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SEPTEMBER
2007
Be
responsible in your modeling career. Invest in professionals. We do.
INTRODUCTION
BY MODEL MONICA STEVENS
The first two mailbags of the new mail bag format are behind us, and
now it is on to business, or rather, new business. You will all notice
that there will be fewer letters published with long responses from
me (er- mostly starting in the next mail bag), and if it warrants
a lengthy response, my reply will link to the relevant tutorial to
supporting article/s on Tampa Bay Modeling, Independent Modeling,
or the upcoming Advanced Model.
So, am I skimping on my work? No, not at all. By keeping it short
and sweet (or sarcastic; pick your flavor / poison), the mail bags
will become even more useful. They will be easier to read, and I may
even be able to answer more letters this way. Additionally, I tend
to go off-subject and ramble, and that makes these mail bags a more
difficult read. I want you, our readers, to be able to get good information
and a bit of entertainment value in a few minutes rather than spend
an hour sifting through 15-20 pages of a modeling book, regardless
of how good that it happens to be. If I do say so myself, it does
get really good around here, too. I entertain myself by answering
your letters, and I couldn't imagine not doing this. It is good to
be back!
Going forward, we will increase the cost-effectiveness of the time
spent reading our mailbags, and ultimately their value to the Tampa
Bay Modeling industry.
We also have the launch of a new mailbag column by indie film director
Alex Cain over at sister web site Tampa Bay Film next month. Since
we both must share the same editor, we don't have the liberty of being
sloppy by writing with reckless abandon. I officially welcome Alex
and Tampa Bay Film to a whole new world of interacting with their
readers as the Tampa Bay Film web site continues to grow and expand
at an amazing rate. The growth of Tampa Bay Film, in fact, has been
so impressive that I wouldn't be surprised if it eclipses Tampa Bay
Modeling sometime in 2008 and becomes the leading Tampa Bay Talent
web site. Have you seen the Tampa Bay Film online film festival? There
are a lot of interesting films on there, and you can easily spend
a few hours watching some cool films without leaving home. It's free,
too!
Well, enough about all of that. It is time to talk about me. That's
right, haters, me. What else would I talk about now? You? Are you
really that interesting, or are you just like everyone else in this
sell-out society of sheep? Whatever. So, what have I been up to? Booking
some modeling jobs as an independent model and updating my modeling
portfolio. I worked with several photographers over the summer, and
got a lot of great pictures for my book and new comps. Models out
there may want to note that all of these photographers were professionals
and that I paid for my model portfolio photography sessions. It was
a great investment, and I made the most of my limited time as a professional
model by skipping the pathetic portfolio networking site "aspiring"
photographers, and booking qualified, professional photographers instead.
Hmmmmm... Do you know what I have noticed? That regular reader and
contributing model Stacy has not wrote in since we rebooted the Tampa
Bay Modeling mail bag. Since she was one of the models who pushed
for its return, the lack of participation is rather disappointing.
What was that? You say that she got letter of the month in the last
mail bag? Well, she did, but you also have to realize that we were
catching up on old letters and that the letter was several months
old. At least French Fry sent us in a new letter. I am hoping that
Stacy resumes writing in, because I find her letters and the points
that she makes to be simply brilliant. In case you haven't already
guessed, we are now officially caught up and all new letters will
be new and current. Readers can now expect answers to their emailed
letters in the next or relevant mail bag instead of waiting months
for a reply. If selected for publication, you can expect a reply in
less than a month. Selected for publication? That's right. Starting
next month, you can expect us to become a bit more picky regarding
the letters that we choose to publish and answer. The hate mail and
addressing all of these baseless accusation is getting old, and I'm
even getting tired of model agency bashing. You're all welcome.
Well, it is time to start this exciting installment of my Tampa Bay
Modeling mail bag column for the cooler month of September, 2007.
Enjoy!
~ Model Monica
Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
September
2007 Modeling Mail Bag Table Of Contents
01.
