{"id":1509,"date":"2015-10-10T17:34:10","date_gmt":"2015-10-10T17:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/?p=1509"},"modified":"2015-10-13T00:21:36","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T00:21:36","slug":"10-things-models-do-that-i-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/10-things-models-do-that-i-love\/","title":{"rendered":"10 things models do that I love"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It was roughly 6 years ago when I started photographing models. \u00a0I lived in Atlanta at the time, and I started out as many portrait photographers started out…. I shot my friends, neighbors, my girlfriend at the time, etc. \u00a0I had no portfolio, nor did I know what I was doing. \u00a0However, that was also the exciting part. \u00a0I was charting new territory for myself, and I was able to interact with people in the process. \u00a0Interacting with people is one of the things that keeps me going. \u00a0It’s one of the great benefits of photography; it’s something that you can include others in… you can create great things as part of a team, and then you can share it with others.<\/p>\n

As a photographer that specializes in photographing people, the crucial component, obviously, is the model that I’m shooting. \u00a06 years ago, I was shooting my friends… fast forward 6 years, and I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with hundreds of models, all with unique looks, talents and personalities. \u00a0I’ve worked with a broad spectrum of skill level, from no experience to those signed with top agencies, such as Wilhelmina and Next. \u00a0I wanted to write a blog post to serve as a source of direction. \u00a0This is not meant as an expos\u00e9 for those that didn’t do these things, nor is this directed towards any specific person. \u00a0This is information based upon my experience. \u00a0I’m using a lot of positive examples, with some examples of what not to do intermingled. \u00a0Models that do the positive things, are the kind of models that I want to work with.<\/p>\n

Here we go…<\/p>\n

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1 – They know how to communicate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is where it all begins. \u00a0The whole process starts with somebody reaching out to somebody. \u00a0Sometimes the model and I know each other, or we know of each other. \u00a0Sometimes we don’t. \u00a0But that first step of communication is crucial, and it’s a first impression that will set the flow of everything that follows. \u00a0The best communication examples I’ve seen were professional and courteous. \u00a0If the model did not know me, then they introduced themselves. \u00a0In the age of social media informalities, I know that this is a bygone expectation. \u00a0But it’s a good first impression. \u00a0It’s good to hear how they noticed my work, or if they are mutual friends with somebody. \u00a0This establishes a connection. \u00a0It’s also good to hear what they are interested in doing. \u00a0What kind of work are they looking to do? \u00a0Is it something that would fit my portfolio needs or be something that I’m capable of doing? \u00a0If you’re a model looking to work with a photographer, I think it’s better to start with this formal message. \u00a0I often see models leaving comments on photographers’ Facebook and Instagram images, saying something like “Would love to work with you!” \u00a0That in itself is not a bad thing. \u00a0But follow that up with a direct message. \u00a0You’re going to be taken more seriously if you do.<\/p>\n

Another area where communication comes into play is with comfort levels. \u00a0There should be clear communication and expectations established before the shoot as to what the look and outcome of the shoot is going to be. \u00a0When a model knows how to communicate well, they’ll feel comfortable expressing any concerns or hesitations with the intended outcome. \u00a0They should keep in mind, especially for trade shoots, that the photographer and probably others involved are putting time and effort into something that hopefully all of them can feel good about. \u00a0The worst scenario is when there is communication and everything seems fine during a shoot, then when it gets time to post an image, there is concern about who may see it and who may be offended, envious, etc. \u00a0This is something that should have been discussed beforehand. \u00a0To be honest, it’s not the photographer’s problem or the makeup artist’s problem who on the model’s friend list may be offended by what they see. \u00a0If the work is tastefully done, that is what should matter. \u00a0It all goes back to clear communication and expectations. \u00a0When people put a lot of time, effort and talent into something that they cannot share, and expected to be able to share, then that is an issue. \u00a0That is why it is important for the model to know what their boundaries are and to communicate them clearly up front.<\/p>\n

