[Big I]

I'll be doing my first paid photo shoot with a girl 18 years of age. And the funny thing is that this is also her first time modelling! She is going to go to Florida in a couple of months, and she needs an impressive portfolio for the modelling agencies.

Please give me tips about how to make both of us just relax! I need advice! How do I make a model just relax? How do I make it comfortable?

We will be doing some normal portraits senior-style, some fashion stuff, and maybe some swimsuit. I feel confident about my photography; I just need to know how to make her relax. I also need to know a few general tips or good advice about how to pose her. She should be able to give some good poses as a model, but she's only 18, and she's never done this before.

I'm just a man new to doing people-photography, and I need to know how to make it comfortable for both of us!

Thanks for helping me

[OniFactor]

it's all in your personality..

[Arpe]

Make sure it's warm where you are.

[sluggo913]

A good tip from my instructor start the shoot from a little distance as so not to crowd her space, talk to her get to know her and her comfort zone take a few shots, move up a little and repeat continue this until she is relaxed and comfortable with you then you can get down to the real work. Also ask her about her favorite music and throw together a quick cd to play in the background might also help. Good Luck let us know how it goes.

[lithos]

Please give me tips about how to make both of us just relax! I need advice! How do I make a model just relax?

Bag o' weed.

Wait. No. That's bad. You'll be photoshopping out bloodshot eyes for ages.

[BBear]

Bag o' weed.

[Gooshin]

TALK TO HER

get her to smile, get her to frown, figure out what sort of face she can do, then play off that.

if its a girl that cant stop smiling, dont make her act serious

if her face doesnt move, do some abstract type shit.

and use different focal length lenses for variety.


if you need some ice breakers just ask her straight up what she wants these photos for, what does she want out of them, then start throwing your ideas in there, brainstorm with her, try to understand what she wants, just keep talking, never shut up, talk about something funny that you read in the news.

talk talk talk.

[benjikan]

I suggest that you come up with a scenario, a mood, a feeling an emotion and words that spark those emotions. Just let her BE Her. In fact DON'T ask her to pose. That is soooooo Passé. Find her "ID" and work around it. Keep the camera to your face and when she thinks you are about to shoot...DON'T! Catch her just after the expectation. Tell her that her laces are undone. Tell her that there is a bug in her hair. Tell her to squeeze her forefinger and thumb together and just think about the pressure. Tell her to close her eyes and keep them closed till you tell her to open them. Don't tell her anything. Let the suspense do its work..Believe me she will open her eyes and when she does watch what happens! Make it honest. Posing is nothing but posing. Even when posing it can be honest, if the pose is meant to be an interpretation of what she thinks a pose is. That can be cute. You are there to capture moments. Walk with her and shoot as she is walking. Talk to her as she is walking. Tell her she is being chased by a huge Sunflower or a Nice Marshmallow Monster....Run with her. Walk beside her, behind her and in front of her. You are the journalist of the moment..

Just my 2 cents worth.

Ben

[Big I]

TALK TO HER

get her to smile, get her to frown, figure out what sort of face she can do, then play off that.

if its a girl that cant stop smiling, dont make her act serious

if her face doesnt move, do some abstract type shit.

and use different focal length lenses for variety.


if you need some ice breakers just ask her straight up what she wants these photos for, what does she want out of them, then start throwing your ideas in there, brainstorm with her, try to understand what she wants, just keep talking, never shut up, talk about something funny that you read in the news.

talk talk talk.

I think that's pretty good advice; I'll use it. Thanks!

[Big I]

Bag o' weed.

Wait. No. That's bad. You'll be photoshopping out bloodshot eyes for ages.

Hahahaha!

Yup. That'll do the trick. You know them college age...drugs sex and rock and roll. The best thing that can happen to her is a bag o' weed.

[Big I]

I suggest that you come up with a scenario, a mood, a feeling an emotion and words that spark those emotions. Just let her BE Her. In fact DON'T ask her to pose. That is soooooo Passé. Find her "ID" and work around it. Keep the camera to your face and when she thinks you are about to shoot...DON'T! Catch her just after the expectation. Tell her that her laces are undone. Tell her that there is a bug in her hair. Tell her to squeeze her forefinger and thumb together and just think about the pressure. Tell her to close her eyes and keep them closed till you tell her to open them. Don't tell her anything. Let the suspense do its work..Believe me she will open her eyes and when she does watch what happens! Make it honest. Posing is nothing but posing. Even when posing it can be honest, if the pose is meant to be an interpretation of what she thinks a pose is. That can be cute. You are there to capture moments. Walk with her and shoot as she is walking. Talk to her as she is walking. Tell her she is being chased by a huge Sunflower or a Nice Marshmallow Monster....Run with her. Walk beside her, behind her and in front of her. You are the journalist of the moment..