LETTER OF THE MONTH: TFP / TFCD Issues
A Guy With Camera Time For Print photographer has
an issue with Tampa Bay Modeling.
02.
The Golden Age Of Tampa Bay Modeling
A model commends us on our progress with Tampa Bay
Modeling.
03.
Attacking Ourselves
A model is confused about Monica being allowed to
criticize Tampa Bay Modeling and Independent Modeling.
04.
Advertising Question
A model notices the transformation of our web site
during September as our site format expands.
LETTER
OF THE MONTH: TFP / TFCD Issues
Tampa Bay Modeling,
I am sick of you "models" talking down to photographers
who use "portfolio networking sites" to make friends and
share our love and our art of photography.
So what if I offer TFP to models? We have fun. I also use photography
to meet beautiful women. Photography is a great way to break the ice
and date girls who are very easy on the eyes.
Tampa Bay Modeling needs to mind its own business. I get really annoyed
when these models quote your site to me and refuse to work with me
because of the bullshit all over your misleading web site.
Carlson, a TFP model photographer from Tampa Bay, Florida
Carlson,
Your letter speaks for itself, and it proves our point about all of
these guys with cameras running around and offering models photography
sessions for free. Photographers who claim to be professional are
not when they do all of their work for free and try to use the shroud
of being a professional photographer as a means to hit on and have
sex with pretty girls.
In my opinion, you are very unprofessional and give legitimate model
portfolio photographers a bad reputation that they do not deserve.
It is not Tampa Bay Modeling which is giving TFP / TFCD Guy With Camera
(GWC) photographers a bad name. You are all doing a fine job doing
that on your own.
For those who are new to all of this, TFP is a term that means Time
For Prints. In the old days, it was a term that described a professional
collaboration between established professionals where the model and
photographer would exchange their services as a project to add to
their portfolios. Since the early 2000's where free portfolio networking
web sites and digital cameras became common, the TFP term has been
hijacked and raped to represent the unprofessional practice of amateurs
trying to help each other to build portfolios for free. This does
not work, wastes a lot of time, and is often dangerous. It is not
safe to meet up with and work with supposed professionals who have
made no investment into their careers and who have little to lose.
There is little to make them accountable for their actions, and there
have even been reports of con artists claiming to be photographers
who steal the work of other photographers in order to misrepresent
what they can do. These so-called "photographers" lure unsuspecting
models in with free offers so that they can take advantage of them.
There have been reports of models being drugged and sexually assaulted
through TFP photography offers. The models think that they can get
their modeling portfolios done for free and end up paying a very big
price for their ignorance.
Oh, yes, and the term TFCD is a TFP where the model gets their pictures
on a CD ROM instead of receiving prints. A GWC is a term that means
a Guy With a Camera, which describes a non-photographer with no professional
experience who runs around on portfolio networking sites offering
TFP so they can meet and sleep with pretty girls. Some of these GWC's
are aspiring photographers with no clue how to become professional.
They offer models nothing more than a wastes of time and potential
to become victims of a crime. Ironically, most photographers who make
jokes of GWC's are themselves GWC's. Professional photographers are
too busy making a living doing photography to worry about amateur
photographers spinning their wheels. Since professional photographers
have real web sites for their business, they are also too busy working
their careers to bother much with portfolio networking sites or to
spend all day posting their opinions on portfolio networking site
message boards.
Want to meet a GWC or clueless aspiring models? Go to your nearest
portfolio networking web site, and you will find them and a great
way to learn bad habits, the means to meet dangerous con artists,
and ways of wasting time that should be spent building a professional
career. What is a Portfolio Networking Site? A portfolio networking
site is a membership web site where anyone can make up a profile free
of charge and show whatever pictures that they have. Since there is
no career investment to do this and it is often hard to check the
references of these characters, portfolio networking sites are the
primary means for GWC's and model scams to take advantage of unsuspecting
models. These sites are dangerous, and I cannot recommend them at
all.
