Modeling Websites Generate Mostly Shady Modeling Jobs: Be Picky!

By Shawn Petrovich of Totally Ripped of Los Angeles, which specializes in photography and video of fitness models.

Many college guys who want to become a male models do what is called “Spray and Pray”. Spraying is where you submit your photos to every male modeling website you can find and then “Pray” that someone - anyone - contacts you.

Don't accept every offer that you receive. Be choosey. In some cases, it is better to turn down an offer.

Getting someone to contact you is easy. But you may not want to pursue every offer you receive. Ironically, accepting some modeling offers can hurt your career or end it before it begins. Whenever you put yourself on modeling websites, you should expect to be contacted by con artists and porn recruiters.

Don't be Naive - Don't Be Desparate

After adding their pic to a modeling site, guys get desperate and take the first offer that comes their way. They get excited when they receive their first contact. It is like a guy going home with a fat girl 2 minutes after walking into a bar. Shouldn;t you wait a little and be somewhat selective? Don't get desperate.

That first offer may actually be a scam and not a real offer. As soon as a guy uploads a shirtless pic to one of these modeling website, he receives an email from a someone claiming to be a photographer who says he likes the aspiring model's "look" and that he can help his modeling career. This person may or may not be an actual photographer. There are also different types of photographers: some are cheesey guys who shoot in their basement and have no real contacts in the modeling industry.

Be In Control of Your Career

Make decisions based on your career goals: if you want to appear in a fitness magazine like Fitness RX, then work toward that goal. Side-tracking your goals each time you receive an email from a stranger allows others to control your career. Instead of listening to what the photographer wants you to do, tell them what YOU want YOU to appear in.

Ploys to Get Guys Into Masturbation Videos

Porn recruiters often contact inexperienced college guys on publicly available modeling websites claiming they have legitimate modeling offers for them. These offers are really tricks to involve inexperienced guys in shady sex-oriented websites. The most common offer involves getting college guys who want to model to masturbate on video, which is sold to gay men through expensive memberships.

What Modeling Websites Offer You

Should you add your photos to modeling websites?

Yes – for the purpose of meeting and banging hot female models and professional networking with other male models.

Meet and Share Info With Other Male Models

You should also use these sites to connect and get information from other male models who earn at least $3000 per year from Model Jobs. If another guy truly earns money off modeling, he has something to offer you – advice, referrals to possible real professionals, valid information. We show you why it is so important to become friends with other male models. Do college guys receive good modeling jobs through modeling directories? Yes, sometimes.

Best Photographers Too Busy To Surf Websites

However, the kind of photographers you want to shoot with are often too busy conducting business to spend hours in front of a computer emailing young college guys with nice pecs.

Ironically, you want to shoot with photographers who don’t want to shoot with you! The average photographer you want to shoot with is zany, busy doing coke, hanging at night clubs with fashion designers and is well connected to professionals in the male modeling biz. He likely has an assistant you will speak with and will need to be convinced to shoot you.

Best Photographers Have Clients

You want to shoot with photographers not only to obtain good photos, but also to connect with a photographer who works with businesses that hire models. Look at a multi-page photo spread in your favorite fitness magazine. The name of the photographer will appear in small print alongside a photo. That is the photographer you want to shoot with. Why? Because his work gets printed into magazines. When you are done with your photo shoot with an amateur photographer, he will get back to contacting other guys on modeling directories – instead of submitting your photos to real modeling jobs. Your photos will never get published.

Fake Offers Waste Time

Some people just want to waste your time. Time is an issue to your career as well as money. Plus, sometimes a guy with a lot of potential will become discouraged after they get their hopes up and waste two months talking to someone who they thought would help them. Guys get discouraged and miss out on valid opportunities.

Anyone can call themselves a "photographer." You are being careless if you get overly excited because some random person contacted you because they saw your photo on a website. You should take time to decide if you want to accept an offer you received after posting your photo. It does nothing for you to have 57-year-old gay insurance agent contact you. Some gay guys love to talk to a hot guy. They could be simply talking to you to get their kicks. They do not really have a modeling job for you... simply wasting your cell phone minutes with a lot of promises. Look at it their way: they are bored and get to have some fun talking to a cute guy. They never need to spend a dime.

Only Pose Nude for Top / Big City Photographers Who are Not Involved in Porn

Many photographers will ask you to pose nude. Only consider this when speaking with a top photographer - the kind whose photos have been published in fashion magazines and after you have seen his portfolio. If his photos are trashy or porn-like, your photos will end up trashy too. Amateur photographers do not help in long run. Being photographed by amateur photographers with no clients is not modeling. Everything you do should be directed toward a long-range approach to your modeling career. Don't just pose for the purpose of obtaining photos: you pose to develop a long-term relationship with photographers who can help you because they know industry contacts.

A Typical Phone Call from a Shady Photographer

A Typical call from a Photographer who found you through a modeling website. Can you be smart enough to alert yourself to the warning signs?

Being Photographed is Not Modeling

A photographer may shoot professional photos, but it does not mean the photos get published in professional places. Being on a photographer's nifty website or portfolio doesn’t may or may not help your career. Having nice photos alone doesn't help you. You just end up with nice photos.

Remember, modeling is a real business with large budgets involved and it is not easy for the players in this industry to “make it.” It isn't always as easy as uploading a bunch of photos to modeling websites. You need the "right" industry professionals to see your photos. The way to success is to meet the right industry professionals who can help you.

You check a photographer by:

Review his portfolio and decide if his photos were the type you would consider posing for. Does his portfolio include any examples of advertising that included his photos?
Obtain the email of one of his previous male models and email that guy to check the references of the photographer. If the photographer cannot or will not give you a previous models’ email address, that should be a warning sign. If the photographer is such a big deal and can help you so much, then he should have helped other guys – who you can talk to.
Search the photographer’s email address on eBay. Does he sell shady photos of guys on eBay?
Read our advice on how to choose a quality photographer.

If you are ready to become a male model, consider our innovative advice on how to get your modeling career started locally, on your college campus. Its a fun way for you and 11 of your on-campus buddies to take a giant leap ahead of other aspiring models!