Dos and Don'ts of Models Working with Photographers!

It’s always comical to read stories about nightmare models and photographers and shoots that have gone wrong, when they could have been very easily avoided by just behaving in a different way or researching each other’s work beforehand. Personally, whenever I work with a photographer, I have a good scroll through their Instagram, check out their website and I usually message some of the recent models they’ve worked with to see how their shoot experience was. I find this really helps when I’m working out whether to work with a photographer or not, as I tend to on a tfp (time for photos) basis, so I can’t afford to go on a shoot if it’s not going to be worth it, and is just going to end up being horribly awkward and producing kind of rubbish photos as an outcome. As always, some photographer’s styles won’t suit me, but will suit others, and vice versa; My photos and the modelling I tend to do may not suit some photographers, but this is all my opinion so of course others won’t always agree with it. Anyway, here are my do’s and don’ts of working with photographers.

Do:

Do a background check - I don’t mean stalk them facebook and find out everything about them. Just see who they’ve recently worked with, what their style of photos are and whether you think you would be a good professional match.

Be professional - you’ve got to be somewhat laid back and willing to have a conversation and a joke when necessary so that the shoot isn’t awkward, but this doesn’t mean you can talk all the time and not take the photoshoot seriously - it is work after all.

Be prepared - discuss what kind of photos you both would like, where you’re shooting, what time you’re meeting ext. You don’t want to not be prepared and then end up starting off on the wrong foot.

Be communicative - if there are more people there (e.g. MUAs or hair stylists), make sure you communicate with all of them about what the aim of the shoot is and what kind of photos you’re after. You all want to make sure you want the same goal.

Allow directions - most photographers would have done photoshoots loads of times, so would know what looks best in certain angles and lighting. Let them direct you into poses and facial expressions ext. You can’t see your own face when modelling, but they can, so they can see what looks best. It’s not rude for them to tell you to move your head up or smile a little more - they’re just doing their job.

Don’ts:

Expect the world - a photographer is there to take photos, use the lighting to the best of their ability on the day, edit the photos and come away with great shots, but a photographer isn’t a magician; they can’t make you look like Audrey Hepburn. You have to do a lot of work too and let the photographer tell you if they want you to do something slightly different

Be taken advantage of - you have the right to say no to something you don’t want to do. If a photographer wants you to do a slightly dangerous pose and you don’t feel safe, don’t do it. If you feel uncomfortable and the photographer is being inappropriate, remember to say no, and leave if you need to. A way to combat this could be to bring a chaperone with you, however some professional photographers don’t agree with this, so ask first.

Assume every photographer is the same - each photographer has a different style and way of doing shoots. Some are more experienced than others, so may be a tad unaware of what to do, help them out if needed and suggest new poses ext. Let a photographer suggest what to do however, it may be more suited to them. This is why I always say to look at their portfolio first, to see whether their style suits you, and whether you’ll get photos you like

Accept free work from people you don’t really really want to work with - I tend to do tfp photoshoots with photographers, because I only really work with those I want to. I have to love their photos and imagine me fitting into their style of photos for me to do a tfp shoot with. On another note, if the photoshoot is for brand work, and someone in the project is getting paid, you should too, which is why I never do brand work if the photographer is getting paid and not me.

Overall I think the main thing is to stay safe, kind, communicative, and most of all professional. This is work and you are both doing a job. It usually benefits both of you too, so you would both want the best outcome and for it not to be awkward. You do have to remember to have fun however! This is probably the best job I could have imagined, and every photoshoot is an experience meant to be enjoyed. You should never have to have a job you don’t like!