Aspiring models and photographers owe it to themselves to invest in
professionals for their career. Look up professional photographers
in your nearest search engine or, better yet, by checking the Tampa
Bay Modeling photographer resource section. You can also find professional
photographers and professional models in Independent Modeling's TALON
Talent Online reference contact database.
Professionals in any career will quickly learn that time is much more
valuable than money. Money can be replaced. Time cannot. Why waste
time and take unnecessary risks by doing TFP with amateurs? You'll
only waste time and will end up paying for a real professional later
on. Save time, assume lower risks, and help the integrity of your
career by investing in the portfolio photography services of a genuine
professional photographer. It's the best choice.
~ Model Monica Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
The
Golden Age Of Tampa Bay Modeling
Wow. The work
that you have done on Tampa Bay Modeling lately has been amazing.
I am really impressed by your web site and all of the useful information
it has. I have told all of my model friends about this site, and they
tell me that they are telling all of their friends about it. Thank
you for helping models and making the modeling industry professionally
accountable. Good work!
Emily, a model from Tampa Bay, Florida
Hello Emily,
You are so welcome. We are working hard to make Tampa Bay Modeling
the best modeling resource web site for Tampa Bay and everywhere else.
Want more? You got it, baby! We have many new features, tools, and
content on the way, and you can find all of it exclusively on Tampa
Bay Modeling. Some of the new things on the way have never been seen
before, and will give any model who is smart enough to utilize it
a major advantage over other models, with or without a modeling agency.
You can say that the modeling industry is changing because of us.
My favorite upcoming features? The new Interactive Tutorials are fun,
and the modeling pay vouchers are slick, not to mentioned long-overdue.
Those vouchers should have been on Independent Modeling in 2001 and
on Tampa Bay Modeling on day-one when we launched in 2004. Well, at
least they are almost here now.
You might say that we are shaping up to be a very useful site. I am
proud of Tampa Bay Modeling, and you should be, too.
Don't get too used to the massive updates on Tampa Bay Modeling, though.
Our web team and the Tampa Bay Modeling staff is only getting us up
to speed, and by October Tampa Bay Modeling will settle down to routine
updates while the web team and several people from our staff concentrates
on Independent Modeling, the Independent Sites, and the TALON Talent
Online contact reference database. Tampa Bay Modeling will NOT be
able to keep up with the updates to the Independent Sites, and this
will go on for several years. As it was pointed out elsewhere in this
mail bag, Tampa Bay Modeling directly utilizes the Independent Modeling
model job board, the TALON Database, and the featured model sections
as a back-end resource of our site, so it is absolutely critical for
those to be updated. The Independent Sites are a high priority for
us all. They are our allies, partners, and friends, and we will do
everything in our power to help them.
Those who think Independent Modeling and the other sites are down
for the count are wrong. These sites are coming back in full force,
and in another year they will be more effective and influential than
they ever were before.
~ Model Monica
Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
Attacking
Ourselves
Hello Tampa Bay
Modeling,
In the last few mail segments, I noticed that Monica has been critical
of the slow updates on Independent Modeling and has been complaining
about Tampa Bay Modeling, the very site that publishes her feature!
While I can understand her attacking model scams and shady model agencies
in Tampa Bay under a fake name for her protection, you know who she
is and now she is attacking the hand that feeds her. How can this
be allowed? It makes no sense! Why would your right hand be slapping
your left? The madness must stop!
- Karen, a model from Tampa Bay, Florida
Hello Karen,
Monica here. Yes, I have been critical about slow updates on Independent
Modeling and have a few issues about Tampa Bay Modeling. I care about
these sites, just as much as I care about the Tampa Bay Modeling industry,
and I am critical because I want these sites to be the best that they
can be. As a professional model, I also see the points made and share
the feelings about some of the letters that we have received addressing
these issues. I am not going to cover for Tampa Bay Modeling or any
other professional organization which I am affiliated with if the
readers are right and the complaints have genuine merit.
