Gary Adams Photography

Greetings Everyone! 

     I am a Cleveland, Ohio based people photographer specializing in what people tell me is a editorial/reportage style of Fashion, Beauty, and Wedding photography. While my site on Model Mayhem site is more glamour oriented, my website (garyadamsphotography.com, again under construction) is more dedicated to fashion and beauty.

     My shoots are characterized by laughter, style and loads of fun!  I work only on commission. I extemely selective in choosing my prospective working associates (models, MUA's, hair, stylists, etc.). 

NO TFP.

-------Five Easy, Basic And Common Sense Suggestions for Serious New and/or Aspiring Models -------

#1. Go to "newmodels.com" immediately.  Read it and bookmark it. Refer to it often.  I do.  Even though people may act like it, very few folks are expert in the business of modeling.  I certainly am not.   Always consider the source and/or the motivation behind any career advice or modeling critiques given to you (especially on this and other similar public sites). Be appreciative but never gullible. You know what you want to do better than anyone else.

#2.  Study magazines in the style in which you want to work. . Get familiar with the work of the models that are doing what you would like to do.   You can visit Border's or Barnes and Noble once a month and explore most of the magazines that you like, just don't spill your coffee on them!

Figure out what you really like or don't like in a photograph.  This will lead you to suggestion #3 which is...

#3. Using magazine quality as your standard of photographic excellence, learn to be discerning about photographic quality. Approach photographers whose work will at least begin to approach magazine quality (at least in a technical sense).  This will get you a solid portfolio more quickly than just random shoots and at a minimum will "brand" you and your portfolio with relatively high quality images (if nothing else). 

#4  Keep things positive and enjoyable. Where you can, avoid egomaniacs and negative individuals whether they are photographers, agents, "critiquers", etc..  "Haters" think of themselves as failures and they also want you to fail. Misery does love company.   

#5  Probably THE most important item.  While you do not have to have the looks of Heidi Klum or Daria W or Natalia V, you MUST be reliable. Communication with the photographer and other project  principles is vital.  Your reputation is everything. For you to get anywhere in modeling at any level, professionals HAVE to know that they can count on you.  (So with respect to my photography, serious inquiries only please). 

The common threads with all of the successful self-employed models that I know are that they are: as organized as a Swiss Bank, reliable as gravity and expressive as Shakespeare.  They all truly LOVE the creative art of modeling.

Understand that success comes in many forms other than fame and notoriety. Fortune is very important but really only one measure of success.  Don't underestimate the long term personal, artistic and soulful success of making and having beautiful, powerful and expressive images of yourself.

My Photoshooting Procedure:

I never give or otherwise distribute photographs that are not finished (ie processed or "photoshopped").   I employ photoshop faithfully but very minimally. I much  prefer to get the image in camera rather than in post-production. My fashion, beauty and glamour photography is more reportage in style and overphotoshopping (especially skin) is inconsistent with that style.

I will spend  20-25 minutes maximum on an image (if it takes longer than that, then I photographed the image incorrectly for my purposes). Because of the time involved in post-production, I try to give at least 10 finished photographs to the contributing team (model, hair/makeup crew, stylists, etc.)-- frequently there are more. (In terms of time spent  I feel that one 3 hour shoot fairly obligates 3 hours of post production which would then yield roughly ten images).  Again, I do try to give more than 10 if possible.

Escorts:

Escorts are fine with me and are a really good idea.

However, while escorts are great, I absolutely do not allow escorts, personal assistants, parents (of models 18 and over) etc.,  on the set or in view of myself or the model while we are shooting.  There are comfortable waiting areas directly adjacent to my studio so your escort (if you choose to bring one) can be very close-by.

Definitely bring a cell phone, identification and water.

There will be a model release that you must sign for the shoot to take place.

I LOVE bringing out the beauty, the essence and the personalities of the models with whom I work!  So, if you like, please drop me a line. I would love to work with you!

Best Wishes,

Gary Adams