|
Forums >
Model Colloquy >
would a photographer
be responsible for giving a model direction? or is it solely on the model and is her responsibility. i tried imagining how my posing would appear, still it was kind of difficult. after all, we don't know exactly whats being captured behind the lens. in a sense, we are blind in that regard. so who's responsibilty is it? and does that mean the photographer isn't as good if they don't give much direction? Nov 09 12 05:05 pm Link The photographer is solely responsible for creating the image he has in mind. You're right, you probably don't know how you look through the lens, especially if you're new to modelling. If the photographer doesn't give any or much direction it may mean you're doing what he wants. Or it may mean he doesn't know how to direct. Or, what is most likely, he doesn't really know what he wants to capture and may be hoping inspiration hits him. It's best to have a conversation prior to the shoot so you both know what the photography hopes to achieve. I'm a big believer in having a concept before someone picks up a camera. Many photographers pick up the camera with no particular idea in mind. And many of them don't have an idea of what they got, once the put it down. It can make for mediocre and inconsistent results. Nov 09 12 05:21 pm Link wow! thanks for that insight. i thought if much wasn't being said, i was either off, or doing something wrong. and that i had to come up with what to do, because it was my responsibility. but i was reluctant to take that initiative, because it might have been something the photog would not want to capture, or just wouldn't like. Nov 09 12 05:24 pm Link I'm curious why you write like this is a poem?  Nov 09 12 05:29 pm Link megan rose wrote: Different photographers work differently. Nov 09 12 05:31 pm Link megan rose wrote: It should be mutual, particularly in terms of TF shoots. However, the better you get at posing yourself, the more valuable you are likely to be to photographers in general. i tried imagining how This comes with time and practice. I suggest looking at poses you like and practicing them at home. You can eventually train your body to do certain things. For example, my hands are something I do automatically. I hold them a certain way and most photographers like that. Same goes for pointing your toes, and other small but significant things. It took me a long, long time to be able to pose consistently, but it finally clicked. after all, we don't You are right, we models do not know and the angle the photographer chooses to shoot at and the lighting can make or break the shot even if you have a good or even great pose. Similarly, a good angle and lighting can make even a mundane or boring pose look interesting. I have done many body scapes where I was just lying there and the photographer chose an angle that made the shot look stunning. and does that mean the I have worked with a pretty big range of photographers in terms of their talent and skill. Some of the less skilled ones give a ton of direction and some of the highly skilled ones give very little direction beyond a feeling or mood and expect the model to be able to emote. Most people fall somewhere in between and I encourage people to give me direction if I cannot tell if they are liking what they are getting or not. Nov 09 12 05:31 pm Link Great lyrics. Nov 09 12 05:36 pm Link Woven Thought wrote: ive just gotten in the habbit of typing Nov 09 12 05:38 pm Link megan rose wrote: great for people on iphones and such to read too Nov 09 12 05:46 pm Link It may feel odd to you now, but after shooting for a while, you'll generally have an understanding of how your body photographs and what angles work and which don't. Try practicing in the mirror at home behind closed doors to see what looks good and what doesn't. When you're actually on a shoot, stop every now and then and ask to see how it looks on camera so you are aware of your body/face in that moment. Personally; I hate feeling like I have to direct the model's poses on a shoot to get her to do anything. It's frustrating, and usually the model looks like she's forcing it too much and the pose ends up looking awkward, and just-- ugh... I like models who are active and confident in their ability to pose on their own. By the way, the way you're typing is killing my brain. D; Nov 09 12 05:46 pm Link megan rose wrote: I like this. Nov 09 12 05:47 pm Link Karl Johnston wrote: wow! ive never though of that. Nov 09 12 05:51 pm Link Alicia Hansen Photo wrote: I totally agree, to me that's what makes a good model. Of course I will give you a mood and explain what I am looking for. But to stop every few minutes like "what do I do, what do I do" gets really old. Nov 09 12 05:52 pm Link A good model will be able to work with the photographer who will micromanage every little finger and toe placement as well as the photographer who just says "go", and never gives a single direction. A good model will also be able to deliver when the art director or photographer explains the "scene" or feeling they want to create and understand