since you aren't you have to do TFP.

Goodluck!

i'm really fresh in this new word and i don't pretend to been paid becaus i don't really think that i'm that good!!And i know that a photographer is looking at his business too and i don't pretende shoot for free but if i pay i want nice pict!!

Miles Chandler wrote:
Well, if it's worth a little trouble to save $225, I think you did the right thing. If he gives you a hard time, have a friend talk to him about his "agency credentials".. and perhaps threaten to call the Better Business Bureau.

BBB of Eastern North Carolina, Inc.
WWW: http://www.bbbenc.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (919)277-4222
Fax: (919)277-4221
5540 Munford Road, Suite 130
Raleigh, NC 27612 -2621 

But some other people here might have better suggestions. I'm not in the U.S.

thanx u very much  for all the information!!

Southern Image Photo wrote:
I had already pm'd ya before I saw this thread. I think I can help ya out and I'm kind of local to ya.

thanx a lot!!