Your portfolio is your investment in the way you market yourself and shows the industry what you can do.
My nitch in the photo world would be my personal photo books which run from 80 to 400 pages and cover a period of time, an event, telling people who you are, where you are going and what you have done. They can cover your career, having a baby, getting married, your last year in school, your family. I do about twenty books a year such as the Bride to Groom book which has a hundred pictures and writings from the bride to her future husband. (Men fall in love with what they see).
To have your modeling portfolio bound in a hardback book is very impressive to a possible client. It also allows you to put words, poems, and feelings with your pictures.
Most of my work is done in nature and takes the advantage of natural lights and sitting. I love a creative model. I also do body painting for the really creative and body casting just in case you are really adventurist and want to save that body for a lifetime. If you have a creative idea I am willing to do the shoot for picture trade. If you are a member of Model Mayhem in good standing I will do a free photo shoot (TFP) and give you a CD with your images on with copyright release form. If we do 3-4 shoots then I will put your work in a book for you with no charge to you. I am Photoshop proficient.
I am not sexy (except to my wife, who is always with me on shoots) I am just a photographer looking for the best shot.
Contact me at hyla56@aol.com
See more of photos at
www.flickr.com/photos/rana67
GILA PHOTOGRAPHY- MODELS
WHAT TO EXPECT
I am a total stranger to you so I want you to know who I am and what to expect from one of my shoots. You and I both want the same thing from this venture. We want to improve our skills as model and photographer and we want to further our career and find more work. The better and more diverse our portfolios the more we will be noticed.
I have been a creative craftsman, designer, writer, magazine owner, alligator biologist, chef, teacher, and photographer for the past forty years. My goal is make interesting photographs that will make you stand out from a million other models. To do this I need your input and c reative ideas. A quick check on Flickr.com showed 471,375 girls in bikinis, do we need more of the same? Let’s put our heads together do something precarious.
I want you to feel comfortable with the shoot because displeasure shows. If you are uncomfortable then we need to try something else. All you have to do is let me know and I will not question your judgment. I will treat you with respect and like a lady and a professional model. I try never to touch the models and my wife is always with me on a shoot. I have no problem if you feel the need to bring your friend, but please not your boyfriend or children.
What you will get from the shoot?
I will take many pictures during the session and I will delete 70% of them during the first run through my computer due to bad light, eyes closed, wrong speed, or those that are almost good but not good enough. The others I will adjust the light, color, exposure, crop and sometimes a little Photoshop to make the picture better. You will receive a CD with the final results to do with whatever you wish. You can add them to your portfolio or sell them to the market if you so desire. I ask that I be given credit for the photos and I will give you credit for being the model since each of us are trying have our work recognized. You will sign the standard model release and I will give you a copyright release from me.
If you stick it out for 3-4 sessions and make enough changes and poses to make a nice collection, I will print for you (free) an 80-120 page hardback book with 200 or more of the best of our work together just for you, a $400 value.
What I expect from the model.
Communication If you are not going to make it to an appointment, please call. I will be on time and waiting. If you fail to let me know of changes in plans or miss a shoot without communicating you will have to find a new photographer. I know your time is important to you and my time is very important to me.
Do your homework. Look at pictures and get an idea of what you may want to try. Be creative and take an opportunity to express yourself. When you are older you will look back and say I wish I had taken the risk to create a unique look. Let me know your ideas before the shoot and I will do what I can to find the right props and locations.
You may want to go to Flickr.com and search for the group, Gila Photography, to see some of my work. It is a hodgepodge of mixed pictures but you can get the style of my work. I am hoping to expand to make my work more creative and use more lights and makeup.
I hope that we develop a good team and make some good art.
Stay beautiful,
Mickey McLean
Gila Photography
