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Finding and Working with Models

This is the very beginning of my that was my first model right there angela anyway, so ask your friends ask you're pretty friends to be models you could be great that this could be great when you're just starting out and give you some practice before working with actual models um some of you may want to just jump right into it but you probably should get a little bit of practice because the thing is what that is like if you're working with if you're trying to say you got lucky in the agency said you could work with their models if they don't like the photos you brought we get their models again so it's good to get some practice ahead of time I only use friends when I first started and needed the practice the next thing is ah common option again is model photographer slash social sites and facebook groups same thing again that's another resource people can go on and find girls that they want to work with they're not agency represented usually in the groups on social media when you get r...

eferrals from other photographers usually it's freelance models these girls don't belong to an agency because there may be an inch too short but some of my best shoots have been non represent not in non agency girls so it doesn't matter don't think like you always have to have an agency model because you don't it's not that's not really true. So, um, here is ah, this is a list of finding models online. These are all different websites. Some would not be available in canada. Some would not be available here. I don't think, but I wrote this little list down. Um, so you guys can see so its model mayhem, dot com, the model dot com one model place dot com. This is all these air, all like model mayhem, but it's more geared towards sort of strictly towards the models star. Now, dot com, I think that's more of an american thing, casting three sixty that's more us again. Model management dot com model shoot dot net and broken dolls, broken doll models. That's a big one, I think out in california, I think. But anyway, so you guys just check those out and you can find a lot of girls on their there's. Other ones I didn't even list. Next one is approaching strangers again. Yeah, so use your business card so I will explain to you how I do this so. This is really this kind of funny because this girl I ended up no, I went to school with her father was so funny, but anyway, I didn't know it was his daughter when I approach her, so she mean, my friend, we're in a coffee shop, this girl comes in, I love share this curly, kinky hair, and she just had this really cool feature she's really pretty and I was like, oh my god, that girl would be so good for a shooting. I was being a little bit of a weirdo because I was like, staring at her, I was scared she was gonna like think, oh, my god with girls problem, right? And I was like, hey, I have to go! I didn't even have a business card, which I don't recommend you doing. I'm so bad sometimes, but I actually took a napkin and I wrote my website and I wrote my number anyways and I went up to her, I said, hey, I talk to you for a second and then she's like, okay? And I sat down real fast. She was sitting with her friend to like a I'm a photographer, and I'm like, I don't know if you model or anything, but I think you'd be really good for a shoot that I have in mind, I'm like I don't have my business card because I wasn't expecting to see you and I'm like so here's my website on my email address and I'm like, you know, check out my work and if you're interested, just give me an e mail and that's it and I and I was like, okay, nice meeting you what's your name well okay, thanks and I would leave I don't I don't wait for them to respond I don't sit there and try and make any conversation because it's already weird right? You don't sit there and be like saudi model yeah like you want check out my work like don't do that because it's just weird and it wears people out and yeah instead just talk fast as you can and then get out of there you know and then just move on because every time I've done it they contact me yeah so it's scary it is weird to like approach somebody randomly like that but this is how agents scout models anyway. So this is how they look for girls if the model doesn't go into the agency on their own, most agents go around with their agency cards, see a girl on the street and that's exactly how they do it and that's how I picked up from doing that because I would ask the agents when I first started I'm like where do you guys find your models anyways and like, oh, just on the street we just go up to them be like yeah blah blah blah and then I'm like, okay, so I found girls that way I really like the recommendation to just give them the information and then walk away leave like making it awkward not anywhere because that's one thing that does keep a lot of people especially men from wanting to do that is because especially menacing as right predatory or whatever right given the information, let them do their work and b is cool and quick as you can because especially guys I should have said that yeah, because it's a little tougher right? When it's a young female or whatever and she is this like you if you are a guy and you want to feel a little more comfortable, you could just be like and you know what bring your boyfriend or your mom or whoever you need to bring you could just talk to let them know and that's it and then just go because if you're waiting for any response or if you're waiting for them to have a conversation with you it's just not good don't do it so that's that, um local modeling agencies this I think would be best after you have had some experience working with models, so um I want to talk well, quick about that so local modeling agencies like I had said before, when you're doing, say, the commercial versus the artistic right, when I work with agencies who send their girls to international like to work with big names a lot of times, they need to build their models books up, so if you plan to do a shooting it's really creative and artistic and you want to do this and that crazy makeup and hair agent, not always, but usually they don't want that they don't want it, and they're giving you their models because they need stuff for their model's portfolio. So the way I do this is I have once in a while I'll post a photo, but I will tell my makeup artist we need to get some quick like for this girl. Thie agents