Red Flag
an article by Ossiana Tepfenhart

The modeling industry is rife with danger, flakes, and just plain jerks. It’s no secret. However, you can cut losses short
by looking very carefully for red flags in people’s profiles, people’s manner of dealing, and also people’s entourage.
Here are some of the many, many things that I learned when it came to confirming and doing shoots.
-A good rule of thumb is if a photographer or a model has people that they often work with, as well as people who
would shoot again with them (simply by word of mouth) they are a good bet for a shoot.
-The best way to make sure that a person will not flake is to get their phone number and actually hear their voice.

If you cannot ever reach them and talk to them on the phone, do not by any means book a shoot that you would
invest too much time or money on.

-As a model, it is in your right to ask for a 50% deposit on paid shoots, as long as you guarantee that it will be refunded
if the shoot is rescheduled.
-As a photographer, you can also demand a 50% deposit for models who want to pay you for your services.
-References do matter, and though many times some photographers or models may be bitter about getting
turned down for a shoot or losing a contact, if you notice a general trend in the way people perceive your prospective client, it should be taken seriously.
-As a model, photographers who want overly sexual photos, or talk about things that are overly sexual is a general red flag. Talking about sex is a great way to have your model shut down or leave in the middle of a shoot.
-Photographers often tell me that the models who have the highest flake rates are the ones who use phrases like “aspiring model” or “my friends told me that I should model so I am”. Models in this category also have unrealistically high expectations for what they should be paid.
-If you are booking a shoot with someone who is BRAND NEW to modeling, then basically flip a coin as to whether they will actually arrive. Both new models and new photographers often don’t understand how important it is to show up at the places thatthey are booked.
-In both photographers and models, the way that they approach you, including their philosophy, and the way that they write and spell their sentences can tell you volumes. Intelligent people do the best work and are often the most fair when it comes to payment.Expect creativity.
-A large red flag for me is when people talk too much or brag too much about the work that they have done, and how lucky you are to work with them. It generally shows that the shoot isn’t going to be fun.
-When a model calls a photographer a GWC, or a photographer calls a model ‘not serious’ despite having work that shows that they are in fact hardworking models/photographers, its a serious red flag that will be enough to have other clients turn heads.
-Any time I hear of a model walking out in the middle of a shoot, or leaving and refusing to speak to a photographer, the photographeris immediately blacklisted in my mind.It has to be a pretty serious issue to make someone leave in the middle of work. It’s best to keep a list of people who have had criminal charges brought against them by other models, as well as a list of people who have flaked or raised a lot of red flags to you. Keeping a list of them basically allows you to avoid working with them or their associates. If you are working with a large group of people, especially in a studio setting, it’s also a good idea to share lists. Compare your notes and your work with the
people on the list (if you did). By sharing lists, sharing references and recommendations, we can all make this a safer, more profitable world for models and photographers!