From time to time I see someone, either a model or a photographer, ranting about one site or another. It usually starts with “all the people on this site are…” and then proceeds to generalize about every site member. Well, I’m not inclined to take stock in many statements that begin with a phrase like that. Take the instance of no-shows for example. It happens to all of us, but there are ways you can avoid no-show models, and I’ve written about that.

That’s Not Their Job

Most sites do minimal screening of their applicants and members. Most modeling sites are a free-for-all where only spammers and other unruly individuals are denied membership. Even modellocate.com which claims to do a good job of weeding out people who shouldn’t be there, and which has a built-in feedback system, contains flaky models. The modeling site is just the conduit for social networking, and it’s up to you to use your knowledge and effort to find good people to work with.

Look Before You Leap? Really?

To take the issue more broadly, let’s say you were hiring a cleaning service. You open the yellow pages and look for a nice looking advertisement. You immediately hire them, not bothering to get past references, ask your contacts if they’d heard about them, or even prepare any interview questions. You then discover that they do a lousy job and conclude “The yellow pages are terrible!” — Although this seems laughable, this is exactly the approach some take to using modeling sites.

You need to do your homework before hiring a nude model. I’ve written about this topic in a separate article.

If you learn how to spot a conscienceless, hard-working model, it stands to reason you’ll have better success booking models who give you a great shoot.

Even if you are very careful, you’ll still have bad experiences. But you will also have good experiences, and the more you learn and apply that knowledge, the more you’ll be able to sort the flakes from the real models. Even the crazy modeling sites have some good models on there. I’ve even found good models on regular social networking sites like Myspace.com, though many photographers will say “All the models on Myspace are…” well, you get the point.

Model: Meg S.

Meg is a model I found through a modeling site and who yielded a good shoot. She was on time, had posing ideas of her own, and didn’t hesitate to try any pose I suggested.

You can find nude models in many places and with a variety of methods. One that is surprisingly effective is free classified advertising offered by sites such as Craigslist.org and Backpage.com.

I’ve found that free online advertising yields better and more reliable models than social networking sites that are specifically designed to hook up models and photographers such as modelmayhem.com or modellocate.com. I’m not sure of all the reasons but they probably include the fact that the classified ad sites have greater reach than the modeling sites and do not require an account in order to respond to castings.

There are some tricks to advertising and I will give you some tips to help you be more successful. In general, post regularly but don’t post too often. I post less frequently than the sites’ rules allow. But some degree of repetition (about once every week or two) is good.

Craigslist

Craigslist has a lot of rules about posting to their site. Make sure you read and follow all of them. Craigslist does not allow adult ads in the U.S. anymore, so be careful your ad mentions that you are looking for models. I often use the term figure modeling or undraped art model instead of “nude modeling” so that it’s clear that I’m not running some kind of webcam service or other prohibited activity.

The site may also check your IP address to make sure you are posting locally. The problem with using your IP to determine your location is that the method is terribly unreliable. If Craigslist gets your location wrong, your post will not appear and you will not receive any kind of notification that it is not posted. In fact, you may receive a message that your post was successfully posted when in fact it is not (this is called ghosting.) I advise using an IP lookup service like ip2location.com to make sure your IP corresponds to your actual location. When I loop up my IP location it is sometimes listed as being over a thousand miles away; for example it could say I’m in Florida or it could say I’m in Illinois. I’ve found that by switching off my router and switching it back on, my service provider will assign me a new IP address. You may have to complain to your Internet service provider, or even change services, if you are unable to obtain a local IP address.

Craigslist has a system for reporting inappropriate ads. Sometimes this system results in legitimate ads being removed from the site, though Craigslist claims the occurrence of this is very low. I find that ads I place in the evenings are never flagged for removal, though ads placed first thing in the morning sometimes were. I’m not sure of the reasons. If you have trouble with flagging, read the terms of use carefully, and try posting again in a few days.

Craigslist likes your ad to be unique, so type your ad from scratch every time. Don’t copy and paste from another window; CL may even use software to detect pasting.

Backpage

More robust and easier to use than Craigslist, Backpage.com unfortunately does not have as much reach. Depending on where you live you may have better success with Backpage, although Craigslist is more popular in many places, including where I live.

Backpage allows you to easily upload photos to your ad for free, and provides a number of paid upgrade services. Backpage doesn’t do any ghosting or IP checking, so there is no confusion about whether your ad will be posted or not. The site does some keyword checking, but is upfront about it, producing a message if you use words that indicate that your ad may be inappropriate or mis-categorized.

