You want to build a Quality Portfolio for Hire A Professional Model and you want to do it fast. Problem is the models you can get to shoot with you right now don't give you the quality you want.
They are mostly new and need help with everything from makeup to posing. You're just learning that stuff yourself and need to focus on the photography, not the modeling.
So how do you get quality fast? Well I'm going to tell you two different ways, one in this lesson and one in the next. The first is to hire a professional model. One with great looks and lots of experience. Here are some reasons doing this will build your portfolio fast and easy.
Posing
The biggest problem new models have is posing. The first thing they will tell you is, "I don't know anything about posing, so you need to tell me what to do." The challenge here is you don't know how to pose a model either. And you need more than one good pose. A professional model will have dozens of interesting poses and she'll naturally move through them as you click the shutter. Matter of fact, they may go too fast for you. A pro is going to go to the next pose as soon as she hears the shutter or sees the lights go off. You may have to tell her to hold a pose you like.
Expression
I've mentioned dead eyes before, that dreaded emptiness that new models have in every picture. Add to that the fact they often only have one expression. That is a problem you won't have with a professional model. A pro knows how to use her eyes and face to convey emotion and meaning. Professional model Valerie Whitaker told me a story about when she was just starting out. She'd been shooting with a mentor photographer for about an hour and he said to her, "Okay, Valerie, now I want you to give me a sexy expression." She looks at him and says, "But I thought I was giving you a sexy expression." After years of practice she now understands the difference, but it is common among new models to not really understand expression.Preparation
A pro model comes prepared. She has suitcases full of clothes she can use for a shoot. Valerie had 4 big suitcases she brought with her to Houston. Pro models can generally do their own makeup and do it well. They've got lots of experience with it and have worked with many professional makeup artists, learning what makes them look best.They also prepare themselves physically for a shoot, knowing what not to eat the morning of a shoot, and getting a good night's sleep before a shoot.Which leads to the next point.
Looks
It seems really obvious to say professional models are better looking than amateurs, but it is true. First, there is the weeding out process that goes into becoming a working model. People are not going to pay for a model that is overweight, or has bad skin, or bad hygiene. So she isn't going to be out there looking for work.Second, a model's body is her artistic tool. Good ones will care for it and work to improve it. They will be fit. Their skin will be smooth and taken care of. Their hair will be professionally cut and colored. This is where models spend money on their art.
Comfort
Lastly, professional models are comfortable in front of the camera. They aren't afraid; they aren't worried they won't do well. They have the experience and knowledge to be confident in their ability to deliver. Nude models are also totally comfortable with their nudity, so you aren't having to worry about upsetting them.Now you know all the reasons you should work with a professional model. Let me give you a few tips on finding a real pro. There are lots of models on the modeling sites or model agency who say they are pro and that you have to pay them, but get them in front of the camera and they have all the problems of beginners. (read previous article about 10 Common Mistakes of New Model Photographers)
Look for a Quality Portfolio
If a model has spectacular work in her portfolio, she's experienced. She's convinced really good, experienced photographers to work with her. She's got a diversity of images from a diversity of photographers. She can do many kinds of photography. Just because a model has spectacular images in her portfolio doesn't mean she'll give you the same quality images. Image quality does have quite a bit to do with the photographer as well, but you know she can do it if you can.Models Who Travel A Lot
On modeling sites or model agency like One Model Place you can get travel notifications. These let you know when a model is traveling to your area. You'll notice some models going all over the country. This shows they produce quality work because they are able to book multiple shoots in each place they go. If they couldn't, they wouldn't go to those places. They couldn't afford to.Ask Other Photographers
You can ask other photographers about a model if you are thinking about shooting with her. They can often give you the low down on a particular model, or suggest others.Meet a Model At A Workshop
Going to workshops is a great way to meet other photographers and models. You can actually see how a model works with photographers and see how good she really is. From this you should understand how to use a professional model to get a quality portfolio in a short period of time. But there is another way to get quality work in an even shorter period of time, and it is related to our last tip.Tutorial inspired from mini course by Ron Davis
