12 Working with models

Out with the rule book

Kevin Mason

The Idea

What is it about working with models that throws everything off? All the rules and all your knowledge goes out the window as you find yourself transfixed by the person in front of you.

The Ingredients

• ▶ Any camera
• ▶ An image concept

The Process

For me, working with a model is all about rapport or control, about achieving an expected outcome or seeing something develop in front of you and taking the shot at the perfect moment. To really make the best of this, you need to know what sort of image you are trying to achieve. Is it a fashion shoot, is it about the model's body shape, about his or her face, their poise, or their attitude? Or is it essentially about you, the photographer, projecting your ideas onto your subject/canvas? You need to think about all of these things while you are considering your shot.

It has taken me years to learn to shoot people, and it feels like the first part of a long journey. Only recently have I begun to drop the idea of a preconceived image and concentrate instead on the individual in front of me. I think there is Something intrusive involved with taking someone's photo, and it shouldn't be approached lightly. In the past I tended to obsess about that and build it into my idea before the person even arrived. Now I am learning to make almost all of these decisions and judgments within the time frame of the subject arriving and me taking the shot. The tips that follow are "the pearls" from what I have learnt.

Sally Can't Dance A harsh 1970s-style flash with strong directional lighting, along with the pose and distance of the model's expression, really sell this image. [Model: Sally Reynolds.]

Editorial for Baroque Jewellery This shot is about emotion and strong eye contact, which we have accentuated with slight letterbox lighting across the face so the eyes and hands draw you in and frame the shot. (Model: Joanne Jackson.)

Tip 1

Until you understand everything you feel you can about natural light, don't start to shoot people or work with models. Put it off as long as you can. Once you can pick the time of day, position, camera, lens, and approach that will make something inert like a phone booth or trash can look interesting, then move onto models. If, when you are talking to someone and they turn, the emotive highlight down the side of their face catches your eye; or you notice how a friend looks different on those heavy, overcast days; if you see how their cheekbones are highlighted by the afternoon sun and it stops you hearing what they are saying so that all you take in is the light and how it shapes them and how that makes you feel, stop reading and start shooting people now.

Editorial for GangUp magazine On a shool there is often tension between models and this can be used to really build a shot. Here the lighting and composition, along with very specific head positions, build a narrative in the image. [Models: Sally Reynolds and Elin Amos.]

Tip 2

Working with models is about confidence. If you don't have confidence in your skills, you should make up for it with confidence in the way you talk to models and vice versa, but don't get so caught up in the technical detail that you miss the image you are trying to make.

Tip 3

Remember that no two models are the same. Adapt your response to each person. There isn't one standard approach that can be applied to everyone, but when talking or working with a model, never stop looking. Watch everything about them-how they hold themselves, what they project, the shape of their face-and use all of this detail to inform your images.

Tip 4

Don't panic and don't rush. If you book a one-hour session with a model, spend 45 minutes just looking and talking, then shoot 10 shots in the last 15 minutes. Take your time, and don't forget what you already know about photography.

Tip 5

Don't rely on the model to make the image; it's your eye and your vision, so pay attention to every detail. The touch that transforms your work may be as simple as turning out an ankle or lifting a chin. Don't be fearful of giving directions; most models will he relieved that you know what you need or what you want to see.

Tip 6

Try to "read" your model. Several of the images here have very direct eye contact, which is almost, to use a clicé, piercing, What you are trying to get at is the essence of the person, or an idea of it at least. I tend to set up my shot and wait, and then wait just a little longer until I see that flicker of "something else" on the model's face-that's the moment you take the shot.

Editorial for GangUp magazine I used tights on the lens to create a very soft vintage feet and build on the dreamy aesthetic, Very soft window light builds further on this, and the models worked hard all day on their respective characters in this shoot. (Models: Sophie Munson and Rosy Cherrington.]

Commercial Shoot for Delarge T-shirts Sally was my muse for four years, and this T-shirt shoot took only 20 minutes before we had what we needed She is incredibly relaxed and fun in front of the camera, with bursts of activity. so it was a case of controlling that and pulling out her character I love this shot. [Model Sally Reynolds.]

Your Life is My Vanity Project Week 6 This project is all about waiting and constructed encounters with a fantatstic model. It is constantly evolving, both in the hour we meet and over the weeks. These four shots would have been taken during the last 20 minutes of a one-hour session, Georgie has a stunning directness and incredible range [Model: Georgie Hobday.]

Tip 7

Composition is key, Remember that your frame is dynamic. A great subject should be enough, but sometimes you have to work hard to exploit the frame you use. If you work hard at your composition, the frame should reveal itself to you. This is as true for posed fashion shots as it is for portraits.

Tip 8

Study the work of others and deconstruct why their images have so much impact. Get as broad a range of inspirational images as you can and challenge yourself not to replicate, but to go one better. If you can also inspire the model to do this by showing them some of your source material, even better.

Tip 9

Have passion for what you do. There is something to be said for laboring away, and sometimes good images do result, but if you are not enjoying the shoot, or at least feeling some passion for it, then stop. Go watch TV instead. Or, if you really have passion and want to make an image worth keeping, don't stop. Keep trying and never be satisfied.

Tip 10

Look around you. Study film, light, people, faces, communication (spoken and unspoken), then find your own way of doing things. If you want your work to stand out, it has to be your own voice and vision.

The muse

The biggest tip, and it's a classic, is to find a muse-someone who will encourage you and stimulate your mind. Doing this changed my photography more than I could imagine. Shoot and shoot them, just don't drain all their patience. If you do it right, you'll both learn.

Toots VonFury I had the cape made especially for the shoot, which I also styled. The colors complement each other, but the key factor is the strength of the model, Ketty, who draws you in, but also holds something back She is a wonderful girl to know and shoot with. [Model Toots VonFury, aka Kelly.]

The story

You'll want your image to be more than just a literal representation of someone. In fact, that's the last thing you'll want it to be, instead, to really grab the viewer, your image should have a story, a narrative, a background that the viewer feels they have uncovered through their own insight. Don't hand everything to your viewer on a plate; don't expose your subject without allowing them to keep a piece of themselves back.

The commitment

Make an image that you want to look at again and again. It's the hardest thing to find a voice that is yours and unique, but persistence really does pay off, Take time to master the technical and never ever stop looking. Frame everything, even if only in your mind, from waking to sleeping.