Understanding Your "Look"

Understanding your look is important. I think it would be great if we had a name for every “look” but we don’t. But take a look through the fashion magazines the next time you are in a check-out line at the super market, or in a waiting room. Or pay attention to some of the characters in you favorite TV shows. You will start to see “types”. Do you remember Suzanne Sommers? She had the blonde bimbo nailed down. She owned that type.

 

There is a model that I work with from time to time that has what I call a “lost” look. It is this look of a wide eyed innocent who is very vulnerable and “lost”. It is kind of funny, because this model is a very self assured and accomplished girl, yet she has this look of utter vulnerability. This look is not useful all the time, but you see it in many print ads. Knowing you have a look and how and when to turn it on is valuable.

This model has a nice shaped face and fits into what I would describe as a “Daisy Duke” look. I’ve seen her other work and it isn’t all “Daisy Duke”. But she can bring a relaxed demeanor to a shoot that translates easily to this look.

What kind of “looks” do you have? Play with some looks in your mirror, dress up, change your hair and make-up and see what fits you. Do you do sophisticated, bimbo, athlete, studious, goofball, pinup, femme fatale, bond girl, etc, etc?

I’m not suggesting that you climb into a stereo type and never leave it. Just understand if you fit a type and maybe include some of it in your portfolio. There are certainly arguments to be made for avoiding stereotypical looks. I'm just saying, think about it.

Beauty Modeling

There are many models who's body type does not lend itself to doing runway or other types of fashion modeling, who have faces with great bone structure and great skin. If you have these assets and can communicate directly with a camera lens, then perhaps beauty modeling is for you.

Rachel is a beautiful woman and has been modeling for a while. She decided to make a push toward beauty modeling. I brought in a make up artist that has a great understanding of cameras and photographers lights and how the camera sees. We did two looks for Rachel.

In addition to the two looks, I also set Rachel in more than one background to help her show versatility.

Her second look was more dramatic and we changed the lights for her to enhance the drama.

If you are getting started in modeling and don't have your body in shape yet, or are uncertain of your posing, try beauty modeling. It is not easy. It requires you to communicate emotion, or mood to the camera and you still need to have a good understanding of how small changes in your head, shoulder, and body position, along with subtle changes in facial expression affect the image.

Learn to see with a critical eye.

So many photos just suck! If you would like to see some crappy photos, brows through Model Mayhem. It is full of sexy photos of girls who think they are hot. (most of the time they are right about that) but being hot in a photo is not being a model. That photo of you that shows your sexy cleavage or your tight buttocks might appeal to the boys (or girls) but maybe it does not belong in your portfolio.

When I see a lousy photo of a pretty young girl showing of her T and A, I want to scream "Just because you have a photo that will make a guy think 'I want to meet her in a bar tonight and take her out back for 15 minutes' does not make you a model". Looking sexy does not automatically make you a model. And modeling is NOT about looking sexy. Usually, modeling is about connecting with viewers to get them to buy a product or idea.

Models need to learn to recognize what good photography is and what it is not. There are a couple of ways to do this. Look through photos in fashion magazines, take time to figure out what is going on in the photo. Get an agent to help you weed the crap out of your portfolio. (Yes, you have some crappy photos, we all do) Get a make up artist, or a mom, or someone that won't tell you you look nice just because they like you.

Hire great photographers to work with. The good ones won't give you finished photos that don't make both you and them look good.

Ask other models about your photos. You may not like what you hear, and you don't have to take every thing they say to heart. They may not be any better at seeing a good photo than you are, but if you get lots of feedback that a photo doesn't help you, figure out why.

A model in a forum that I run wrote this today in response to the heated reaction of a model who asked for validation and the results came in poorly for the photo she asked about - "Coming from somebody who has been "modeling" in this industry for 13 years now, what models need to understand is that this industry is GREULLING!! You are going to get torn to shreds sometimes. You will get told your fat, too tall, too short, weird nose, bad skin tone.......its all sh*t that you are going to hear. DEAL WITH IT. Welcome to the industry and open your eyes. Not everyone is going to like your look, or even consider you "model material." If you cannot handle criticism, you shouldn't be in this industry. PERIOD." - Kayla Rae Dalebout


Get started today learning to develop a critical eye. It will make you a better model.

Preparing for a Photoshoot

Your photographer, make-up artist, and others are putting a lot of work into your shoot to make you look good and to get the result that is wanted.

