First Model shoot coming up -- Need Advice

[slimninj4]

I am planning my first photo shoot with a non family/ friend in the next few weeks. I know what and how I plan to shoot. I do have some questions to ask you all so when I give her the details I do not sound so unprofessional. This is an outdoor in a park location.

I will have a model release form for the pics. This shoot will be TFCD. In these situations is it understood that I will give her edited TIFF files or JPEGS? I will let her do what ever she wants with them. Will I need another form for this or is it understood? Should I bring an escort with me even if she say it not needed? I plan to use only natural light or at the most one flash on a stand.

How short/ long should I have the meet? Really I want to give her about 10 photos to work with in the end. I do plan to tell her this is my first photo shoot and if she has any thing that can make this smooth as possible that would be helpful.

What other advise do you more experienced photographers have for setting up the meet and actually doing one for the first time? What are some mistakes that were made?

[stathunter]

Howdy. Well the first thing I would do is make sure you take a lot of photos. I tend to keep my shoots to an hour or 1.5 hours--- you really do not need more. You are there to get shots so strive for many different locations at the park-- many different angles -- different lighting (try to pick shade) -- take several quick shots of the same pose location etc.
I tend to be pretty quick but do not want to come across as rushing my clients--- I take several shots and move to the next location, maybe change up angle, pose etc -- take a lot of shots then move to the next location and repeat.
I did a family shoot the other day-- I told them 1.5 hours-- we had about 600 shots in an hour time frame -- but again I have done this work before. In the end I gave them 100 killer shots----
Have fun - keep it relaxed and upbeat --- the one thing you can't control is their facial expressions-- you will absolutely be able to tell in the photos how comfortable they were......so make your model comfortable-- handle it with confidence and some humor.

[sl3966]

Usually the Model is the one requesting an escort not the Photographer, however if you have an assistant that can hold reflectors/diffusers it will make a world of difference in the final shots. I always shoot about 10-30 shots in the begining that I know are going to be trashed because we are both getting used to each other so don't waste the good outfits and locations at the start.

[slimninj4]

Thanks both of you for the advice. This weekend I was invited to go to a studio to do a halloween photoshoot with a few models. I informed the photographer I was really green behind the ears and said that was ok. Can learn from the other few photographers there and they will have onsite lighting and PW to use. Monday I will chime in here and let people know how the experience went.

I do have an idea of a photoshoot using our famiy's Kimonos but I will wait until I have more experience and worked with someone a bit. My wife would be pissed if the clothing got marked up.

[slimninj4]

Completed my first photoshoot this weekend. 4.5 hours long, how times flies. Two models. I was not the only photographer there for this one. That is good for me since I got to learn so much from watching and talking to the others. Learned so much on posing the model and interacting with them. This really increased my confidence in what I can do.

[NicD]

share some shots then

[manipula]

Originally Posted by slimninj4

Learned so much on posing the model and interacting with them.

If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that at the end of the day both yourself and the model are just people, and the easiest way to make a shoot go well is to gel and build a raport with them, almost as though you're making friends with some new face down in a bar. (Note here, that this isn't designed to imply you should be chatting up the model!)

As for posing, there's always a certain element of posing required, but I've found (and I did it myself) that the easiest mistake to make with models when you're inexperienced as a photographer is to have set poses in your mind. The frame of mind that "they must hold this pose for it to be a good photo because Mr Bloggs' book said so". All you end up with is a load of images you'll cringe over in the future, as there's nothing that screams amateur more than forced and uncomfortable posing.

Personally I found a good way around this is to let the model naturally relax into doing whatever they want, and seeing as you'll be chatting away building your raport with them as above, this should come easily too. Then the trick is to spot what works, or what's close to working and grab it, use it, and modify it, and take your photos from there. Let it flow, let it be relaxed. Have fun. Until someone's paying you to 'get the shot' in five mins flat, you can afford to roll with it.

As for the CD, a model will usually have no bloody idea what TIFFs are and why they're important, and seeing as there's an off-chance she'll end up printing them down the local mini-lab which usually freak at TIFF files, give her some jpegs, and if you're feeling kind, do a seperate set of web sized versions with your watermark/logo on so she isn't trying to upload massive files onto Facebook or MM or whatever, and you'll be getting a bit of free advertising too. (Remember that web sized images will need re-sharpening using USM over a print sized image for best results.)

Other than that, have fun, be friendly, be fun and courtious, and you'll go far.

[slimninj4]

So true manipula. I already learned about the TIFFS. JPEGS were requested so I gave high res (for print) and web res (for web).

On posing...While I do have poses in my head, sometimes they do not fit the model at that time. So I am doing more free form. Besides some poses are down right uncomfortable to hold for a long time.
As for sharing. I did put my photos up in the people forum for people to see.
I have another shoot this friday. Look forward to it and will have the same model onsite.