When looking for models I tend to look for people who look healthy with there own defined style people in there late teens to early twenties, tend to be the trend setters and go through the chamilian effect in there lives and style, constantly changing and very expressive, and in some cases rebeling against the system that they end up conforminmg to.
It is als a major point in time of there lives before, in most cases conforming and loosing there physical shape and individuality. .
Being totaly up front and not leading them on is very ipmortant, it is also very ipmortant for me to respect the people I work.
So my work is based on honesty and trust, all my models have copies of every picture I take of them either good or bad and I tell them what my aims are with the work ,and what the worst example would be, I.E I can not guarrent that I can get there work published but at the worst they will have a set of pictures.
In the past I got a guy in to the Topp Shop face of 2000 andmade no money out of it, but got a lot of satisfaction.
Photographing a model is a very personel thing and if there is no stymulation there then I am failing with the shoot;
I never pass the mark as my view is, it is a privilage to work with them and that does not give me the right to take it further, and indeed why should it, that is why I find it easier working with srrait people.
There needs to be some sort of chemistary there though at the same time.
I have quite oftent held my self back with my work becouse I question issues all the time.
I here of artists and photographers who have realtinships with there models and understand this situation, its the visual side of seeing things, if you dont get that buzz as a creative person there is not much point in pressing the trigger of the shutter.
All my work is also in analogue and goes through photo labs.
I still prefer Analogue as I shoot on medum format and feel that with out paying the earth the Quality is not there otherwise. I have no problem in printing my analogue as digital pictures.
With model I like the A sexuall look of being neither male or femail, Rankin did a series on this a while ago, (andronious.)
It is also important to me not to photograph people in degradin posees and try to bring out the best in people at all times both photographicly and emotionaly.
Usualy my shoots are an adenture to rememer with great sunny walks to locations in great landscape settings, usualy a time to rememer. I aaways record the time I did the sdhoot so that I have a record of that point of when I closed the shutter to capture that point in out time. Its Poetic.
My work is influenced by clasical art and the Pre Raphelites, Micheall Angelo etc I dont ;like violence or destructive elements, but am with one with nature and the word and try to use elements of Nature in all my work.

Another thought.
I thought that the creative media industry was aqbout trying to work together, undersdtand each other, respect others as well as there thoughts and views.
In orderto gain nrespecvt you hjave to give respect, dso mch more is gained out of li9fe when people work together and try and help each other. If you are abusive to otheres you must expect it back from others.
There is an old saying, dont knock people on the way up, you mighjt meet them on the way down. Constant verbal battles is a waste of energy that can be used constructively, and a sure sign of imaturity, and insecurity.

IF YOU PUT YOUR HAND IN THE CRAZY COOKY JAR....YOU WILL GET A CRAZY COOKY.
personaly if you cant sleep with a female model whats the point?when it doesnt happen and i take their pictures and they go away without...sleeping with me..i just feel all used and abused.

Its just me Shaw its the way I prefer to work.
Thats possibly why out side my work I am not having much of a social life.? at the moment.
You must be like an artist I used to know who used to sow wild oats everywhere, he produced 16 children that he admitted to and there where at least 19 known, I new one husband who made his wife have a HIV test after he found out that she had slept with the artist.
I know exactly what you mean though, if you dont get that thrill from the shoot and the model then whats the point in looking at a mentaly blank canvas, you just wont achive anything, creative.

One thing I forgot to mention is, just becouse I am gay does not mean that I should make other people question there sexuality, and it would not be fair for me to do so, and that is why I do not get of with my models.
It possibly holds me back in more ways than one, but I dont want to go down the same tracks as a lot of peopl;e I know in the professional industrys who take advantage of people for there own gratification, as mentioned in a thread a long time ago.

i was only joking seb/chris!no- after they have paid me i cant get rid of them quick enough!
its a job!it works both ways so why be taken advantage of?
and im talking about the photographer.

Thats the trouble with forums Shaw, people can be taken very much the wrong way.
I was just statting my own ways of doing things and not using it as an example for or against others.All the best.

You have way too much time on your hands.

I like models who are comfortable with their bodies and look great in front of the camera as what I do is in the field of beauty, but a model who is comfortable with their bodies and versatile to me is the most important. If the model is enthusiastic about the process of picture making that's another big plus. Someone who gives 100% and more, not someone who can only follow direction but can't do more than that, need someone who shows some passion and interests in their work.