How Do You Dueling With Model Who Has No Experience

Charles Griffin:

I see nothing wrong technically with your exposures. There's nothing wrong with the models, although the posing seems slightly awkward.

I say always make the model comfortable, work inside their range, do easy stuff until they have warmed up, then go for the more avant garde. Practice makes for better, if not perfect.

Then there is the possibility that there may be a language problem. If the models aren't native speakers of your language, or if all of you are communicating in second languages, then problems can arise.

Carib Goodies:

There are few professions where you need to know the ins and outs of personalities more than in photography.

Part of your art is drawing out the core of the individual for the role they have to play.

Think of modeling as acting. Think of yourself as the director. A director on a movie set has to do anything within reason to get the desired emotion, effect and performance out of the actor.

Sometimes, when dealing with unskilled models, the photographer has to create a situation in which the proper emotion is shown.

I have had models and the need for a happy, exuberant scene...not overboard with exaggerated expressions, but genuine joy restrained by the very real fact that people rarely let out their true emotional feelings in public. So, I create situations where the emotions are genuine. For scenes such as this I have on occassion had an order f flowers delivered during the shoot. That moment of realization in the model that the flowers are for her causes her emotional guard or nervousness to be let down for a few brief seconds and in that time I can get some shots of honest emotion.

On the flip side I have had to make models mad to get an angry shot. Bore them to death to obtain ennui. Treat them like a princess to get love or longing. Etc., etc., etc.

At the end of the day, however, everyone needs to realize everything was just an act to get the job done. A photographer working without directors has to have thick skin sometimes.

And then the bottom line is that you have to have a firm idea in your head before the shoot of exactly what you want and how you are going to achieve your goal.

Charles' point about communication is an interesting one which brings back memories of a London model I worked with several years ago. She spoke a deep cockney and gave me more communications problems than any other foreign model I have worked with. We were both speaking English (I think) but neither of us could understand a word the other was saying. We did several dozen shoots over the course of two weeks. By the second shoot I brought along with me a local model who would pose and then the London model copy. Other shoots I started pantomiming what I needed. I also typed up instructions.

All communication is basically the same. We share the same experiences worldwide and react to emotional situations in the same way. Outward manifestation may be different, but the core is the same. Languages formed based upon our mimicking or assigning sounds to things that naturally described them to other people. Why language has evolved and become more complex, the root entomologies remain. Find the commonalities and you will suddenly find you can communicate very well with people who speak other languages.

A happy smile or gesture gets a happy smile in return. A dissatisfied scowl causes worry and insecurity. Sticking out your tongue gets a laugh. Scratching your armpit suddenly distracts attention and causes a wide range of emotional looks to ripple across a face in a fraction of a second.

Think about what situations provoke various emotions in you and imitate them for your model.

Be patient. You can never rush something and have it turn out perfect.

Be confidant. If you show weakness or uncertainty, your model will not stay in role.


(And, I try not to duel with models. I am quite handy with guns and blades but do not like cleaning up the bloody mess they leave behind.)