Oh gawd please stop with the bathroom mirror pics!

[Chica Chaser]

Originally Posted by LynnT

I know i control what info I put, its just too much info for me period, my site is UTR as well. Its LE and discretion reasons. It works for me, it actually seems to attract clients to me as Im secretive, I intrigue them more. I get comments about it often. This is not a full fledged career for me is a UTR job and so is some of my info.

My lack of showcase does not hinder my business here, this board only works so well for upstate NY is really a Rochester hub not my town.. BP is where its at for my area. and frankly when I do travel and use this board my reviews sell me, my ads I run,(get comments about my fun ads) and the link to my site when they ask for it. I very rarely get questions about a showcase. I had one and since eliminating it I have more business..

No need to explain anything to me, that your business; not mine or anyone elses. Whatever works for you in your situation is absolutely awesome. So, while a showcase may not be important to you, I assure you it is very important to most folks on this site. (You know we recently went over 90K members?)

I just don't want the impression that we "require" "too much" on showcases here. And to emphasize that the lady is in complete control how much or how little information, pics, reviews she puts there. The showcase is "her" area to do as she pleases for marketing and business planning.

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by Chica Chaser

No need to explain anything to me, that your business; not mine or anyone elses. Whatever works for you in your situation is absolutely awesome. So, while a showcase may not be important to you, I assure you it is very important to most folks on this site. (You know we recently went over 90K members?)

I just don't want the impression that we "require" "too much" on showcases here. And to emphasize that the lady is in complete control how much or how little information, pics, reviews she puts there. The showcase is "her" area to do as she pleases for marketing and business planning.

I know what you meant chica. I hope ladies do realize its their choice on info they choose to share here. Essentually any lady has to do what works for them. I just always say stick to good TCB and service no matter what you charge etc or how you handle business. Just take care of the gents and give them what the pay for. I just believ in running good business no matter what service/product you offer.

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by HoustonWhiteKnight

Why does every girl that doesn't have Professional photos always say "they are so touched up and airbrushed". Have you ever heard of speaking up and saying:

"Hey Mr. Photo guy, can you take some really high quality photos of me in some nice outfits and nice locations, with nice backgrounds. Oh but don't photoshop them at all! I want all my bruises, zits, freckles and scars to be visible so the guys know exactly what kind a hooker is gonna show up"

Pro means good photos, Pro doesn't mean photoshop.

Agreed! Pro has nothing to do with photoshop. Some photographers dont even use it much. I dont. Or heres a concept seek a photographer that does not PS an image to death!! They do exist! a pro photo will show WAY MORE REALNESS!!! You have to spend money to make money. Test the theory, I'll say that again.

Please people do some research on marketing, Google is your friend! there are some awesome hooker blogs out there.. and marketing blogs/info.

[DFWRaven]

I'm one of the ones that dosn't photoshop much... I'll heal out a zit or two.. Blur a face or Tattoo.. Blur only..
I don't liquify and make you look 30 pounds thinner.. And I don't smooth skin so You look like a Cartoon...
I'll use lighting , wardrobe and poses to make you look your best...
My Website is in its early stages.. and I use Yahoo E-mail..
I have a pretty nice studio in Dallas... If this dosn't make me professional enough for some of You.. Fine.. don't use me...
As far as cell pics Vs. "Pro" pics... I think it's nice to see a mix...
As far as what you'll get from Me.. A CD of Images when you leave that will give the client a idea of what you will look like when you open the door.. That is If the Provider takes the same amount of effort getting ready for a session as she does for a photo shoot...

DFWRaven

www.dfwraven.com

[Colonel Jim]

Bottom line: Photos are advertising. Their purpose is to get potential clients to contact the provider. If they do that, they are successful. Once the client arrives, it is up to the provider to provide the service so that the client will be a repeat customer.

So, whatever works in her market for whatever rate level she wants, works. I've read countless reviews where the client said the photos didn't look like the provider, but usually because they were out-of-date, not "PS'd to death". And would the client see her again? Usually yes, not because of the photos (unless a different lady than the one advertised showed up), but because of the service.

In my market, the Buckle of the Bible Belt, I blur faces. So, no amount of PS on the face would make any difference. But to be brutally honest, the purpose of the photos is to get that call, everything else is up to the provider, so I might remove identifiable tats or a temporary blemish. An experienced hobbyist will understand that. I told the only unsatisfied client I've ever had, that I would do what I could with lighting and poses, but I would not make Dixie Carter into Angelina Jolie. The photographer will make it as real as the his client specifies, within reason.

