p.3 #2 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Oh, and just as a disclaimer, NO ONE has ever showed up to a photo session with me looking like this, or even remotely close to this. It's an extreme example to illustrate a point.
p.3 #4 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Sent this PM but will post it here are well. I agree with Lisa...
Here is what I sent earlier...
I didn't want to jump in the middle of this as I'm not shooting at the moment or running the business. But I've sort of gone down the path you want to pursue. I appreciate you wanting to only photograph attractive clients. I'm in the same boat as you. About a year and a half ago I decided to dump shooting babies/seniors and so on to focus on boudoir, models, swimsuit, etc. (I'm back in school full time... no time to shoot)
I did a few promos to bring in nice looking or attractive girls to shoot... with the sole intention to focus on that particular market. Basically IMO if you either find or hire attractive subjects, build your brand/image around the look you are going for, you will bring in these particular clients. You can simply state on your site, if you are an inspiring model and look like the people on my site, I want to work with you. That's rough... needs to be reworded... but you get the point.
There is a market for everyone IMO and wanting to focus on attractive subjects is one... it's just how you go about building your site/brand/image which will bring these people in.
p.3 #5 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
On a practical basis I think what you're chasing isn't going to be a particularly viable business model. The top photographers who appear to only work with 'beautiful' clients tend to have got there by working a lot of other jobs and building up to it, they also tend to work other jobs in between but we're only shown the best of their work since they have quite a high volume so don't need to publicise it all. Now if you approach it from a hobby point of view it's a different matter as you can freely pick and choose and not have to worry about turning down work. I would very rarely turn down paid work and would certainly not do it based on what the client looks like but you seem to be doing it for different reasons. At least you're being honest about your intentions and by admitting that to yourself you're far more likely to achieve them.
p.3 #6 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Hopefully...your daughter won't tell one of her "Friends" that you won't take her pic cuz you think she is ugly/not pretty. That would be just EFed up...its different if you give this to a pro who are trained to deal with this type of negativity...but your daughters friends may not be. so tread carefully.
p.3 #7 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Sunny Sra wrote:
Hopefully...your daughter won't tell one of her "Friends" that you won't take her pic cuz you think she is ugly/not pretty. That would be just EFed up...its different if you give this to a pro who are trained to deal with this type of negativity...but your daughters friends may not be. so tread carefully.
Good point. It matters not whether we think he's a creep, but it could matter if the potential models think so.
p.3 #8 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
I'm at a bit of a loss here to understand how this can be a viable BUSINESS model. You should be able to shoot whomever you would like, but in order for it to be a business, you have to be filling a gap in the market. What you're talking about is being a consumer or at least entering into a symbiotic payment-in-kind, type of relationship. When it becomes you who has the specific need, you become the consumer. Look at a site like Model Mayhem and you will find a TON of young attractive people who are willing to trade their genetic gifts for experience in front of the camera and a portfolio, but they're not going to pay for it.
p.3 #9 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
If by business model, you mean being profitable, then you are correct.
Remember, I don't need to make a profit doing this. I am doing it mostly for my artistic benefit...the money is just gravy.
999 out of 1000 people you encounter don't even know what model mayhem is, aren't in the modeling business, and don't want to be. You have to think outside of our little photo world here...
The average person with good looking seniors are oblivious to all that...that's why they pay a photographer to take their senior portraits instead of signing them up at model mayhem...
Good looking people will pay to have their picture taken. Perhaps even more so than someone is who not so attractive. Like Lisa said, someone who likes their image in front of the camera is more likely to be a happy customer and the compensation will reflect that.
p.3 #10 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Perhaps, but if you DO decide to go this route you might want to be ABSOLUTELY positive you show a broad range of ethnicities in your portfolio. You're dancing with some borderline discrimination statutes. If you find a particular ethnicity's features less attractive than others and it shows in your portfolio, turning someone down could lead to some legal headaches.
p.3 #11 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Discrimination lawsuits? Really lol So you're telling me that someone who only photographs models (that's just the type of photography they do) could get slapped with a discrimination lawsuit for telling a 500lb peopleofwalmart.com queen that that is not the type of photography he does? I just don't see it happening. If someone comes along that you don't want to photograph, just tell them you're booked until 2025.
p.3 #13 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
Having to be that on the down low sounds like a lot of work!
Models are employees much of the time. They're getting paid to do a job and those jobs might require a specific look. In this case the model is a customer and is protected by consumer protection statutes regarding race.
How about someone with a disability?
Like I said, it sounds like a lot of work for very little financial return.
Better to trade in kind and avoid the headaches.
p.3 #19 · Hope you guys don't think I am a creep...
As ridiculous as it sounds, unfortunately we in the US live in such a ridiculously litigious society that people can, and will, sue for just about anything. Regardless of how baseless the lawsuit is, it could cost time & money to defend against. I think that's the point RR is trying to highlight.
It's why professionals in many industries get umbrella and E&O insurance.
As BS as it may be, it cost McDonalds money to defend against forcing people to eat 5 Big Macs a day. It cost lawnmower companies money to defend against not warning customers against using their mowers to trim the hedges.
Every time I reply to him his posts vanish. Too funny! 
lol So you're telling me that someone who only photographs models (that's just the type of photography they do) could get slapped with a discrimination lawsuit for telling a 500lb peopleofwalmart.com queen that that is not the type of photography he does? I just don't see it happening. If someone comes along that you don't want to photograph, just tell them you're booked until 2025. 