First Model Shoot Saturday! Tips&Tricks?

[Trever1t]

Have my first shoot scheduled with a young lady from MM for EARLY Saturday morning at Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz. It's going to be really chilli but she says she's up for it. (hope she doesn't flake on me).

I'm going to setup with the 70-200 and was thinking I'd bring 2 speedlights, one on a stand and one on camera. No way I'd be able to hoist an umbrella on the beach and expect it to stay put.

Never worked with a stranger before and I'm just a bit nervous :meh: any words of encouragement or wisdom are greatly appreciated!

 

[Big Mike]

Have a good idea of what you want your shots to look like...or at least act like you do. If you go in with the attitude of 'I'll just wing it'....that won't inspire confidence from the model, which will probably show in the photos.

Sometimes, it takes a while for the model (or the photographer) to get warmed up. It's not unheard of to shoot for an hour and not get anything usable...but the last 4 shots of the day finally work out. Or sometimes the first shot works, and all the rest fail to recreate the magic of that first one.

The 'best' photographers are often the ones that can interact with their subjects effectively. Get them to open up and be themselves...or be whoever then need to be in the photo. That may mean sitting and talking to them for an hour before you start shooting...or that may mean taking 400 'test' shots to get the creative juices flowing. Maybe you'll have to complement them on every shot...maybe you'll have to clearly communicate what you want them to do...or maybe let them pose as they feel most comfortable. Everyone is different so you're people skills may be very important to the how the photos will turn out.

And in some cases, the best results won't come until you've shot with that model a few times....when they are truly comfortable with you and vice versa.

Can you bring an assistant? Or will they be bringing someone who can help? That might allow you to use an umbrella, hold a reflector or light stand etc.

 

[DiskoJoe]

bring your laptop and review the shots on site before you leave. make sure you have what you want.

If you are worried about working with a stranger then take a friend. Not a bad idea for a first meeting. They could also be your assistant and hold things like umbrellas that might fly off.

 

[Robin Usagani]

bring your glock.

 

[Trever1t]

Thanks Big Mike!

I may or may not have an assistant and I haven't heard back from her whether she is bringing a friend but I'll bring the gear and see if I can make it work, who knows maybe I'll be lucky and they're be not a breeze. We are meeting for coffee before the shoot so we'll have some sit down time to at least get aquainted. My pose direction really sucks, it's what I feel is my weakest point so I hope she has a natural love of the lens.

 

[Trever1t]

bring your glock.

I'm a Springfeild Armory kinda guy

Uhm, getting ripped off is a thought that has crossed my mind but seriously, how often does that happen? And I'm not some little kid either, at 6' and 230lb. I can usually avoid situations like that....plus I'm fully insured!

 

[DiskoJoe]

Thanks Big Mike!

I may or may not have an assistant and I haven't heard back from her whether she is bringing a friend but I'll bring the gear and see if I can make it work, who knows maybe I'll be lucky and they're be not a breeze. We are meeting for coffee before the shoot so we'll have some sit down time to at least get aquainted. My pose direction really sucks, it's what I feel is my weakest point so I hope she has a natural love of the lens.

A good model will not need much direction on posing but i would advise that you do some research on the subject. Look on flickr and collect picks with poses you like and show them to her.

Also dont think you cant get ripped off. It probably wont happen but be careful when its someone you dont know. Do your research on them. By this I mean google them and check facebook and other sites for info. its pretty easy now a days to check someone credentials.

 

[Big Mike]

My pose direction really sucks, it's what I feel is my weakest point so I hope she has a natural love of the lens.

Here's an idea. Bring plenty of examples that both you & she can look at. We used to call these 'tear sheets' because they were pages torn out of magazines. These days, you could just print off photos from the internet (or save them on your smart phone, tablet etc.). The idea is that you (or she) finds shots that you like, that you want to emulate or at least get inspiration from. This can be especially good if you aren't confident in your posing/direction skills. Just show her the photo and ask her to 'pose like this'. You could go over the sheets as you're having coffee, then bring them out (if needed) when you're shooting.

Some people get snotty about copying other people's poses/ideas....but in reality, just about everything has been done before....and these are often just starting points anyway.

 

[Big Mike]

A good model will not need much direction on posing

Good point. I was amazed the first time I had an experienced model step in front of my lens (especially since it was just after shooting some amateur models). She just knew how to pose...but she also took direction very well.

A good/experienced model will likely expect you to know what you're doing and give them some direction. I wouldn't suggest thinking that you can just rely on the model's experience.

 

[Trever1t]

I did a little research on her and she doesn't strike me as a threat but you never know, right. I am looking at shots on flickr from comparitive locations for ideas. Good idea to load them on my cell for review on scene! She's a novice with little camera time so I think that's a great idea.

 

[ghache]

Get out there, experiment with your lights, poses and the most important HAVE FUN! this is about learning right?

Most of what the model will remember from the shoot is if she had fun shooting , she will most likely agree to shoot with you again and this is important.

 

[spacefuzz]

Do you have a permit to shoot on that beach? I know its a state park and depending on the ranger / your setup you could get a ticket if you dont. For instance the rangers at Crystal Cove state park hate photographers and will track you down even if you display your work online without a permit. Ive only been to natural bridges once but its urban and there were rangers around. Since you mentioned lighting, figured Id check.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I love living in the "Land of the Free" LOL.

Do you have a permit to shoot on that beach? I know its a state park and depending on the ranger / your setup you could get a ticket if you dont. For instance the rangers at Crystal Cove state park hate photographers and will track you down even if you display your work online without a permit. Ive only been to natural bridges once but its urban and there were rangers around. Since you mentioned lighting, figured Id check.

 

[Trever1t]

I don't know but as an ameteur, with no $ exchanged you are free to shoot wherever you like as long as you are not impeding traffic. I will call the ranger's office.

 

[Big Mike]

Most of the time, the official policy is for them to say no, or tell you that you need a permit etc. But unofficially, as long as you aren't causing a problem, they may not hassle you. Or maybe you just shoot until they do confront you, then you move on. Unfortunately, these types of things are usually up to the mood/attitude of the 'ranger' who happens to be on duty in that area, at that time.