A model should put some thought and preparation into their shoot ahead of time also.

Make sure you have the contact info of the people you are working with, the photographer, the MUA, an agent, art director etc. Get both phone numbers and emails.  You should always be on time, but if something should happen, such as a traffic jam, you should be able to contact the people in your crew and let them know what to expect.

Make sure you know what kind of things you need to bring, what kind of clothes you are going to wear so that you have the appropriate underwear. Do you need to bring accessories? If so, what kind? Ask the photographer or art director what else you might need for a particular assignment.

Make sure you have your own make-up kit stocked with all the things you will need for various shoots. Keep it clean and organized and replenish things before you run out.

If you are shooting swimsuit or lingerie, cut of the tags before the shoot and make sure there are no dangling threads.

Do some research.  Peruse magazines or websites that have photos in the style or theme you are going to shoot. Study the poses from the fingers to the toes to the tilt of the neck, etc.

Make sure you have a great manicure and pedicure if your toes are going to be exposed. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a manicure, but keep your nails clean and fresh looking. Unless asked for color, keep the nail polish clear.

Wax/shave your body hair where the skin will be exposed. Do this a day or two ahead so that there is no razor rash.

Drink water. Being well hydrated is a great way to keep your skin looking great. Avoid caffeine and salt also.

Exfoliate a few days before your shoot also. Don’t be too vigorous and damage your skin. You just want to keep your skin fresh and vibrant.

Be Honest

I responded to a casting call on Model Mayhem that was listed as TF.

Please help me she says... "I need help building my portfolio.  I need a male model to do shoots like those in my list and I need a photographer that can take the pictures.  I need both to be very professional and to do what I need to help further build my port..  If you can help please write me  "

(Shauna is not the model I'm talking about)

I responded and her reply was to inform me of her fee.  Negotiating a fee or trade is totally cool, but advertising TF and replying with different terms is called bait and switch. I won't work with this model ever, and now many of my photographer friends know her deal too. Building a reputation of being honest, showing up, being dependable, is vital to a models career. This girl just spoiled her reputation. Make sure you keep your reputation un-spotted.

Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously

I love it when a model can do more than smile really big, or just give a blank, sober stare. Models who do not take them selves to seriously, who are creative and inventive are a blast to work with and create images that are much more memorable.

Shauna is a beautiful girl, but she let go and was able to create some funny, interesting images. She wasn't just caught up in the "how pretty am I" syndrome. HPAI syndrome ruins many models because it paralyzes them, keeping them from making any photos that are not pretty. Pretty models are a dime a dozen. I can find pretty models all day long by just walking down the street. Interesting models, now those are people I will shoot with again.

What emotion is this?

And here is the pretty girl.

What Should A Model Have in His/Her Portfolio

Models should take a great deal of time perfecting their portfolio. A portfolio is what gets a model hired.

Here are some things that models should consider:

1)      A great head shot.  We want to see your face. Your head shot should connect with the viewer. You want to avoid an overly processed image were  we can’t see your skin or natural look. Yes, use make-up but keep it light. People who would hire you want to see the raw ingredient, aka – you.

2)      A full body shot that shows the body. A bikini shot would be great. You need to show what the form of your body is so that advertisers, photographers, and agents can see how an outfit might fit you. How the fabrics would lay, etc. Also, if you are going to model for swimwear, you need this in your portfolio.

3)      Full length fashion shot in front of seamless paper.  This can help show off your ability to show fashion and poses and is very classic.

4)      Very light or no make-up. You need to show what the real you is like.

5)      At least one photo pairing with another model (not a lesbian, girl/girl) to show that you can pose and work with others. 

6)      Editorial shots

7)      Sexy but tasteful lingerie shots, not a Fredericks look, but upscale are useful if one wants to model lingerie. This is a personal choice.
Never put things in your portfolio that you are not willing to model.

Make Them Feel

Creating emotion is the point of photography. As a model, you need to be able to work with your photographer to create emotion.

Charolett her is posing putting on stockings. The location and context for this activity is puzzling and not what one would expect.

Charolett has created a great pose here but having both toes pointed and the legs in a parallel line and the outstretched arm. Her head is tilted down and we don't see the face giving the viewer a sense of watching this unguarded.

Creating an emotional response is a partnership between the model and the photographer. How you use and shape the body is a big part of communicating emotion.

