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Having fun during a photo shoot, its so important!

smiling model

Have fun during a photo shoot.

Every photo shoot I do normally has a purpose. Sometimes its for a client, other times its for my inventory of stock pictures, whatever the reason I always try to find a person I think will fit the project. Even when I do a test shoot, I only offer it to people that have certain characteristics that appeal to me. And one characteristic I always try to make sure they have is a positive attitude.

I’ve found that people that are positive tend to be happier, smile more and easier to work with. I learned this the hard way early on in my photographic career. I recall photographing a model who was hounding me for weeks to shoot her. Finally when I agreed and she arrived at the studio, we clashed at the “hello”! She proceeded to tell me instantly that she only wears black and that she brought her own wardrobe because she would only model in the clothes she had. She went on to list several conditions, including the last one which was that I should not expect her to smile too much!

Needless to say, I cut the time of the shoot in half and never used the pictures for anything. It was the longest and worst hour and half of shooting I ever did. Nowadays I pass on anyone like that, life is too short and photography equipment and studio time is to expensive to waste on people like that.

The image included in this article is of a woman I would photograph any day of the week! She was nervous at first, but was happy, positive and energetic! She arrived ready to have fun and enjoy the experience. We even went over our time allotment and shot for an extra hour! So next time you photograph a model, be sure its a “happy” one and leave those negative people for someone else. And for the models, have fun, relax and enjoy the experience!

Leave your flash at home, available light is the best!

Picture taken with window light

Picture taken with window light.

Knowing when to use available light while photographing people can enhance your pictures to a new level. Whenever possible I try to use existing light, but it takes some practice to get it right. Knowing how use the right settings in your camera is important, but you also need to position your subject in the right area or angle.

I photographed the woman on the right using the light from a large window. It was an overcast yet bright day, so the light shining in was soft and diffused. I took a few pictures with my mounted camera flash, but that created a terrible shadow. (I didn’t have my studio lights) It looked like a snapshot and I knew this woman deserved more from me than just a snapshot! :-) So I turned off my flash and positioned her next to the large window, while she stood almost leaning against the wall, the diffused light exposed the right side of her face perfectly.

If you also notice, the background is out of focus, I did this by backing up a little and using my Nikon 80-200mm 2.8AF-D lens wide open. Have you noticed from my other posts that I use this lens often? Its one of my favorite lens and I use it in many occasions, especially in low light situations, like this one. Now back to the photo…the light from the window created a dramatic mood and with the model working her “look”, the final image, in my opinion was a winner! The image shown was only re-sized for online viewing, but no photo editing was done to it. Know you know why I love and continue to learn ways to use existing light!

Model Castings page added to site!

Model for Energiafoto!

Model for Energiafoto!

The site is developing as promised! Today I added a Model Castings page with several paid shoots available to local Los Angeles and OC models! We shoot based on projects, so when we have a specific shoot planned we will post it up right away. The page will change weekly, so check it often for new shoots.

When you submit your email, be sure to include two recent images and your location. Click on the image to your left or at the link below to visit our casting page!

Model Casting Page

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