When you hire me as your photographer, you are buying my time and my expertise. However, I can't take exceptional pictures of you just by pointing my camera and pressing the button. I need your help. By reading these tips and taking my advice where you feel it is appropriate, you will help me make the most of your time.
Female Models
1. Decide what you want. If you show up not knowing what you want, then you'll wind up with a bunch of photos that probably won't really fire you up. The best way to decide what you want is to look through magazines and catalogs and tear out pictures that reflect the image and style that you want to project in your own photos. Try to find something that's compatible with you. Not everyone can be a supermodel, but not everyone needs to be. Have a look at the J. Crew catalog. Not a supermodel in sight, just ordinary good-looking models wearing J. Crew clothes. Buy a copy of Vogue and look through it, but also look at the J. Crew catalog, the Old Navy catalog, Modern Bride, Cigar Aficionado, and anything else that you can find.
2. Hire a make-up artist. Nothing else that you can do will make a bigger difference in the photos. You may be very skilled at doing your own make-up, but unless you have had training in cosmetology, it's unlikely that you've had any experience doing make-up for a photo shoot. If you hire a make-up artist, then I can make you look good even if you don't have great outfits. You probably don't have to hire a separate hair stylist since many make-up artists can also do hair. I can schedule a make-up artist or hair stylist for you, or you can make your own arrangements.
3. Outfit yourself. Buy or borrow a set of outfits that is consistent with the image and style that you have chosen for yourself, and bring those outfits to the shoot. If you want to look like an Old Navy model, then pick up a few outfits from Old Navy, but if you want to look like a Versace model, then you'll have to find some clothes from Versace. Choose outfits, not individual pieces. If you're unsure about what should go with what, then look at some store mannequins or bring along some of the pictures that you have torn out. You'll be wearing these outfits for an hour tops, so if you don't want to keep them then you probably don't have to feel too bad about returning them later. Please press or iron your clothes prior to arriving at the studio, unless a wrinkled, disheveled look is part of your plan.
4. Look at your shoes. They're probably a little ratty. Usually that's okay, because everyone understands that shoes are constantly exposed to dirt, rocks, grass, and so on, and are willing to cut you some slack in that area. If the image that you are trying to project is casual or rustic, then ratty shoes might fit in, but otherwise you should find some shoes that are more consistent with your image.
5. Leave your jewelry at home. Especially any rings or necklaces that you wear every day. I will ask you to take them off if I see them, but I might forget, in which case they'll wind up in your pictures, where they will usually look out of place.
6. Work on your looks and poses. Look at some photos and try to imitate them in a mirror. Resist the temptation to tilt your head down so you have to look up to see yourself; a lot of people think that they look better that way, but they really don't. Have someone shoot some snapshots of you trying to imitate the photos, then compare them to the original. (Digital cameras work really well for this.) Most of the looks that you see in photos will usually be happy/laughing (usually in advertising or catalogs) or pensive/serious. If you're a generally happy person then you probably won't need any help with the happy/laughing looks, but the pensive/serious looks can be difficult, especially because the direction of your eyes and the corners of your mouth can make the difference between a haughty look and a demure look. When evaluating poses, pay attention to the placement of your hands. Hands tend to wind up in awkward places when you have nothing to do with them, so you have to be very conscious of where they are and how your fingers are placed.
Male Models
1. Decide what you want. Male styles are fewer in number and more limited than female styles, but you still need to decide for yourself what style you want your photos to reflect. You should look through some catalogs and magazines and tear out pictures that are representative of the style and image that you want reflected in your own photos. Make especially sure that the style that you choose is compatible with your age; it's easier to be an older male model than an older female model (apparently men are allowed to be mature while women must always remain youthful), but the range of acceptable styles definitely changes with age.
2. Hire a make-up artist or hair stylist. I think that a hair stylist is more important than a make-up artist in the case of male models, unless you really think that you need make-up.
3. Outfit yourself. Buy or borrow some outfits that are consistent with the image that you want to project. It's important that you select outfits and not just assorted tops and bottoms. Err toward the interesting side; if you want to look like a Banana Republic model, then you could buy some khaki slacks and a pullover shirt, but since you're probably just going to return the clothes after the shoot anyway, why not buy something less ordinary? Don't forget to buy a belt or two. If you're unsure about what should go with what, consult the pictures that you have torn out or look at some store mannequins. Please press or iron your clothes prior to arriving at the studio, unless you think that wrinkled clothes are appropriate for your look.
4. Look at your shoes. Men tend to have less shoes than women do, and so the ones that they do have tend to be that much more worn. If your shoes are going to be in your photos, they should be on par with the rest of your outfit. If you're not the type of man who pays attention to his shoes, then you should know that there are a lot of people in the world who judge others at least partly by the quality of their shoes. I'm not kidding! I think that it's because many men believe that shoes are unimportant because "nobody ever looks down," and that says something about their personalities, something like "quality only matters if someone is looking." This is what I learned from wearing a business suit for six years.
5. Work on your looks and poses. Look at some photos and try to imitate them in a mirror. Have someone shoot some snapshots of you trying to imitate the photos, then compare them to the original. (Digital cameras work really well for this.) Pay attention to the placement of your hands. Hands tend to wind up in awkward places when you have nothing to do with them, so you have to be very conscious of where they are and how your fingers are placed.