what is being requested. Now, obviously, some photographers are better than others at explaining what they want in all cases. Being a good model is being able to deliver no matter how much or how little direction is given. Nov 09 12 05:59 pm Link What is a model? To me, I think a model is one who is very comfortable in front of a camera, has a very good look which encompasses excellent skin tone and conditioning, healthy hair, trim and toned body, and great connection to the camera which leads to strong expressions. She/he knows their body and what poses look good and knows how to stay in one place to keep focus or depth issues to a minimum. She is on time and reliable and easy to work with and not thinned skinned and can laugh at herself. So while a model should know how to move and so forth, the photographer is typically the one directing the shoot and knows what they are trying to capture. So they have chosen the set, the lighting and often the wardrobe or theme of the shoot. Since they are the only ones who can see what is being captured or seen by the camera, then ultimately it is their responsibility. But you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Depending on the shoot requirements, it may take a little or a lot of direction, so just because they don't give much doesn't make them a bad photographer. Nov 09 12 06:01 pm Link megan rose wrote: Since the photographer Nov 09 12 06:17 pm Link megan rose wrote: yes Nov 09 12 06:25 pm Link DEP E510 wrote: yes Nov 09 12 06:26 pm Link I tend to describe the feeling I am going for in a set, then let the model pose based on that. I also tend to talk about why I am lighting the way I do and, now that I shoot digital, show the model frames I like along the way. If I want something specific I'll talk the model into that pose. I also am a bit chatty and give a lot of reinforcing feedback. Nov 09 12 06:41 pm Link Mark Harris Photography wrote: you seem like the ideal Nov 09 12 06:44 pm Link I'll adjust according to who i'm shooting with. If i'm shooting tests for models, I'll give a bit more instruction or demonstrate what I'm after. If I'm shooting with experienced models, instructions re. posing will only come if I want something very specific or if it's not heading in quite the right style/direction. I also like to describe the feel of the shoot in general; I always think of them as stills of a short film, so I'll describe scenario/emotion/context etc to help with posing if necessary. Though i've worked with models who just move like muses and I end up giving very little direction. Reinforcing feedback is now a habit of mine. I'm sure people find me way too chatty. XD Nov 09 12 11:36 pm Link It requires both the photographer to give direction and for you to follow this direction as well as your interpretation of it. When you llama for a while, you develop an ability to see yourself from outside of yourself (like a mirror in your head) and know how you look from every angle imaginable. Nov 10 12 04:06 pm Link Kelleth wrote: Well said. Nov 10 12 04:10 pm Link I think posing is the responsibility of the llama, you know your body better than anyone else, and like learning to walk, you'll get better with practice. llamaing is a skill that needs to be worked at like any other. Discuss with the photographer beforehand, some like to give a lot of direction, others none. I like to give a basic overview of what I want and let the mode interpret that, this way the shoot goes faster than me telling them what to do and the llama gets to have their input rather than just being a clothes horse to be barked orders at. You do need to practise in a mirror or with a camera on a tripod. Better still, if your phone has video, film yourself doing different poses and then play it back. I think posing for a lens would be better than a mirror. Never be afraid to ask for pointers on what you can do better. Darren x Nov 10 12 06:46 pm Link A good subject Owes much To the photographer And vice versa : ) Nov 10 12 06:49 pm Link megan rose wrote: Keep your paragraphs short. Nov 11 12 12:15 pm Link first of all your writing style shows an inner brillance of understanding, how not to be misunderstood you see life from the outside in and, the inside out which is why you knew to ask your question it depends on the shoot but, ultimately, any photoshoot is teamwork i would love to take all the credit, beginning to end for a picture, but that's not how i work everyone is different and everyone is right.... feedback to a model is critical during a shoot if the model is very experienced i will tell them to ....try to make mistakes... this breaks habits keep in mind great models are not afraid to make mistakes or hesitate with any new pose because it might look silly these are often the best shots .... and not the standard cookie cutter poses stop posing, perfect modeling is slow motion dancing slow enough that i can keep up..... i teach models to walk a runway and pose blindfolded the point is exactly to see yourself from the outside in what is the audience seeing ... if i do this what does the photog see, in