The Photography Tip of the Week #044

Posted by Philip in Podcast

044 Photography Tip of the Week (audio)

Aye Aye

One complaint I hear from photographers of all skill levels is not having a variety of people as subjects for photos.  Whether you are trying out new techniques or you are tired shooting the same people over and over, finding subjects to shoot is often a photographer’s biggest personal challenge.  Asking someone to model for you can be daunting and sometimes nerve wracking. It makes no difference if they are doing a shoot for free or for some form of compensation.  Most of the time, just ask and they will say yes. I have a short list of things I do when asking someone to model for me.

1. If you can, ask face-to-face.  Online or over the phone is so impersonal and it’s easy to turn down someone that’s not face-to-face.
2. Make sure you smile.  It doesn’t have to be a cheesy grin,… actually it better not be a cheesy grin, just enough of a smile to show you are comfortable with asking them.
3. After you ask, give a little nod like you are saying yes.  This is a bit of a psychology trick that many magicians employ.  Where ever they look, you look.  If they ask you a question and nod a bit, you will often agree with them especially if you haven’t had a chance to think about your answer.
4. After you ask, if they have reservations, offer up a compromise. Like, “if you aren’t satisfied with what we are doing or don’t like the photos, we’ll stop.”  You want them to feel as comfortable about you taking their photos as possible.
5. Have a few photos with you of other “models” you have taken so they can see your work.  I have a number of photos on my iPod Touch.
6. If they are uncomfortable with their looks, make sure that they understand that post processing the photos can work wonders.
7. Don’t immediately start taking pictures.  Take some time to talk and get to know them.  And if you already know them go over a list of shots you want to get a list of any they may want.
8. Take time to explain what you are doing and what you hope to achieve.  This way they can better anticipate your needs.

So where can you find these people to ask.  Start out with people you know.  This way you can build up your portfolio.  These people will already (hopefully) feel comfortable around you.  After you have a few photos under your belt, take a walk.  Walk around your town or city with your camera out with the sole purpose of taking pictures of interesting people.  I’m working on a photography book about my local county.  So I use that as a conversation point.  If you are carrying a big camera and tripod around many people will stop you and ask you what you are doing.

But if the key is to find people you don’t know to be models.  See about joining a local photography meet-up group.  Many of these groups will plug into either the local models or bring people who want to become models.  And don’t forget, if you are going to publish or sell the rights to your photos, get a model release.  It will also help  you in the future to get a photo of your model holding the release.