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.

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.