I've seen phonecam shots where the pictures were taken so far away, that I had to play "Where's Waldo" trying to find the lady in amongst all the junk in the photo. You couldn't tell anything about the girl, once you found her, other than she had buttocks. Most women I know have buttocks. Any client who told her "Baby, your photo is hot!" is either blowing smoke or is a moron. If you want to use a MySpace pic for advertising, and it works, great. But I stand by my initial position here: if you want to go upscale, and draw upscale clients who pay upscale fees, professional quality photos are a requirement, regardless of whether you pay $500 for them or have a qualified amateur/semi-pro do them. In the end, it's the photo that draws them in, but the service that gets them to stay.

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by Colonel Jim

Thirty minutes? Oh, God, that's rich!! Even with a ready-made skin, I spent hours and three emails to tech services just to get what I have going. And I still can't figure out how to embed a video (not a bad one, if I do say so myself) or a link to Paypal to pay a sitting deposit. I don't like deposits, but if the client has to pay a non-refundable deposit, I think it would cut down on No Call/No Shows.

A suggestion, call it a retainer not a deposit. Just like a lawyer. Deposits are given back, retainers are not, they retained your service. Using non-refundable "deposits" are a gray area and can cause problems.

[tommylove]

i don't have any opinions about the photography issues but all i want to say lynn is a first class intelligent lady.

[Operation: Sexcrime]

Interesting.

[JONBALLS]

A women that has swagger can make herself look HOT with a cell phone turns my head every time.

[PhotoFantasies]

All this talk of photoshop and professional photographers changing the way a woman looks seems kind of bogus to me. When a lady pays me for one of my packages, she has a choice between un-retouched and retouched photos. Generally I shoot up to 300 images per shoot. The lady always gets ALL 300 of the raw unretouched shots regardless. then depending on which package she chooses, she gets her choice of 5 to 10 of them retouched. So she can choose to use them either retouched, or un retouched. Most use both. SO really the only difference between a "PRO" shot and a cell phone picture is lighting, and someone who knows what they are doing behind the camera... and oh.. a glass lens instead of a plastic one. So how does this make a lady look any more or less "real".. I would think in this case, she would look far more real in a pro shot... just my opinion. I don't have armies of make up artists and hair dressers come in for a shoot... the lady does her own make up, and usually does her own poses.. just as in a cell phone shot. So really when it comes right down to it, what IS the difference? I personally think it is psychological. There is a certain naughtiness / nastiness/ seediness to a cell phone pic. It is the whole sort of texting / sexting vibe.. like you are getting a private pic that no one else is getting or something.

Yes.. I'll proudly admit that I DO use photoshop. But only as a tool to make a better photo. In the shots that I DO retouch, whether for a model OR a provider, I take great care to NOT change the way a lady looks. I continually go back and forth during the retouching process between the original NON-retouched version and what I am doing to insure this. I only retouch to make a prettier photo.. not a prettier woman. Below is an example of what retouching is all about. no smoke, no mirrors.. just some color correction.. lighting correction, cropping, and some background work to draw more attention to the subject. There is no lighting.. just natural light. So other than removing the hair across her forehead, what has changed to make her look any less real?

[PODarkness]

Originally Posted by PhotoFantasies

Below is an example of what retouching is all about. no smoke, no mirrors.. just some color correction.. lighting correction, cropping, and some background work to draw more attention to the subject. There is no lighting.. just natural light. So other than removing the hair across her forehead, what has changed to make her look any less real?

What else did you change? or what else did you change that makes her less real looking? She looks fine in both, but in your list of changes you forgot to mention shaving the ribs down, smoothing the skin color, smoothing the abdomen, and the unkindest cut of all... cropping out the gnome. You animal! The Wacom pen should never be used as a weapon!

Very nice work, but without the gnome? it's half a pic.

[PhotoFantasies]

Originally Posted by PODarkness

What else did you change? or what else did you change that makes her less real looking? She looks fine in both, but in your list of changes you forgot to mention shaving the ribs down, smoothing the skin color, smoothing the abdomen, and the unkindest cut of all... cropping out the gnome. You animal! The Wacom pen should never be used as a weapon!

Very nice work, but without the gnome? it's half a pic.

Actually didn't shave down the ribs or the abdomen.. just lightened and desaturated the color on the overall body, then brought the saturation levels back up on the swimsuit and her tattoo to equal the original levels, so to create the illusion of skin softening.

The gnome wouldn't sign a release, so he had to be removed from the shot. the gnome union ca be pretty tough to deal with sometimes. LOL.. thanks for the compliments!

[Colonel Jim]

I thought the gnome was her escort/companion...

Which is precisely why I won't let gnomes on the set. That is unless they agree to do nudes ... But most of them require LOTS of Photoshop because they just don't look real.

[cardinal200911]

I prefer pictures taken in bathroom etc, that way i know what im really getting myself into.

[nawtynatalie]

Neither of these are professional but one is Self Shot, I don't see that big of a difference, my Self shot pics let people know it's me flaws and all... I am however looking to take professioal pics but I will keep my non pro pics