2 – They are punctual<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can’t stress how important this is. \u00a0It is so basic and fundamental to success in everything, let alone modeling. \u00a0If a model is on time, it shows that they are prepared, professional, engaged, etc. \u00a0When they are late, it sends a message that they are none of the things that I listed. \u00a0It also implies that they value their time more than yours. \u00a0So when they show up late, it has a psychological effect on all those involved, and the shoot gets off to the wrong start. \u00a0Take steps to prevent this. Don’t estimate the trip time based upon perfect circumstances. \u00a0Plan for setbacks, plan for traffic, etc. \u00a0 Make punctuality a priority. \u00a0Make it a habit. \u00a0And when you cannot arrive on time, clearly communicate.<\/p>\n

3 – They know their bodies and they are comfortable with it. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one may seem vague and hard to define. \u00a0So many psychological factors come into play here. \u00a0One of those is confidence. \u00a0While the confidence can be boosted or diminished by the photographer, the model should come into the shoot “ready to rock it,” basically. \u00a0It’s easy to tell when somebody is a fan of the camera, and they want to work to get a great image. \u00a0On the flipside, if a photographer is spending time getting a model past all their insecurities, then less time is available to actually get great images. \u00a0The photographer should make it a comfortable environment and flow for the model, provide feedback where they can, etc. \u00a0This builds positive momentum when the model feels and knows that she is doing well. \u00a0That in turn makes me feel better about what I’m doing. \u00a0It’s all reciprocal. \u00a0It all starts with a baseline, and that baseline is higher when the model is confident about themselves when they walk in the door.<\/p>\n

4 – They have a personality<\/strong><\/p>\n

This may seem harsh at first glance. \u00a0But my point is this… I think that shoots should be fun, and that means having an creative environment with open communication. \u00a0I love working with models that enjoy the process of a shoot, and are able to have fun with it and still be able to snap into “model mode” when necessary. \u00a0If there’s no personality, it’s kind of like doing a whole shoot without music. \u00a0It seems longer. \u00a0It seems mechanical. \u00a0And images themselves are much more powerful when they show personality. \u00a0If I’m getting a grasp of a model’s personality during the shoot, then I have a better chance of knowing how to bring it out in an image.<\/p>\n

5 – They promote what we created<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best models that I’ve worked with do this. \u00a0I think that it takes a little bit of maturity. \u00a0It also takes a little bit of marketing savvy to realize how this can actually help the model out. \u00a0It’s realizing that the process is about more than just them. \u00a0They understand that there are others, potentially many others, that are contributing to the final outcome. \u00a0They also understand that promotion is a two-way street. \u00a0Photoshoots are a great way to cross-promote each others’ work. \u00a0When I shoot with a new model, I want others to take notice. \u00a0If I had a good experience with that model, I will work to promote them to others. \u00a0If I’m helping build their success, then that is rewarding to me in and of itself.<\/p>\n

6 – They give credit to the team<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is pretty simple, and goes along with number 5. \u00a0But I appreciate when models spell out who did what in the credits when they post an image to social media. \u00a0I do the same on any social media post. \u00a0It’s just plain courtesy, because it’s more than just about me. \u00a0If I see an Instagram or Facebook feed or album with a ton of professional images, and no credits given to the people that helped create those images, that is something that makes me pass on considering a model for a shoot.<\/p>\n

7 – They have a passion for modeling<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s hard to be great at anything if you don’t have a passion for it. \u00a0I want to work with the best that I can, and passion plays a big role in that. \u00a0Models who have passion for what they do will realize that being a model requires work on a continual basis outside of a shoot. \u00a0This means taking care of themselves physically. \u00a0Yes, the fashion industry has a rather narrow mold of what a “fashion model” should look like. \u00a0I’ll disregard that as I please. \u00a0A model does have to be in great shape. \u00a0This is one of the aspects of being a model. \u00a0It takes work, and that means doing the things required to stay in great shape. \u00a0The other part of this is continually developing oneself as a model. \u00a0I like it when I see them doing shoots with other photographers, appearing in publications, etc. \u00a0This shows that they are actively involved in the industry on a consistent basis. \u00a0I also like to see a model developing in terms of poses and expressions in order to get more captivating images. \u00a0The more they have the opportunity to practice those things, the better they will become.<\/p>\n