doesn't want this. This doesn't look like her after this, so I made her so pale crazy heavy make up white hair. The girl don't even look the same after this. So what we had to do was simple makeup. Her hair was flat. She had her jacket on, we had to go outside, I took a few porch it's over like pretty portrait of her and then we went inside, did this, and I sent those portrait shots. The agent and I showed the agent these they did nothing with thes, they're nice and everyone loves them, but they agent can't do nothing with them. They can't sell the model this way. They're the model needs to come across is how she really looks because that's what's getting them the job's right? If they were to show these pictures in the mall, shows up in the light, wait a minute, you don't even look like that, right? So just remember that most the time they need simple photos from you. Um, now working within directing your models, okay, emotion, character imposing create a positive report with your model. This is very, very, very, very important. You don't need to be like, you know, they're b f f for anything like that, but try to make them as comfortable as you can because this is so important, they are still a human being, right? You don't want them feeling awkward or, you know. Belittled or anything like that so when you're about to work with the model it's important to make sure they feel comfortable and it ease make light conversation maybe while they're getting their makeup done you're sitting there hanging out with the mask from about school or their job and their interests but don't overdo it just make them feel comfortable it's important before a shoot it helps him open up it helps him to connect with you there's no like wall there this's I do this almost all my girls like I joke around with them I treat them like I knew them forever and I was like, hey you know whatever let's play music you like italy with what this song there that was now blast it and we'll just talk and joke around and it's it's very helpful so be descriptive not all models I have tons of experience even the ones who do still need some kind of starting point off what you need from them so um you know be descriptive with emotion the mood et cetera describe feelings you want to portray in your work so I'm a little funny when I'm working with models I say stupid things and I don't care but they get it I don't sit there and say like, you know, I just like be sad can you be sad like and they're just like you know and they do it so just what it is so be very descriptive of what you need from them don't don't wait for them to do something that they can't they can't do without you helping them, so if you need to not overly descriptively there oh, but direct when needed so just like in the movies it's the same at a shoot you are the director and the models or your actors direct them tow what you need from them so models have told me many times how they appreciate that I direct them the way I do I have heard over and over and over that some photographers say nothing, they say nothing, we're just doing this they're leaving it up to the model to do whatever they just shoot while the model is trying to pull off whatever poses they can think of. The thing with this is if the model is really experienced really good, you tell her you know what? You need to be this edgy fashion shik and we're look was doing this and she just goes out or like coco rocha well good for them but we don't work, we don't get that right we have girls who are learning and it's really up to us, we need to be very descriptive and the things we need from them so direct them when they need it and talk through the shoot don't be silent um show visual references seems like I said with the mood boards make sure and show them the mood board or wherever you are um storing your inspired images like I said, you know, like pinches this helps a lot discussed the elements who are trying to pull off out from your inspired images um emotion and acting this is a big thing again like that I had mentioned where the director there the actors so the models or to act out a character there to tell a story with their emotion body language you don't want a model tow have this look every polls she just looking around like nothing is changing that is just horrible so you got to make sure that they can pull off that kind of you know the acting so show enthusiasm and appreciation just like I said with your team let them know when the you know play music at the models hyped up joke around the happy talk laugh and so on not just for the models but like I said for your team, if you have one say how much you loved the makeup the hair same thing again the models posing it does wonders letting them know you are happy with what's happening it just like I said it feeds them and it makes them want to keep going and do better and better and better so trust and be confident in your own abilities. You as a photographer, should be confident in your own work and yourself. I believe that you've got this and expressed your need for the shoot, so keep the communication going during the entire shoot if something isn't working, say so. Like I said, if the makeup is not right, if you don't like something, if the model is sometimes like sometimes I know a model is scared to death, I can see her shaking. She just is not getting into it. I will literally. I will stop the whole thing and I'll take her aside and we'll go outside. We'll go in a private area, I'll pull her away from everyone. I'm like, do you need to get warmed up? Do you need people to leave the room? Because if you need to warm up like I could kick everybody out because I always that right, a new girl, everyone sitting there staring and you know you're trying to get her to get going and it's, awkward as it is until they get warmed up. So you don't be afraid to do that just tell everybody you know what I need five minutes I need to talk to her and you don't want to be little her you don't want her to be like well, you know what's wrong with you why weren't you you know, you gotta stop the whole thing and just pull it back and it helps a lot and I've been through that many times special with brand new girls they have no clue what they're doing and I've gotten stuff out of them because I I take that little bit extra time with them just to make sure they're comfortable and they're okay like I said again don't let others take over your chutes and yeah, it's happened to me and I don't take to it