Emotion

So many times when I work with newer models, I get two facial expression. Very happy, and blank. The blank look is sometimes the better look because the "happy" is over done and the smile contorted. If you model or want to model, you need to make a mirror your best friend. A full length mirror.

This model had a great smile, but we pushed way beyond that. This shoot is not a great example of subtle looks. We went over the top. As I have worked on stage for years, I've learned that often, to do subtle things well, it is often helpful to be able to go over the top and learn how to pull back.

You need an entire range of expression. Get that full length mirror installed and practice.

Getting a Handle on Lingo

My puppy woke up barking because she wanted to play at 4 am. So I’m kind of awake now. This will be one of several posts on the language of modeling:

Every art form has its own

unique language. Photography and modeling each have their own lingo.

Sometimes models need to understand the language of the photographer. But I also find there are key phrases or terms in modeling that young models wonder about.

Here are a couple of terms that are constantly used.

TF; This means “trade for”. Generally this means that no money is exchanged. It does not mean the shoot is free. Your photographer is bringing a lot of gear, investing time, and energy to you. So even if you think it is “free” blowing off a TF shoot is bad form. Your photographer scheduled time with you that he/she could have promised to others and being a no show to a shoot of any kind will damage your reputation. The term TF has some other forms such as TFP (time for print) TFCD (time for CD) ect. These days I personally just use the term TF.

MUA; This is a term that photographers just assume a model will know. Make Up Artist

MM: This stands for Model Mayhem. A MM# is a person’s account number and the easiest way to find someone specific. This is an online place for models, photographers, MUA’s, and other creatives to meet and hook up, creatively. Post casting calls ect. The service runs from free to paid service. www.modelmayhem.com It is the largest online model portfolio. Be sure to check around and ask others about photographers before working with them.

Be Bold!

I had this concept growing in my head for several weeks. This is not the image that was in my brain, but Rachell brought lots of energy and creative juice to the shoot.

I this ironic idea of a woman in heels, pink ruffle bum panties and a corset pushing a shopping cart towards the store front.

I explained my concept to Rachell and she got excited. This kind of shoot takes the right kind of model. Not everyone can feel comfortable in panties in a shopping parking lot.

Rachell had the chutzpah and the beautiful long legs to carry this off. We set up lighting, she changed right behind the car and as soon as it was set, we started shooting.

We noticed a car of couple of lovers necking a little ways of and they just stared.

One of the things that made this shoot work was the idea was fleshed out before hand, we were able to shoot quick before drawing much attention and we were both into the concept.

We did get nervous at one point as a patrol car drove around. He stopped far off in the parking lot and just stayed there. I guess he felt that we were not up to mischief and drove off.

The great thing about a concept is that once the central image is conceived, you can build many images from there. We got a full set in about 40 minutes.

In this case, the photographer had the idea and model contributed. But if you are a model, you don't have to wait for a photographer to come to you with an idea, you can flesh out your own idea and find a photographer that matches your style and hit them up.

I love shoots like this because it is out of the ordinary. Not many models have a photo of themselves pushing a shopping cart to the store, but Rachell Does. Here is the full gallery

Get the Right Bra

If you are serious about modeling you need to invest in the right underwear. I am no expert on underwear, but I ran into this conversation on lingerie and bra fitting.

I will say that as photographer, there have been many times when models have not had the right bra for the dress or outfit that they are wearing. They bring a low back dress and a bra that goes right across the back, or a strapless dress and a bra that won't support them without straps, etc, etc.

The other big gripe I have is bras that are too small. Underwear that is to small ruins the lines of the body. Who wants bulge, but so many girls come to shoots with underwear that does not flatter them.

Here is a link to the podcast "Morning Sex with the Mominatrix". The show is not very explicit, but probably not the best thing for minors. The discussion on good underwear is about 7 and a half minutes into the show. I don't even know how I stumbled on this, but I thought it had some value on this topic.

Models aught to practice looking good, more than at their shoots. I hope this is useful.

New Blog

Hi, This is the first of what I hope will be many blog posts about modeling. My goal is to discuss various aspects of modeling and share information about modeling and how to build a career, or how to have fun and stay safe.

I will be posting about types of modeling, how to get paid, how to be safe, or how to build a solid portfolio. I'm going to be talking about learning to pose, doing your own make-up when needed, or nitty gritty things like getting the right underwear so that you look your best.

I'm not sure what my schedule for posting will be, but for now I am going to try and post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.