Pixiq

The opportunity to work with a model is a dream for many photographers, but getting great photos of a model is nothing like the image we see in movies and TV. The photographer does not stand around snapping shots while yelling, ”Give it to me baby, the camera love you!” In fact it is much more complex.

In the next three posts I’m going to give you tips for working with models to get great photos.

This post will talk about developing rapport with the model and getting started, the next will talk about details of working with a model outdoors or in natural light and finally some basics for working in the studio.

The most important element of working with a model is the rapport you establish with him or her. After all you two are going to be in a very intense situation. You are going to be looking very hard at them trying to make certain kinds of images and you need both their cooperation and their trust.

The importance of a good rapport can’t be understated. When a model trusts you they will work to make the photos better because a model good model will improvise poses and expressions that can bring great energy into your photos.

You can see the difference in the two photos with this article. The laughing shot came about a half hour into the shoot.

The first step is to sit down with the model and show him or her examples of your work. Seeing what you’ve done in the past helps build trust.

Next ask about the model’s experience. How long have they been modeling? What do they like most about the work? What don’t they like? Usually the response here is they don’t like come-ons from photographers.

Finally talk about what you are shooting with the model. For instance the photos in this post came from out of a photography session for a hair salon. The goal was to produce a series of photos that could be used for ads in newspapers and magazines. The designer of the ad asked that I shoot the model against a plain white background and to leave room for copy. I explained this to the model and asked her if she had any ideas about how to present her hairdo.

Finally I started to take photos and after I had taken half a dozen frames asked the model to look at the camera monitor and see what we were getting. Seeing the images she made a few suggestions and realized that she was holding her head awkwardly in a few frames.

We then continued to shoot and chat about the images and not only did I get the pictures I needed but both the model and I had a great experience working together.