will you pose for me?

[Kbarredo]

its not really exploitation though. they consented to it and i offered them payment in return for their services. I could also offer them food as well. So how about pretty girls that dont have money so they model instead of pursuing their dream. Is that exploitation. Or how about the families who cant afford a good photographer but you offer your hand even if you arent good. You are taking advantage of the fact that they cant afford a good photographer to take their pics to build your portfolio. I want to show people how bad street life is but i dont want to steal shots of a sleeping homeless man. So i ask for his consent. Its not like im conducting bum fights here.

 

[gsgary]

Have you got any photography friends, you could have a get together pose for each other and have a play with lighting, you may be able to learn off each other

 

[Peanuts]

its not really exploitation though. they consented to it and i offered them payment in return for their services. I could also offer them food as well. So how about pretty girls that dont have money so they model instead of pursuing their dream. Is that exploitation. Or how about the families who cant afford a good photographer but you offer your hand even if you arent good. You are taking advantage of the fact that they cant afford a good photographer to take their pics to build your portfolio. I want to show people how bad street life is but i dont want to steal shots of a sleeping homeless man. So i ask for his consent. Its not like im conducting bum fights here.

Um. Yes. I wasn't necessarily saying it's a horrible idea and I think I made it quite clear that I wasn't saying it was exploitation. You are entirely entitled to your opinion and I totally respect that. Having worked in this area though I have a what one may consider a different perspective. It's a grey area in short that I don't think someone trying to figure out how their camera works should be experimenting with. That's all.

 

[cardinals1970]

.

Where can I find more subjects? I have looked via craigslist, no response. I have looked on model mayhem, but most of those women are a different style than I am going for. I don't have any family or friends who would do a real session. Every time I try they just want to get normal snapshots and candid shots.

With modelmayhem you can try by narrowing your search to models who are just looking to do time for print/cd. Also I have you tried facebook if you have a facebook page be it personal or a fan page for your photography. Another idea may be co-workers of yours or your husbands may be willing to let you practice with them.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing about the homeless's plight with photography. Who are the homeless but the unseen? So, photographing them may actually help them be seen. AND HELPED!

I heard the same kind of crap plenty often when I was working as a PJ. "How can you take photos of poor dying people?" Well, how the hell would you know there are poor dying people out there if I didn't show them to you? BIG SILENCE

And that someone experimenting on homeless people today may very well be tomorrow's Pulitzer winner who actually changes the world for the homeless. So leave him/her the fook alone. We need those people. Way more than those who shoot flowers and rock bands and nicey landscapes.

Now, take this discussion into your own "Plight of the Homeless Being Photographed" into your own thread, please.



My apologies to the OP for this rant and back to you question. Believe it or not I came back, not to talk about the homeless, but to add to my previous post.

99% of my posing trading was for nude or other artistic endeavor. But there are a lot of "weirdos" out there so, if you do get into a photo club, be sure and sit down with possible traders to get a whole lot of details abut what THEY want to shoot. Family type portraits may be the farthest thing from their mind.

 

[Peanuts]

I was addressing a point that was made and addressing the question posed by the OP by offering another solution. But rant away.

 

[Peanuts]

Oh and to add. You obviously mistook my stance. At this moment I am emailing with a man who is homeless regarding documenting him and some of his initiatives to help bring awareness to homelessness. But ok.

 

[mishele]

E-mailing a homeless guy?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

E-mailing a homeless guy?

+1

Come on, let's get real here.

 

[Peanuts]

E-mailing a homeless guy?

+1

Come on, let's get real here.

Fine. I'll respond here. I sent mishele a message already. Yes I know the guy. Yes he has email. There are public library computers and a computer lab at a homeless shelter.

 

[GrantH]

Cant help on the portrait photography models but if you would like models for grittier genres try hiring homeless people. One shot i was thinking was have a homeless guy sit on a busy sidewalk, set camera to long exposure. You know where im going with this.

I'm going to disagree with this (respectfully). I am actually starting a social documentary regarding some of these issues through well established means (ie. shelters and a fellow I know who lives on the streets) and paying someone who is marginalized to take their portrait is not going to help them. Most people experiencing homelessness don't want to have their portrait taken first of all and secondly I don't see it necessarily being in good taste. There are always exceptions though so I don't want people to get all erked by this statement but please realize this probably isn't the best place to start. (For myself I have already been on two 'shoots' - really just walks around the downtown, probably 20 images were taken in total - with two different guys who live on the streets mostly just to learn more about the difficulties people who live on the street experience and it has been mentioned how disrespectful it is when people 'steal' their pictures. I know this isn't what you are suggesting but it is quite a sensitive issue).

Honestly. I would want to portfolio build with friends but if you honestly don't have anyone prepare some cards and ask people at your local coffee shop if you could take their picture. Since you don't have images for them to preview beforehand your hit/miss ratio will be pretty crumby but someone is bound to say yes

Public people. Public place. Public photos. There is nothing different from street photography of millionaires and street photography of homeless people, aside from the millionaire could probably twist up the laws to make it seem illegal and take all your money.

 

[Peanuts]

I've messaged the OP to apologize for how off-track this topic has become partly on my account. If someone would like to start a new thread on this topic I think it would be a good idea. Personally I've shared all I need to and apparently didn't present it well as there is quite a bit of misunderstanding so I won't be sharing anymore on this topic (unless people have questions they can PM me of course). As for Grant's post, you are 100% right. But then you have to ask yourself moral and ethical obligations. That's the grey zone.

Have a good evening/day/morning wherever you all are.

 

[Shadowbox]

That seems' to be a touchy topic so I won't touch on it. I don't mind the thread being off track, no apology necessary.

 

[flameshots]

Model Mayhem. Check them out at Where Professional Models Meet Model Photographers - ModelMayhem

They are geared towards fashion models but I'm sure you can find some models that are looking to get started. I will also second the photo club idea.

 

[g-fi]

... I have looked on model mayhem, but most of those women are a different style than I am going for....

Ok, as far as I can tell, this seems to be your problem here. Rather than looking for a model that fits your "style" (which I assume is pretty unfixed given your very short range of subjects that you mentioned), start by looking for models who are willing to work for trade, and then go from there. Judging by someone's online portfolio or profile what they are willing to do or how they will photograph under YOUR lens is extremely limiting. If you are set in shooting in a certain style, at least approach every model in your area who is willing to work for pics and ask them if they are willing to work with you. I assure you, you will be surprised by how willing some people are to go along with whatever you have in mind in order to be photographed or expand their portfolio. And don't limit YOURSELF, you really haven't shot in enough situations to have set your "style" in concrete. You may find that you like several different styles or looks or what have you.

In order to become good at portrait photography, you have to get out there and take all sorts of portaits in all sorts of situations. Once you've mastered doing a portrait, then you can start to narrow yourself down to a certain style, but the most interesting portrait photographers, to me, are the ones who are willing to experiment all the time.

Good luck!