MicrostockGroup

HI Paul,

 If the cash is tight as it often is for starting lifestyle shooters you can do trade outs for images especially with friends and neighbors, there are a lot of people that are happy to receive a disc in exchange for modeling, especially when you have more time than money, just depends where you are financially.
  I know I can spend for models now but in the start we used all our friends and neighbors and local community groups for a trade of a print or what now is a disc from the days events and tried to keep model payments to zero cash. The other nice thing about this approach is you and the people already fell comfortable around each other from your previous relationship and this will help ease into the people stuff.
  Best if you you have a go see before setting up the shoot, no matter who they are they do need to be reasonably attractive but even more so animated and comfortable with themselves. I find these make the best models. We use a lot of actors as well because they can really play the role if it is a specific setting like a business meeting we want to shoot and we need models to interact. Local actors often are interested in a head shot trade out for a couple hours work. Lots of opportunities if you keep looking.

Best,
AVAVA

Depends where you draw the line for stranger. Never asked somebody on the street to model for me, but I have a few photos on model mayhem and some models contacted for shoots. I also answered a couple ads posted by models there.
Wanna be model, that is, with not much of a book.
Then the deal is I shoot pictures of them that they can use in their book, I give retouched photos in full rez, but they sign me a model release for my use.
Ended up doing it twice. It is quite common there. I'll do that again.
Good experience overall and everybody gets something.