Photography: Rick Luettke
How to get started with your profile on Model Mayhem:
Go to the model mayhem web site and click on "join" at the top menu bar. Fill out the "Create Your Model Mayhem Profile". You can start a membership level that is "free".
What you will need for your Model Mayhem profile:
Four photos showing your work and 100 words describing yourself. As a hairstylist, the 4 photos need to be 4different looks.You can read "Model Mayhem Requirements" to help you see if you qualify. Read the directions, upload the profile and photos. Then wait for your page to be constructed.
Your profile will show up in the search engines when someone types your name so choose your words and photos carefully - to "sell yourself as a professional" online.
On "my stuff" in your Model Mayhem page, there is a feature for uploading and organizing photos for your portfolio page. The site has very good instructions on how to upload and arrange photos. You set you most important "current" image as the "avatar". Your avatar shows up whenever you send a message, request to be a "friend", put a "tag" (comment) on other's pages, and it is on the left hand upper right side of your "profile" page. You can place "credits" for those model mayhem members who have collaborated with you to create the image at the photo shoot.
Your portfolio and profile is what "qualifies" your work an experience. Your profile can be seen by anyone in the internet world - so it is a good advertisement on browsers. For example, at the time of this writing, when entering "Jean Sweet" as the search criteria in a Goggle , the first listing is "Jean Sweet- Hair & Makeup Artist (www.jeansweet.com) and the second listing is "ModelMayhem.com - Jean Sweet - Photographer-Chicago,US (www.modelmayhem.com/577718) followed by other listings of my other sites (listed at the bottom of this page). The point is this: Model Mayhem has a high ranking on search engine browsers.
Jean uses the friends feature to store leads for models and talent that she may want to reach in the future for collaborations or casting for models. Others use the friends feature to increase their exposure on Model Mayhem.
Jean suggests that you be very selective in accepting "friends". There are many models and photographers on model mayhem who show crude nudity which Jean always denys as a friend when requested, or ignores emails from such people. You can decide what kinds of people you want to network with on Model Mayhem. It is not an "edited" site - anyone can join who fulfills the requirements. Each model mayhem member has the choice of accepting or not accepting friends and responding or not responding to emails.
The great thing about "friends" is that you can search for good model candidates on other good model mayhem members site by looking at their "tags", "friends" and "portfolios".
The email system in Model Mayhem is intended to give you the option to remain more ananomus - an alternative to using your regular email. You do not need to use your "real name" in Model Mayhem. When you want to initiate a message, you begin on the other person's page. At the top of each profile there are three options: Send Message, Add to Friends and Add to Favorites. When you compose and send a message, your "avatar" photo will appear in the message to the other person. This gives them a "first impression" of you - which may or may not motivate them to respond.
The "BROWSE" feature on Model Mayhem is the place where you can search for models or persons of other listed "profile types". When networking, the browse feature is used by model mayhem members to find those people they want to send messages, view portfolios, place "tags" (comment lines) or "request friend".
The "CASTING/TRAVEL" is where you can post a casting call, travel notice or local availability notice. Other Model Mayhem members can respond to your castings. You will obtain the responses in a list form.
I have found Model Mayhem to be a good place to seek out models that can be hired directly, without agencies. I have also learned how to ignore the "rough" models and images in Model Mayhem, and use the search for the good models. I caution everyone - be careful about booking models without personal interviews or model castings.
I like to work with models that are represented by agencies - but the fees are higher, and generally agency models do not allow creative cutting and coloring. I always advise my clients to use the best model they can afford for their shoot concept.