8 – They have a portfolio or are building one<\/strong><\/p>\n

A good model will always have a portfolio of their work available. \u00a0That portfolio should be the best examples of what they are capable of as a model. \u00a0This is the same for a photographer. \u00a0If I have a potential client or a model that I’m reaching out to, I don’t say, “yeah… just scroll through my Instagram feed, and you can see what I’m all about.” \u00a0This would be lazy and unprofessional and a waste of time for the person that I was communicating with. \u00a0Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens to me frequently as a photographer receiving messages from models. \u00a0They are often asking for TF (trade work), yet do not have a portfolio put together. \u00a0Coincidently, the majority of my paid work is doing exactly that… putting together model portfolios. \u00a0If a model is just starting out, I would highly suggest investing in one or two shoots with experienced photographers that will be able to provide a variety of looks for their portfolio. \u00a0If a model starts out with strong work, they will capture the attention of others that would be willing to use them for portfolio work or for paid gigs. \u00a0That momentum will build as they gain exposure and experience…. and a portfolio.<\/p>\n

9 – They don’t re-edit the images and they upload the high-quality images<\/strong><\/p>\n

I appreciate when models understand this. \u00a0They know or have an idea of the amount of work that I put into the editing process. \u00a0I keep open communication with the people that I work with. \u00a0And I’m also open to ideas, suggestions, etc for the editing. \u00a0However, if I spend time editing a photo to make sure that the colors are right and the mood of the shot is right, the reaction I’ll have to seeing an Instagram filter being put over it will not be good. \u00a0Most photographers that I’ve talked to feel the same way about that.<\/p>\n

The other part of this topic is uploading the files when models post to social media. \u00a0I will usually provide the model with the files that are formatted for social media uploads. \u00a0Most models do this, and there is no issue. \u00a0What shouldn’t happen is the model taking screenshots with their iPad or iPhone and then uploading that. \u00a0This deteriorates the quality of the image and is a bad representation of the work.<\/p>\n

10 – They are selective with who they work with<\/strong><\/p>\n

While I would expect models to work with different photographers and build up their experience, at the same time, it is important for models to be able to differentiate between good work and bad work. \u00a0“Good work” is inherently subjective, but models should have some idea of what is quality work that they can use for their portfolio and what will further their modeling career. \u00a0If you’re a model and you have photographers reaching out to you about doing test shoots, and you are unsure about their quality of work, you should seek out somebody that you trust in the industry to provide a 2nd opinion. \u00a0At the end of the day, who you work with represents you, and that can be in a positive or negative light.<\/p>\n

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I hope that the list above is helpful in some way or another. \u00a0They are exclusively from my perspective, and not intended to represent an industry standard. \u00a0However, I am confident that those things will help a model further his or her career. \u00a0If you’re a model, photographer, makeup artist, hairstylist or anybody in the creative industry, feel free to reach out to me on Facebook<\/a> or Instagram<\/a>. \u00a0I’d love to connect with you!<\/p>\n

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Appearing in the image above (Louisa Kleinert<\/a>, Laura Sioux Kirkpatrick<\/a> and Pam Jean<\/a>\u00a0of The Beauty Patrol<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It was roughly 6 years ago when I started photographing models. \u00a0I lived in Atlanta at the time, and I started out as many portrait photographers started out…. I shot my friends, neighbors, my girlfriend at the time, etc. \u00a0I had no portfolio, nor did I know what I was doing. \u00a0However, that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[93,94,4,38,91,37,90,95,92],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1509"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1509"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1597,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1509\/revisions\/1597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/josheskridge.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}