tips on model shoot

[blinking8s]

hey, I am seriously a n00b and this is WAY out of my league...but a friends sister has been into modelling in my area for a while and is heading to NYC before too long, she has hired several of the areas pro's (not very good) who took her money for they're very poor results. They asked me to try a shoot and see how it turns out. I dont have access to a studio so it will be outdoors I guess.

The only capable lenses I have in my arsenal is a EF-S 18-55mm and a brand new (bought last night) 50mm f 1.8

it cannot hurt for me to try to get a few good pics for her to see, I am insanely nervous and told her I didn't know if I was capable, she asked me several times to try anyways and today I finally agreed...

any tips/resources you all might have would be a great help...if my lenses suck for the job, let me know and I will see what I can do

[CoolToolGuy]

You can work with what you have. The kit lens will be better if you not using it wide open, so try 'Av' mode if you can, and stop it down to f8 or so. The 50mm f1.8 is a fine lens. Use it over the 18-55 as much as you can.

Get yourself some white posterboard from an art supply store, and use it as a reflector for tight shots (face, head & shoulders). You can balance the lighting somewhat if the sun is bright.

Have Fun,

[advdesigns]

dont shoot dead on. try different angles. tilt the chin down to open up the eyes. and try to concentrate on close ups the first time (head shots) until the model gets comfortable with you and you with her. Dont forget you basics when trying something new!

JUst a little from my experience with my models.

[blinking8s]

good tips, thanks a lot

Here is the model...out of all her previous photo shoots they said these were the best...

http://www.blinking8s.com/heather/HMM01.jpg

http://www.blinking8s.com/heather/HMM02.jpg

http://www.blinking8s.com/heather/HMM03.jpg

http://www.blinking8s.com/heather/HMM06.jpg

http://www.blinking8s.com/heather/HMM05.jpg

and that the rest from each shoot were faded or blurred out...poor quality

if I had access to a studio and lights, as well as ANY previous experience shooting people, i might feel a little better...but outdoors is my only option

[MT]

if you think of it as a handicap it will be. If you consider it an asset...well, it likely will be.

[elbirth]

if you think of it as a handicap it will be. If you consider it an asset...well, it likely will be.

Ditto. I think the saying "what the mind perceives the body achieves" also hold true here. If you perceive it as an obstacle hindering you, it will definitely be a problem. But if you "look it in the eye" so to speak and work with it, you can accomplish astonishing results.

And besides... if those shots were the best of the bunch, I highly doubt you'd have any problem flooring them with your photos. The ones you posted from the previous shoot definitely could use some work.

[blinking8s]

thanks for the boosters, Im still pretty damn nervous over the thought of "shooting" someone...

I honestly feel that even with what amateur knowledge ive picked up int he last few months taking pics in my spare time, I should have no problem getting good image quality, its the content and atmosphere I am worried about.

Like tonight all I have done is flip through magazines and photography portfolios looking for ideas and trying to work out what needs to be running though my head to get that pose are atmosphere... Im more worried about how comfortable I am going to feel than anything. I guess I will get some friends who dont think I am a queer for attemtping a shoot of a model to let me practice on them this weekend. Its about the best thing I can think to do...

location of the shoot has me worried too...I guess I will have to find a park that is lakeside and scope out some spots or something for ideas when I get off work...

thanks again guys, this forum has been awesome for me these last few weeks

[Be_there]

I was asked to do a similar thing - not a model but somebody who wanted a few photos and was happy to give it a go. Like you I had no lighting setup so used a park setting and although I wasn't that happy with the shots, she was fine with them.

A few thoughts:

- The 'pro' photos you've shown above are, to my eyes, terrible. I know it's a technique to edge towards overexposure to make models' skin look flatter and more perfect, but to my eyes they are all overexposed except for the last one, which has an unpleasant red cast. Also the backgrounds in some of them, particularly the top one, are very distracting from the subject. Having looked at a lot of photos here, I think most forum members would be ashamed of them.

- Your gallery, on the other hand, is excellent.

- If I was doing it again, with your model, I'd go looking for possible locations. In a park I'd look for a dark background, maybe trees, that I could place the (pale) model well in front of so as to give some contrast and help throw the background out of focus.

- Talk to the model, try to get some real expression on her face. Of the shots I did, the one everybody else liked, although I didn't rate it as a photo, was when I made her laugh so much she covered her face up:

http://escapetunnel.co.uk/photos/B_and_W.jpg

Good luck.

[Lamplight]

You will do fine! :) Just keep her out of harsh sunlight and have fun with it. And if you can talk any of your friends into letting you practice on them that would be a good idea. Personally, I've been having trouble getting used to my 50mm 1.8, which I got last Thursday (I also have the 18-55). When I get a good shot, it's quite a bit better than the kit lens, but it seems many I've taken are completely out of focus. ??? It's likely just something I'm doing wrong (very likely!), but you may want to take plenty of shots with the kit lens as well, since you are probably much more used to it. Just an idea. :) Good luck!

[blinking8s]

again thanks for the tips, poor weather in East TN has managed to ruin all of my days off work...

but today i got off work just cause the weather is so nice, Im gearing up now...nervous as hell too...haha

[RichardtheSane]

Good luck, you shouldn't need it but have some anyway :)

[blinking8s]

well, we took too long to meet up and i lost the best light of the day to just about the most amazing sunset ever, and my memory card was full of RAW images i didnt want to delete...grr...

i took 94 photos, we talked for a bit, going to meet again on sunday i think, ill post when i get time to process the RAWs...i was so nervous at first...next time will be much better i am sure

again, thanks for the help, ill post some quick proofs later on

*edit* due to low light, i cranked my apature down a bit, lots of blur in the BG...donno if thats what i had in mind at first *sigh* so much to learn, so little time

[blinking8s]

posted a slapped together gallery real quick for some critiques before i post process and everything, want opinions and ideas, what i should do different next time...

thanks

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=36979

[dennykyser]

Natural Light can be great, if sunny find some shade. I have worked with lots of models and natural lighting is great.
http://ompi.onemodelplace.com/OMP_Images/Photographer/58389/58389_p_9720F954-2B3D-897A-2A1AA826FF2AF235.jpg
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[Persian-Rice]

My hats off to you man, you did a damn good job. For a guy with no experience and your limited lens availability, those shots are wicked. You put those "Pros" to shame.

[blinking8s]

once again, thanks a lot...Im really working insanely hard to learn and gain the experience I need to be concidered "a photographer" it just has a nice ring to it...much better than "part time maintentance man who builds low budget websites for crappy clients and owns a fairly nice dSLR"...hehe

but i emailed her proofs to both her email addys like she asked, she hasnt emailed me back or called...in the meantime, i expanded my horizon, went to 2 car events today, a mountain cruise and a drag strip, shot 2.5Gb of photos, 1.5 of those RAW...went through 4 batteries on my battery grip (I LOVE THAT THING)...by far my all time high, normally ill go to something big, take 40 pictures, 30 of them turn out somewhat worthwhile, good quality at least, and then regret not taking more

but i havent pulled them off my laptop, i want experimenting a lot, changing lenses all the time, finding different settings that work, i know more than a lot didnt come out, but we'll see...with that many pics i am bound to have some cool ones, if i dont well, no more shooting from 6am-11pm for me...ever, haha