How To Prepare For a Fitness Model Photo Shoot

You know your body and your routine. Don’t change your routine, including diet, sleep, and workouts in the week before your shoot. Don’t add new products, new tanning, etc. Watch the salt intake the week prior to a shoot as well.

Make sure you have all the relevant contact information and a map to the shoot location. email, phone numbers, etc. You will want to plan to be early so that you have some cushion time in case of slow traffic, car problems etc. Take the contact info with you in case you have to call and advise your photographer or artistic director that you may be late. Arriving early will help you relax and boost your confidence.

Hair: Keep the head well groomed. That includes facial hair eyebrows, eye lashes. Guys, trim your eye lashes if you have some wild ones. If you have stray facial hairs, make sure they are plucked. Have your body shaved. Shave the body hair. Body hair hides the conditioning you have worked for.

Stay hydrated. Keeping hydrated with improve your skin’s appearance. Avoid activities that will abrade your skin or cause it to be discolored. Wear loose clothing and don’t wear socks or a bra. Depending on the shoot, you may want to forgo underwear

the day of the shoot. Tight clothing creates lines and discolors the skin causing the photographer and editors more work and fewer desirable images. Use lotions that you are familiar with and know how your body will react. Just before a shoot is no time to change routines.

Keep your hair color the same as the images your photographer used to

choose you for a shoot unless directed and agreed on otherwise. The AD (artistic director) or photographer will expect you to look like the images you provided. Also, don’t change the length of your hair unless cleared.

In most cases tanned skin is will provide the best look, but don’t change your tanning in the week prior.




Males should have clean trimmed nails. Females should have clean trimmed nails with a clear neutral coat unless directed otherwise. This goes for all 20 nails.

Underwear: Females should bring a variety of bras so you can fit the clothing provided. Make sure the bra fits. Tight fitting underwear (bras and bottoms) create unsightly lines and bulges and don’t flatter you and make it hard to edit or use the images.

If you are bringing your own wardrobe, avoid clothing with logos, prints, or artwork. These things make the images difficult to use because of copyrights and registered trademarks. Photographers can often deal with small logos, but often for fitness shoots, no name/no logo clothing will be most desired. Make sure any clothes you bring fit well and are in good condition. Shoes and socks included.

The night before a shoot, have a calm night. Go to bed on time or a little early having packed everything you will need for the shoot so you don’t have to frantically find something you forgot at the last minute.

Things to bring to the shoot:

Clothing, ie. shoes, socks, tops and bottoms, undergarments, hair ties.
Towels. Although towels may be provided, you may want your own. You may get sweaty, or be oiled and wetted and you may wish your own personal towels.
iPod with your music in it. Many photographers will be happy to work with music of your choice.
Water.

If you have to cancel... Do this if you have to but don’t be cavalier about it. 

Tell the truth. It is amazing how many times this photographer has heard stories from models that canceled that just didn’t ring true and later found out the excuses were lies. Most photographers would rather have an honest reason. Even if the reason is “I’m nervous” or “my face just broke out”. If something has happened that changes your appearance such as a major bruise or a rash,
the photographer may wish to cancel or they may advise that they are okay dealing with it. We would rather know. But only cancel if you really have to. A better offer in never a good reason to cancel. Word gets out about how dependable models are.

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.

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.

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.