Millennial Models

I have been photographing beautiful women and men for over thirty years.

It's always been a really wonderful collaboration of talent, energy and ideas.

Most of my models have been professionals, others amateurs who just enjoy being in front of a camera and working on creating artistic images.

In either case, professional or amateur, no money ever changed hands.

I am a professional, they are professionals but we both traded resources to create something that we are both proud of.

I would, from time to time, help my models with money for gas and tolls and other expenses. Provide lunch and refreshments and of course finished images in the way of digital media or if they wanted, an signed print.

But now it seems this new crop of millennial models thing they are worth so much more than the quality they put out. If I am shooting a fashion shoot and there is a lot of makeup, hair and outfits involved then yes, sure there should be financial compensation. There is a lot of time in effort that goes into those types of shoots and sometimes more time is spent off set then on. But as for nude modeling, there is a lot less effort pre-shoot. I am not diminishing the effort on set by the model in a nude shoot. Quite the contrary. In a nude shoot the model needs to be expressive with there body, only. Relying on the lighting, setting and eye of the photographer. But most of the actual work is on the photographer, from picking the correct setting, working with the lighting and the hours of post production work. So why do this new crop of models, who most of which, are not professional, want well over $100 and hour to pose nude? Why is their rate higher when there is so much less involved on their part?

And what has happened to the sense of collaboration, pride in the finished product?

I shoot for the personal fulfillment it brings. Some of my work are social commentaries some are art for art sake. I rarely sell pieces in the galleries I exhibit in and actually sometimes I'll give my work away to people who really appreciate it and proudly display it. So it's not like I have a huge financial gain while the models work for nothing.

All I am looking for are models who take pride and satisfaction in the work and not the all mighty dollar.