the viewfinder ... if i do that ...now, we have teamwork .... Nov 12 12 10:06 am Link Interesting opinions. I'm guessing nobody here has ever worked with an artistic director. Nov 12 12 10:14 am Link I prefer when I don't have to constantly direct the model. When I can verbally tell a model my idea, or show a sample image, and she can naturally place herself, I am happy. I always try to show the model pictures in camera while we are shooting to help her see what I see and make little tweaks and corrections. Seems to work fine. Nov 12 12 10:25 am Link Mark Salo wrote: And this thread has nothing to do with your lack of relative input, either. Nov 12 12 10:27 am Link It is both of your responsibility. The MODEL should be able to work without direction. The PHOTOGRAPHER should be able to give direction. The model should be able to take the photographer's direction when he gives it. Just talk to each other. If I feel like I'm not getting any direction or feedback, I say something to invite it, such as: "Feel free to let me know if you like or don't like what I'm doing, or if you want me to change anything" or "How are the photos looking? Is there anything you'd like me to do differently?" or "Do you want me to work with this pose for a bit, or should we change it up?" Nov 12 12 10:35 am Link It is truly when Models can pose easily That my work is best Dec 02 12 07:20 am Link In the beginning was the act. Then came the direction. So I mean, observe, before overdirecting. The model should have some idea or be given some idea about the clothes, what they can do visually, or what is important to be shown etc, could be texture of a fabric or creases, tailoring. The photographer should have some idea or be given some idea of how best to get that from the model. I tend to let the model try first, often less is more. Dec 02 12 07:23 am Link I usually let the model choose poses, if it's a particular look I need I'll direct, I set down with model and discuss poses as ideas together usually produce good images ! Dec 02 12 07:25 am Link Often photographers would give directions but depending on experience the model has, some know how to pose. I usually shoot with live viewing on large screens around the studio and the model can see how they look on the screen. I often let the model choose the shot they like and we work together on postures, etc. Dec 02 12 07:48 am Link megan rose wrote: Photographers are only there to set up the lighting and push the button on the camera, that is why models are hired and not people off the street. It is the models responsibility to know what her body will look like in the final image. A model should know how and what it takes to get a certain look. The photographer will position the light so the image is correctly illuminated. The director is there to give any guidance needed in making any changes in how to achieve the final look. A photographer may give feed back stating there is a shadow here if we can change this or do that it can be eliminated Dec 02 12 07:49 am Link Its a bit of both. An experienced model should need a lot less direction then a new model, and a good photographer plans accordingly. In your case you still seem a little new, which means a good photographer will help you out. But after time you'll know which poses look good and which ones just suck. With that said, its better just to try to learn as much as possible, so you eventually wont have to rely on another person for awesome poses. Dec 02 12 08:10 am Link I like to have a short talk at the beginning of every shoot about this. I ask if the photographer likes to give a lot of direction or if they are more spontaneous. Sometimes they say they hate giving direction. Then I usually say something like, "OK, that's fine, I don't need a lot of direction, but I like some feedback every once in awhile so I know I'm headed in the right direction." So that usually works. I am good at posing but that's still not the same as having another pair of eyes 5 yards away that can see all the shadows and everything. Sometimes I miss stuff. Nothing is worse than an over-director who doesn't know how to pose you. You will learn what works for you in terms of posing. Sometimes people will ask you to do the opposite. Then you have a quandary. Dec 05 12 01:19 am Link Lee_Photography wrote: I think many, many photographers would disagree with you on that one. That's what photo assistants are for, dude! Dec 05 12 01:21 am Link Okay . . . ready . . . set . . . go . . . model . . . howrwe doin' . . .  It's different with every model, some I've shot with a few times don't take much direction, you just give them an idea of what we're after, light it, put them in scene, and let them go . . . small adjustments to refine the look, and everything works . . . by the same token, if a model is somewhat new, or unsure of their posing, I'll gladly help them get angles, positions, hands, fingers, all working to help the image . . . if you want more direction, just ask, most shooters will be happy to help . . . SOS Dec 05 12 01:31 am Link |
i like it. makes you stand out. branding