Am I afraid of a backlash for rocking the proverbial boat? No, not
at all. It was made clear that I have complete freedom to write anything
that I want to, and since Tampa Bay Modeling and the other sites are
an open book and are not doing anything wrong, there is little concern
of me publishing anything that would be a real attack on them. Tampa
Bay Modeling, Independent Modeling, our sponsors, and our advertisers
are all professional enough to take professional criticism for what
is actually is. They take it constructively, and welcome it.
This much cannot be said of the rest of the modeling industry, which
is one reason that I have to publish under a pseudonym. Many people
do not comprehend much of what is said here, and get defensive instead
of understanding where the opinions are coming from. Others are mad
regardless of what we do or say, simply because they are jealous and
we are more effective than they are in the modeling industry. Model
agencies don't like us teaching models to do what they do because
it undermines their control over models and makes them lose money.
When you don't like someone, you tend to look for more reasons not
to like them. This is why the ignorant, unprofessional players in
the modeling industry condemn us for telling it how it is and try
to attack us. I learned a long time ago not to take professionalism
in the modeling industry for granted. Tampa Bay Modeling and a few
others are professional enough to take my opinions constructively
and not to be offended. I cannot say the same for many others, and
this is exactly why our modeling resource sites are needed in the
modeling industry.
~ Model Monica
Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
Advertising
Question
Hello Monica,
I check Tampa Bay Modeling everyday. A few days ago, I was surprised
by how much the site changed overnight. Your site looks better than
ever, and with all of those google ads looks like a super edition
of Tampa Bay Modeling!
My question is why you started putting so much advertising on your
web site, and why there never were many ads before.
- Samuel, a fashion model from Tampa, Florida
Hello Samuel,
Independent Modeling began advertising when the Independent Sites
relaunched as a network back in 2005, and although the sites have
been largely dormant, with few updates, their existing site content
has been making them a lot of money.
When we launched back in 2004, this was a small modeling web site
and we had a small team. We didn't think much of making money. Today,
it's a lot of work, and we are making a difference with a lot of models
and professionals in the modeling industry. When our new Raptor Class
web site format launched last year, we were secretly annoyed that
it did not incorporate page ads like the Independent Modeling Athena
Class web site did so well. Well, a few days ago ads were included
in the 2.0 Raptor Class upgrade, and we got our ads practically overnight!
Sister sites Tampa Bay Film and Tampa Bay Acting will obtain the upgrade
later this month. The new Raptor 2.0 code will come by default to
the upcoming Tampa Bay Photographers web site, which is in planning
but has not been built yet. There are rumors of another Tampa Bay
talent or entertainment sister site, and although I know a bit about
it, I can't tell any of you what I know for now.
Someone asked me about the regional modeling web sites that were announced
last year. There are at least three in the works, and they are staffed
up. They are tentatively referred to as Miami Modeling, Orlando Modeling,
and Florida Modeling (the names may be adjusted). We have to update
some of the older sections of Tampa Bay Modeling before they launch,
though, because these regional modeling web sites will be based on
Tampa Bay Modeling, beginning as regional mirrors which will take
on lives of their own. Currently, the sites are still planned, but
are on hold.
Anyhow, please don't think that we are selling out or anything, because
we are not. We have bills to pay, and by paying those bills everyone,
including our readers, wins. The more money that we make, the more
we can create and publish on Tampa Bay Modeling for you. Tampa Bay
Modeling remains a completely free online modeling resource!
~ Model Monica
Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
CLOSING
BY MODEL MONICA STEVENS
Wow. Not only
was that mail bag a bit tough to finish due to our schedule, but the
mail bag had its format transformed around it in the middle of my
work on it. You all probably noticed that the layout of Tampa Bay
Modeling has changed in the past few days and that all of the mail
bags are now in that enhanced layout. I have never see it so busy
around here.
There are other things going on, too. Exciting things. Tampa Bay Film
is undergoing a similar site layout upgrade, as is Tampa Bay Acting.