very well ok, so now we're getting tio chuy stop for the model thing yeah, I would love to ask you questions we've got a lot of those okay, so I think the first one to start with from dallas j logan how do you audition people for your team? How do you find out that there are right fit for you? Um well, a lot of times like if it's a makeup artist I haven't worked with or any anybody on the team, I will try to find other people who have worked with them and ask them I'll ask them questions about that certain person I will be like, you know what she take direction well or how was the makeup was a good two jefty love photo shop just tell me you know, so I want to know ahead of time so I usually do it that way not always sometimes they work with somebody you have no idea both um I take the chance yeah sounds you're just looking at their portfolio figured out if that's yeah, I look at their portfolio but you know, you can't you can't really judge at all for that sometimes either because of you know, you don't know how much editing has been going on or any of that, so yeah, fashion tv from singapore is a great question when you're doing a pro bono creative shoot where nobody's getting paid, how do you manage the expectations for there for what they're getting? How many images do you give to your to the people that you're working with? Do you give them full rez? Are they website ized let's? See, if you're giving like makeup artist, do they expect sixty edited images? What are you giving your team when you're not pan? Yeah, so how I do that is it's the same thing every time the way I do it is everybody on the team is looking for something specific okay, so the stylist really wants us to make sure we get in the clothes in there because the stylist has tto bring that back to the boutique so they can show look what I got in this and that makeup artists they need a close up you know, the model like I said needs a clean shot, so I do things in the oh, in a way where um so it's a it's an editorial I will share the editorial the like the small size of it I warn everybody do not post this at all anywhere and let them know once the editorial is out they all will get the whole editorial that's okay, they're free they can use it as long as it credit me and whatever they have to do again are those full res images full rez they don't get raws I've had people ask me for raws that's no, you're not getting raws and they'll get the full res usually not full reds like not toe where they can just blow it up, but enough further portfolio like an eight by ten or whatever it is they need if the agent needs photos, I'll send them yeah, so during the shoot if it's like a whole team like that and make sure I try to get a couple close ups or makeup and hair and I you know get a couple clean shots of the model so everybody will get a couple of what they need and then everybody will get all of the photos from what I've finalized and used for a publication it's fantastic and then finally one question I know we get a lot do you put your watermark or anything like that on those images like that like a high rise only teo you know amanda diaz photography ears on the high roads ones and all but I should that's great no let's see, I'm gonna try and get through a bunch here because just because we know we don't have a lot of time christina wants to know do you use contracts for your shoots with your team do you have a sign anything you know but I do when it's paid work when it's clients there has to be signed contracts going on fitz for legal reasons when it's paid when it's not we kind of come to come some you know verbal agreements usually and it's good it's been good so yeah uh for instance is growing on the wall um not what wellwood when it's an agent like I developed that report with the agents they are good I don't need to deal with that but yes, sometimes he doing them all really is it just depends like when it's an editorial like like I know it's going into the magazine usually we have to get him to sign it and not always even it's just really depends uh like if I don't know any of these people if I'm in another city and stuff I have something getting signed up yeah, it depends on if I have a relationship with these people or not right a question a couple questions about controlling the shoot we've got herman in the netherlands who says you mentioned that the photographer controls the shoot and not to let others give directions to models they say this is a tricky one if it's a free shoot and involves the whole team shouldn't everyone have the right to give input including giving tips to models on how to pose yes and no because sometimes like I said, if there's a creative director there I have to let them alternate the directing with me um I do not think that the makeup artist should be telling the model what to dio I'm not standing over the make up artist and you know what I mean so we all have our parts to play so when it's us we're the person right where the director yeah well and I think it goes back to what you said about you knowing that you're going to want to get a clean shot at make up for the makeup artist something for the hair clean clothes which model and so you know what you need to get for them yeah and I will I will ask them I'll be like what do you do you need a close up of this like you know when I was you know let make a part of me like yeah I just need this just this section and that's it all and I'll just do the shot I need teo and yeah I don't I really don't like maybe some people don't mind but I do not like for people around me telling my model what to do it's just chaotic and it's unnecessary fantastic and before we move on I think we got maybe one more question fashion tv from singapore well having mood boards are good how do you ensure that the inspirations don't overtake or cloud your vision how do you make sure that you're executing what you want instead of what somebody else is doing okay that's hard to explain I'm it's because we are like it's it's pretty impossible tio you know even as much as you want to you can't really I mean you could but I don't know like I can't fully imitate something it's always going to come out like amanda's orc right? So it's just sort of a natural thing I think I don't really think about how could I not like I do try to avoid certain elements so like if there's a photo orders or something I really love I tried to alter those things so that it doesn't look like a duplicate of something, right? So, yeah.