Let me explain the economics of models for youse guys. I don't do hard-core, but I'm sure if they disagree, the hard-core guys will speak up.

Models are a commodity, photographers are not. Why? Because the photographer pays the model, not the other way around. This means that it is the model who has to convince the photographer to shoot her.

(Obviously supermodels and true pornstars are the exception...we are talking about the run-of-the-mill model here)

Let's take another commodity: laser printer paper. If I can buy a ream of paper for $3 at Wal-Mart, why would I want to pay $4.50 at K-Mart, assuming the products are reasonably equivalent.

There are only a few things that give a model leverage with the photographer: 1) she is somehow unique or special; 2) she is bringing work with her; and 3) the photographer is not very business-like (amateur, infatuated with the girl, shit-ass stupid).

Let me expand:

1) Being pretty, even very pretty, is not very unique or special. The world is FULL of pretty girls. I can walk down the street here in Portland and in five minutes I'll see ten girls who make Gauge or Jenna look like nanny goats. However, show me a girl with a very thick bush, gigantic breasts, or a butt you could serve a picnic on, and you have a girl who can make demands. I myself stick with legal teen cuties because they sell and they have nothing to use as leverage. If a girl gives me problems, she gets crossed off the list and I move on to the next girl.

2) Now, if a girl brings in some business, sure, she's entitled to be treated like a player and get some action in addition to her modeling fees. If she hires me to shoot her for her portfolio or her own web site, she gets more respect, too.

3) Amateur photographers don't research the marketplace, and feel lucky to get any girl in front of the camera, and their lack of business credibility and/or a portfolio gives the model some leverage over them. Then you have the guys who have fallen in love and will pay anything to see subject of their infatuation nekkid. Any savvy girl will rake this mark over the coals for whatever she can get. Finally, you just have the stupid jerk who does no research or just wants to throw his money around to impress the model (probably hoping to get laid).

I pay what I pay, I don't negotiate, I don't need to work with any particular girl, which is what gives ME leverage. And if I actually DO need to work with a particular girl, it's after she's worked for me at my rates for a few times, and so she'll normally just take any additional work I get (e.g., exclusive work) at my standard rate as well. If I offer her my standard $150 for a 2-2.5 hour session, and she counter-offers, I just tell her to give me a call when $150 sounds better than watching TV some afternoon. I am seldom short on models, and many of the models I work with get me business with some of my exclusive clients. I am never sitting around my office saying to myself, "Woe is me! I have no models!" In fact, I'm normally the guy other photographers call to find out where THEY can get models.

I know this all sounds terribly skewed AGAINST the model, and I certainly never discuss my finances with the girls. While there's no doubt that there's more money behind the camera than in front of it, the girls are getting what they WANT: quick cash that it'd take them much longer to earn flipping burgers or serving tables. Let's face it: If they were qualified to be bankers or ad execs, they probably wouldn't be posing.

They do not want to do what I have to do: I work an average of 12-14 hours a day 7 days a week most weeks. I am at my computer when I'm not eating, shopping, going to the bank or post office, or sleeping. My entertainment most of the time is going to 2 or 3 movies a week...usually alone. The rest of the time, it's work, work, work. I don't go to raves and take "E," I don't lay in the sun and get a tan, I don't hang out in meat markets and cruise for sex partners.

They don't want to spend mucho dinero on cameras, lighting, props, and wardrobe. They don't want to make hotel arrangements, or eat the cost of the room when a model pulls a no-show because she overslept or partied to hard the night before and is hugging a toilet when she should be ready to pose. They don't want to pay self-employment tax (they don't even want to be 1099'ed!). My taxes are in the 30-33% range, and I don't hide a penny.

In short, they get paid what someone with no leverage, no money to invest, and no inclination to donate a large amount of "sweat equity" should expect to get paid.

Now, as a few of you know, I DO help the girls in many ways, too. I help them find more work with other employers. I help them avoid the ones who will abuse them physically, verbally, psychologically, or sexually. I counsel them on what to avoid. Hardcore, for example. I tell them the truth: that she can do nude modeling, open poses, toys, and girl-girl and still be regarded as a model. She can also later on in life write it off as "youthful indiscretion." However, once she starts doing boys, she can't use the youthful indiscretion explanation anymore with many people she'll encounter outside the business. And then there's the dirty little secret of the adult business: girls who do hardcore are thought of (and often referred to) as sluts even by many of the people here on this board! Don't hate me: just pay attention to how the guys on this board refer to hard-core chicks.

I tell a pretty girl she'll always be able to get gigs based on her good looks, but once she turns the corner into hardcore, she's on the express train to oblivion, with the added problem of being female. Aurora Snow is so pretty she's almost painful to look at, but while she may be the flavor of the month now, I'll bet hardly anyone will even remember her name three years from now.

Many of the top porn stars of the 70's-80's and early 90's are still making money in this business, provided they are male. John Leslie, Ron Jeremy, Peter North, Rocco. Who were the top female pornstars then and where are they now? Not performing in the movies...that's a young woman's game in this business. With a couple exceptions, most of them have simply evaporated (or died of AIDS, or committed suicide, or simply realized it was a bad choice and become private citizens).

That's the truth, plain and simple.

Bravo, what I well written post.

Now I know why your post is so well writtien, I read your books. I bought them a long time ago. You redid your sites since then they look good. I am now doing photography full time because of what I learned from you. Thanks :)