A gig is a gig, no matter where you get it from. I have seen  quiet a few good gigs set up and the details worked out in the chat room.

Yup, that is the example I was referring to. I hardly think I'm going to borrow money to shoot with somebody that has the attention span of a lighting bolt. Her response to my leaving doesn't bode well either.  Flake meter off the scale.  Sad too, nice look.
     It's also a fine example of why I shoot mostly for the hobby magazines now. Combining my favorite hobby with my work. It don't get better than that.

GaryR

Rachel Jay wrote:

Honestly, I don't take offers for jobs all that seriously unless they make their way to my inbox.

Why?

Because 9 times out of 10, the "I'd love to work with you" picture comment or tag ends up going nowhere, even if I take the initiative and message the person.  Or it's a "you need to pay my rates" ploy, or an offer to work TF* with someone who's work wouldn't benefit my book either on quality or type (or both).

Plus, I don't like discussing shoot details out in "public".  Tags, walls, chatrooms, forums... not the places to discuss shoot details. 

So if you were REALLY serious about shooting with her, perhaps you should have sent her a message.

-I have to agree with Rachel.

-Just last week, a model casually mentioned to me, via tag, that she "really wanted" to get some shots done by me. The model is located in Austin and it so happened I was going to be in San Antonio last week and could drive up and shoot with her. I PM'd in the positive to her and put the the ball back in her court. I asked for the specifics she was after, much like Rachel has outlined in previous posts.

-I believe writing PM'S/email to be the proper and best form of communication when setting up work. It is not only the proper way to do things, but creates documents for both parties in the event of a conflict.

Rick Gordon Photography wrote:

Rachel Jay wrote:

 

So if you were REALLY serious about shooting with her, perhaps you should have sent her a message.

Agreed. I write a direct PM to the model I want to work with stating what I'm interested in shooting along with all the other details and a phone number. If she follows up on it, then it's a go. Until then it's only "sound and fury signifying nothing."

Completely agree - I have never arranged a shoot without direct, one-to-one communications with the model, whether by e-mail, private messaging on a website, or by phone.  In some cases, I have contacted the model indicating my interest in working with her; in other cases, the model has contacted me to see if I would work with her.  In each case, though, we didn't rely on chance conversations in an on-line chat room in any way to initiate discussions about working together.

In each case you all got some kind of reply, I didn't.  I don't remember asking for advice either. From anybody.

GaryR

OK, since you don't want advice:

I got a tip for you.  More than one, actually. 

Chat happens quickly.  People's attention gets divided, and they may not be paying attention at a time something important to you gets said.  It's not record communications, it's not something people store and come back to when they have the time to deal with it.  If you do something else for a minute or two - as we all do - you may well miss something.

In fact, count on it.

So, the tips:

Don't use chat for anything that is important to you.  Don't assume that everyone who is nominally signed in is paying rapt attention at every moment to everything you said.  And don't make silly posts on forums to show others that you don't understand any of the foregoing.

See?  No advice, just tips.

GaryR wrote:

I hardly think I'm going to borrow money to shoot with somebody that has the attention span of a lighting bolt.
GaryR

I'm still wondering why the need to borrow money to shoot?