Just my 2 cents worth.

Ben

Hmmm, I've never thought about it that way. Those are definitely some non-standard tips right there. You, an accomplished photographer, have done this for what I may guess is a long time, right? This is my first actual model photo shoot. I might feel comfortable about doing some of those things later on in the shoot, but how do I break the ice?

"Hi, Nicole! Great to meet you. Now close your eyes!" I don't think that would go over so great

[dantuyhoa]

Ben has the best advices !

I have been reading his tips for quite a while . We are lucky to have a pro using the same stuffs hanging around here .

I tell you what works for me . Perhaps it helps :

Check out some fashion/swimsuit magazines . Meet with her for coffee/ice cream and talk about it before the shoot . Talk to her about her interests . Let her open up . You might want to do a fashion shoot first before the swimsuit . It might cost you extra time but the words about how great you are will benefit you later .

I did a shoot last week with a local model . We chit chat for a while online before moving to phone calls . So when we actually meet , we "know " each other already .

Here was what we did :

The theme was " fairy/angel/fashion girl in a cold world " . So she dressed accordingly and I worked my shots on that :

Of Flesh and Metal



To convey that theme , I shot her infrared




Sometimes you can find a shot which you did not think of but until the last second

Fountain Fairy




She was taking a little break for some water and I got up on a high wall just to get the view because I could "see" the shot due to my location recon .

Good luck !

Tran

[LaRee]

I suggest that you come up with a scenario, a mood, a feeling an emotion and words that spark those emotions. Just let her BE Her. In fact DON'T ask her to pose. That is soooooo Passé. Find her "ID" and work around it. Keep the camera to your face and when she thinks you are about to shoot...DON'T! Catch her just after the expectation. Tell her that her laces are undone. Tell her that there is a bug in her hair. Tell her to squeeze her forefinger and thumb together and just think about the pressure. Tell her to close her eyes and keep them closed till you tell her to open them. Don't tell her anything. Let the suspense do its work..Believe me she will open her eyes and when she does watch what happens! Make it honest. Posing is nothing but posing. Even when posing it can be honest, if the pose is meant to be an interpretation of what she thinks a pose is. That can be cute. You are there to capture moments. Walk with her and shoot as she is walking. Talk to her as she is walking. Tell her she is being chased by a huge Sunflower or a Nice Marshmallow Monster....Run with her. Walk beside her, behind her and in front of her. You are the journalist of the moment..

Just my 2 cents worth.

Ben

Well that is the best portrait advice I've ever read. And I am an avid reader that has read a lot on the subject. Thank you Ben!
One thing I read was to act like you aren't really taking photos yet. Tell the subject that you are just metering and fooling with your camera adjustments and you'll start the shoot when you get dialed in. As long as you keep talking (joking is good), your subject will likely relax and you may get the best shots before your "session" has even begun.

[benjikan]

Hmmm, I've never thought about it that way. Those are definitely some non-standard tips right there. You, an accomplished photographer, have done this for what I may guess is a long time, right? This is my first actual model photo shoot. I might feel comfortable about doing some of those things later on in the shoot, but how do I break the ice?

"Hi, Nicole! Great to meet you. Now close your eyes!" I don't think that would go over so great

Come on...Of course you don't say "Close Your Eyes" from the on set. Tell her that you will be using some rather unconventional techniques to bring out the best in her. Like closing the eyes causes the pupils to dilate when opening them momentarily and looks awesome. That is also a cause for disorientation and a look that is often more genuine that thinking about "The Pose" etc. etc. etc. Diplomacy is a big part of doing a shoot.

None the less, take what you want from what I have suggested or nothing at all. It is invariably your choice in the final analysis.

Oh...and read this before your shoot:

Benjamin Kanarek explains how to put a fashion shoot together
Steve Jacob assist Benjamin Kanarek on a fashion shoot
Professional photography, Benjamin Kanarek, on fashion photography

Ben

[maxwell1295]

Just let her BE Her. In fact DON'T ask her to pose. That is soooooo Passé.

Ben, this is the single most important thing I've taken from this thread. In fact, that statement makes more sense to me than just about anything I've read anywhere! And like LaRee, I have done a LOT of reading on the subject.

I've always thought that you were da man, but I've never said it.

Guess what? YOU DA MAN!