Backpage does allow users to report inappropriate ads, but is not subject to erroneous or competitive flagging

Success Stories

Shown below are just a few models I’ve recruited through Craigslist: Tawny, Hope and Michelle.

Tawny, responded to an ad on Craigslist seeking nude models

Nude model Hope, recruited through Craigslist

Michelle, Nude model found on Craigslist

We all want our shoots to go as well as possible. Finding the right model is key. Some models are excellent, while others have such hectic lives that they can’t make it anywhere on time, or worse never intend to show up in the first place. The modeling site or classified ad site is just the conduit for making initial contact. It’s up to you to use your knowledge and effort to find good people to work with.

To take the issue more broadly, let’s say you want to hire a gardener. You open the yellow pages and see an advertisement. You immediately hire them, not bothering to look at other yards they’ve worked on, ask your neighbors if they’d heard about them, or even prepare any interview questions. You then discover that they do a lousy job — This is exactly the approach some take to using modeling sites or classified ad sites.

You need to:

• Ask for references
• Look at work samples
• Prepare interview questions
• Perform a phone interview
• If possible, meet the model in person

When asking for references, you can write to the model and say “Have you worked with any photographers who can give you a good reference.” When contacting these photographers you can ask “I’m thinking about working with so-and-so, and she says she’s worked with you. Can you tell me what she was like to work with?”

When looking at past work samples, you should

• See how recent the work is. If there is not at least one photo from the past six months, ask the model why.
• Notice if the work is retouched. If you can’t see what she really looks like, ask for un-retouched photos.
• Look for large clear images
• Look for head-to-toe shots. If some body area is missing, it may be a problem area. For example if all the photos hide the model’s thighs by cropping them out or showing her seated, she may be trying to hide unattractive thighs.

When interviewing the model, here are some questions I use:

• How many shoots have you done?
• Have you looked at my website?
• One of my current themes is [brief description of theme]. Is that something you’d interested in being part of?
• Ask for any missing stats: height, weight, dress size, measurements

A phone interview is helpful. A model who is too busy or lazy to spend five minutes calling you is a high risk of being a no-show.

If possible, meet the model in person. This will help you see what she really looks like, without Photoshop. It will also help you screen out insincere or disorganized models who are likely to be no-shows or late. If she’s late to the interview, that’s an indication that you may waste some time waiting for her to show up to the shoot. If she misses the interview, it’s up to you whether you want to give her a second chance. I’d base the decision entirely on how she handles the absence. If she doesn’t bother to contact you promptly to apologize, or gives you some far-fetched excuse, I wouldn’t reschedule.

A good model is one who puts effort into her work. A good photographer will do their homework before hiring a model.

This is a re-posting of a glowing review of Lights, Camera… Nude! written by Michelle7.com editor Jack Gilbert. I can only hope that you enjoy the book to the same degree that he did.

Nichols has hit another home run here. Much like in his previous book, True Confessions of Nude Photography, he presents what might be seen as a difficult subject and shows how simply things can be. The subject matter of this new book is lighting techniques for shooting nudes. He goes over general concepts at first, but then dives into explaining what the various lighting devices are and even provides what different lighting kits and equipment configurations can do for you. Studio and location settings are explained in a very-easy-to-understand manner. It’s refreshing in that Nichols does not try to overwhelm the reader with too much information or impress them with his wealth of knowledge and experience. He just lays it out simply and concisely.

All the but the most advanced professionals will benefit from reading this book, and the best part is that it won’t take that long before you’re lighting your models like a true professional.

Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography

Here are the front and back covers for the book True Confessions of Nude Photography.

Cover for True Confessions of Nude Photography. Model: Anna

Back cover of the book True Confessions of Nude Photography. Model: Lauren M.

I considered a variety of titles, including more grammatically and logically correct versions of True Confessions of Nude Photography. My learned friends debated with me the nuances of meaning in each variation as well as how it might attract readers who would enjoy the book. There was much debate and conjecture without any clear winner. In the end I dismissed all the reasoning and chose the title I just liked best.

Cover of the book Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography. Model: Hope S.

Title page of the book Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography. Model: Hope S.

Back cover of the book Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography. Model: Narzahni

This guide shows you how to use light to photograph nude female models and create various moods and effects. From the plainspoken to the artistic, each lighting configuration is diagramed in painstaking detail. Learn the art and skill of using light and controlling shadows from the author of True Confessions of Nude Photography. For those who loved the lighting section in the first book want even more, this follow-up book concentrates purely on the author’s nude lighting style with updated images, text and diagrams.