June 4, 2009
By Zahed Mannan
MBA(DU), MIT(USA)
Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/multimedia-articles/tips-for-model-456293.html
Female Models
1. Decide what you want. If you show up not knowing what you want, then you'll wind up with a bunch of photos that probably won't really fire you up. The best way to decide what you want is to look through magazines and catalogs and tear out pictures that reflect the image and style that you want to project in your own photos. Try to find something that's compatible with you. Not everyone can be a supermodel, but not everyone needs to be. Have a look at the J. Crew catalog. Not a supermodel in sight, just ordinary good-looking models wearing J. Crew clothes. Buy a copy of Vogue and look through it, but also look at the J. Crew catalog, the Old Navy catalog, Modern Bride, Cigar Aficionado, and anything else that you can find.
2. Hire a make-up artist. Nothing else that you can do will make a bigger difference in the photos. You may be very skilled at doing your own make-up, but unless you have had training in cosmetology, it's unlikely that you've had any experience doing make-up for a photo shoot. If you hire a make-up artist, then I can make you look good even if you don't have great outfits. You probably don't have to hire a separate hair stylist since many make-up artists can also do hair. I can schedule a make-up artist or hair stylist for you, or you can make your own arrangements.
3. Outfit yourself. Buy or borrow a set of outfits that is consistent with the image and style that you have chosen for yourself, and bring those outfits to the shoot. If you want to look like an Old Navy model, then pick up a few outfits from Old Navy, but if you want to look like a Versace model, then you'll have to find some clothes from Versace. Choose outfits, not individual pieces. If you're unsure about what should go with what, then look at some store mannequins or bring along some of the pictures that you have torn out. You'll be wearing these outfits for an hour tops, so if you don't want to keep them then you probably don't have to feel too bad about returning them later. Please press or iron your clothes prior to arriving at the studio, unless a wrinkled, disheveled look is part of your plan.
4. Look at your shoes. They're probably a little ratty. Usually that's okay, because everyone understands that shoes are constantly exposed to dirt, rocks, grass, and so on, and are willing to cut you some slack in that area. If the image that you are trying to project is casual or rustic, then ratty shoes might fit in, but otherwise you should find some shoes that are more consistent with your image.
5. Leave your jewelry at home. Especially any rings or necklaces that you wear every day. I will ask you to take them off if I see them, but I might forget, in which case they'll wind up in your pictures, where they will usually look out of place.
6. Work on your looks and poses. Look at some photos and try to imitate them in a mirror. Resist the temptation to tilt your head down so you have to look up to see yourself; a lot of people think that they look better that way, but they really don't. Have someone shoot some snapshots of you trying to imitate the photos, then compare them to the original. (Digital cameras work really well for this.) Most of the looks that you see in photos will usually be happy/laughing (usually in advertising or catalogs) or pensive/serious. If you're a generally happy person then you probably won't need any help with the happy/laughing looks, but the pensive/serious looks can be difficult, especially because the direction of your eyes and the corners of your mouth can make the difference between a haughty look and a demure look. When evaluating poses, pay attention to the placement of your hands. Hands tend to wind up in awkward places when you have nothing to do with them, so you have to be very conscious of where they are and how your fingers are placed.
Male Models
1. Decide what you want. Male styles are fewer in number and more limited than female styles, but you still need to decide for yourself what style you want your photos to reflect. You should look through some catalogs and magazines and tear out pictures that are representative of the style and image that you want reflected in your own photos. Make especially sure that the style that you choose is compatible with your age; it's easier to be an older male model than an older female model (apparently men are allowed to be mature while women must always remain youthful), but the range of acceptable styles definitely changes with age.
2. Hire a make-up artist or hair stylist. I think that a hair stylist is more important than a make-up artist in the case of male models, unless you really think that you need make-up.
3. Outfit yourself. Buy or borrow some outfits that are consistent with the image that you want to project. It's important that you select outfits and not just assorted tops and bottoms. Err toward the interesting side; if you want to look like a Banana Republic model, then you could buy some khaki slacks and a pullover shirt, but since you're probably just going to return the clothes after the shoot anyway, why not buy something less ordinary? Don't forget to buy a belt or two. If you're unsure about what should go with what, consult the pictures that you have torn out or look at some store mannequins. Please press or iron your clothes prior to arriving at the studio, unless you think that wrinkled clothes are appropriate for your look.
4. Look at your shoes. Men tend to have less shoes than women do, and so the ones that they do have tend to be that much more worn. If your shoes are going to be in your photos, they should be on par with the rest of your outfit. If you're not the type of man who pays attention to his shoes, then you should know that there are a lot of people in the world who judge others at least partly by the quality of their shoes. I'm not kidding! I think that it's because many men believe that shoes are unimportant because "nobody ever looks down," and that says something about their personalities, something like "quality only matters if someone is looking." This is what I learned from wearing a business suit for six years.
5. Work on your looks and poses. Look at some photos and try to imitate them in a mirror. Have someone shoot some snapshots of you trying to imitate the photos, then compare them to the original. (Digital cameras work really well for this.) Pay attention to the placement of your hands. Hands tend to wind up in awkward places when you have nothing to do with them, so you have to be very conscious of where they are and how your fingers are placed.
June 4, 2009
By Zahed Mannan
MBA(DU), MIT(USA)
Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/multimedia-articles/tips-for-model-456293.html
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