Both sites have also launched their own mail bags, too, which has
kept our content editor busy. Tampa Bay Modeling and Tampa Bay Film
just unveiled branded apparel and bumper stickers, and Tampa Bay Acting
will soon do the same.
Tampa Bay Acting has been lagging behind ours since it launched all
those months ago, and is only now getting up to speed. They have this
witty actress writing for their mail bag, and they have all sorts
of site upgrades coming in the next few weeks. The Tampa Bay Acting
mail bag editor is actress and model Katharine Franco, which is a
pseudonym like mine is. She wanted to use her real name, but we talked
her out of it, as the Tampa Bay Talent sites are not talent marketing
sites, but rather talent resource sites. We decided long ago that
if we were to use our real names, that it may affect our careers and
limit our ability to tell it how it is. We are sure that you don't
want us to be limited, and since we all have full-time, successful
careers in an often shady market, we need to be smart about how we
go about doing this.
I have news about Independent Modeling, the Independent Sites, and
the TALON Talent Online reference contact database, too. The Eos web
team, which is responsible for updating the Tampa Bay Talent sites
as well as a lot of business and production sites, is almost done
with their backlog of work. As soon as Tampa Bay Acting is up to speed,
their advertising agency web site launches, and the Frontier Society
web site is up, Independent Modeling and all of those other sites
will take priority for at least the next two years. Have you noticed
that our model job section and our model section link to Independent
Modeling? There is a reason for this, and it is about to become clear
as the Independent Sites see updates of historic proportions, exceeding
what they once were in many ways. It is a good time to be a professional
model, actor, talent, production company, or any business looking
for talent in the Tampa Bay area. We are at the threshold of a revolution,
and regardless of how old our sites are or what you think that we
have accomplished, this is only the beginning! Independent Modeling
and the Independent sites also have some amazing things on the way
for those with limited time and who do not like to read much. They
can thank some of the advancements pioneered at Tampa Bay Film for
these new ideas and tools.
Oh, this is good! Our official Tampa Bay Modeling bumper stickers
(creatively branded as "Bumper Tagz") are now in! I wonder
what would happen if I placed one on my car? Would I blow my cover?
What would the model agencies say? You know what, I don't care! Unless
the bookers go out to where my car is parked and see the sticker,
they will never know, and if they ever find out, I'll just have to
deal with their issue when it comes up. In mail bag-related news,
I also obtained approval from both Independent Modeling and Tampa
Bay Modeling to post all of my old mail bags from Independent Modeling
here in a special archive section. For those of you who are wondering
what I am talking about, I ran the Independent Modeling mail bag when
it existed, from 2002 until 2004. Of course, I will have to edit a
few letters in those mail bags, but it'll be good. Independent Modeling
no longer has a mail bag or much in the way of controversy, focusing
on modeling tools, information, contacts, and promotion. The controversial
stuff has been licensed to Tampa Bay Modeling, and now it's our deal.
Well, I have to run. It is time to go put my bumper tag on my car
and cruise around Hyde Park. Since I often get double takes anyway,
because, you know, I am a model and all that, I guess I will finally
get even more looks than ever. I wouldn't have it any other way!
~ Model Monica Stevens,
Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
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us and let us know
what YOU think! If you wish to add to one of Monica's answers or disagree
with her and want to post an answer of your own, please let us know
what letter and month you are replying to and if we see that it is
relevant we may add it to that month's archive. We will let you know
if new content such as letters have been added to mail bag archives!
E-MAIL:
TampaBayModeling@Yahoo.Com
C/O
Monica Stevens, Tampa Bay Modeling Mail Bag Editor
THIS
MAIL BAG IS SUBJECT TO EDITING AND CONTENT CHANGE AT ANY TIME AND
WITHOUT WARNING.
UPDATED
09/24/07
©
Copyright 2007 Tampa Bay Modeling. All rights reserved.