The Model Shoot

For the most part, I'm not a model photographer. Over the years, I have learned some of the techniques of posing and working with models. And, I think this is not one of my strong points. I'm inclined to photograph weddings, portraits, landscapes, street scenes, architecture... and the list goes on. Model photography, I consider to be my weakness.

It's not that I don't get along with models; it's quite the contrary. I'm a talker and I like to communicate with models during the shoot, what they like, their hobbies, and even their relationships. I think it allows for them to become comfortable and then they have a tendency to trust me. And, what I hear from other photographers and models is that they like my approach within the sessions.

In terms of doing a model gig, I'm reluctant. On occasion, I'll build up enough courage to do a model shoot. It's work and requires some imagination and knowing the basics. Sometimes, you can break the compositional rules, but most times, I stay with what I know works well. If there is a more experienced photographer who has shot many model gigs, I allow them to run the show, set up the model poses, and hopefully I can learn something in the process.

I always canvass the area of the model shoot and see where the sun is positioned. When I'm foreign to the area, I sometimes wing it, or rather experiment with the props, the scenery of the area, and the backgrounds. I try to photograph the models in shaded areas, where the light is softer. It's almost the same for shooting weddings and outdoor portraits --- go for the soft light.

Lens selection: This varies on the type of model shoot. If there is to be a lot of head shots or three/forth shots, I generally use a lens that will give me shallow depth of field, somewhere in the range of f/2.8 to f/4 and slight telephoto. Usually this will involve the 35mm equivalent of a 80mm or 100mm lens. I find myself using the combination of an 80mm Carl Zeiss Planar T* lens from the Hasselblad and the Canon dSLR camera. I call it the Canonblad.

If the model shoot is outdoors and there is scenery that can be used to highlight the shoot, then I use wide angle lenses. I often use two dSLR cameras, favorites being the Canon EOS 7D, and the wide angle lens of choice is a Sigma 8-16mm. The other lens is often one of my favorites, a Tamron 18-270mm lens. With both of these lenses, I can cover the full focal length gamut.

The most recent model shoot was in Canton along with model photographer and organizer, Cory Shannon. Of the four models invited only one model subscribed to the model shoot, Di Alisia.

Cory has much more experience in model shoots, and I was surprised in how much knowledge he had in film photography. Most young photographers shoot only with digital and have never shot film. This is not the case with Cory. He had a Nikon FE 35mm camera and an old Mamiya M645 medium-format camera (I used to shoot weddings in Florida with the same exact camera).

And Di Alisia was an exceptional model. She knew how to pose. She did not complain about the slightly chilly temperatures. And one of her interest is photography. She did a very good job and made it easier for me.

Do I aspire to be a model photographer? It's not my strong point. However, I enjoy a vast type of photography and doing a model shoot fits in with all the others.