I saw this ad posting on craigslist and thought I would share it with everyone. I don't know if they are for real or not, but I guess it is worth a shot, right? Here is the ad:

Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2006-10-17, 8:18AM PDT


This month Makeup and Photography studio will be shooting free portfolio updates for this month only. Makeup, photography and prints will be provided for free. Please attach photo when responding. We will need name and phone number to contact you.

If you are new at modeling or would like to be a model please let us know so that we can get you started in modeling.


this is in or around Santa Ana

no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Compensation: private

If anyone tries it, let me know how it went. Thanks!

Free pic really is a very cheap way to advertise. I don't see any red flags from this ad alone.

It can happen...

it is good advertizing...

I am doing a full set tomorrow with local clothing desiger,MUA, al for nothing, I need to build both my book and reputation...

My gut feeling is that it's a bait and switch.

Personally I wouldn't rush to give your phone number, etc., without seeing the quality of their work.

The wording sounds cheap to me, it's too flowery, it promises nothing and the person who wrote it is not sophisticated. It's "over worded."

I think the advertiser is fishing. Sounds like a pickup line.

Flip it around: if they were good at what they do, then they wouldn't have time to do this. Craig's list is full of junk anyway.

I just read one CL ad where some guy was asking for someone to drain his b*lls daily because he's a manly man that requires this service of someone. Maybe he writes different kinds of ads to pass himself off in different ways. Maybe he wrote the ad you want to respond to. 

It's not a bad policy to always keep your back to the wall and let caution prevail.

Brittany,

(I still wanna know if we're related).

Now, back to the subject at hand... they may or may not be following the business plan that 'mall' studios (Wal-Mart, Sears, Glamour Shots) use, which is to offer a free portrait, or an extremely low cost portrait and 'upsell' you to purchase many more photos at a profitable price.

The 'free' photo is usually the first one taken, which isn't exactly the best photo or pose.  You don't have a choice, it's limited to the first photo taken.  If you want to purchase the other pictures in the set, it will cost you more.

Those type of companies typically offer a portrait for less than $10, but the average customer ends up spending $100 or more.  The practice isn't illegal because they will provide the low cost/free photos as originally offered.

agree with SayCheeze,

Ask them for model contacts that theyve worked with. If they dont give you references dont even bother with it.