Seeking female models for stock photography, print hard copy and digital image

Travel Notice
Pittsburgh PA April
Charleston SC May
Chattanooga TN june
Fort Lauderdale, FL July
Pittsburgh pa July
Knoxville TN Aug
Nashville TN Aug
Pittsburgh PA September
Asheville NC OCT

Stock photography is one of the most basic components of
marketing and advertising and is completely ubiquitous to the modern world.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes license stock photos for specific uses that
have been previously created to illustrate concepts, services, situations, etc.

Every time you read a magazine or whenever you look at
newspapers, billboards, textbooks, book covers, blogs, brochures, direct mail,
or corporate literature of any type – and even when you watch TV and see stills
incorporated into the programming – you are probably looking at stock
photography.

The images that companies use in their media (whether
it’s for marketing, creative or educational purposes) come from basically two
sources: 1) they hired a photographer to shoot it; or 2) they purchased a
pre-existing image. When someone purchases a pre-existing image, they are
purchasing STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY.


What is the subject matter?
You could take a picture of almost anything and call it stock photography. Here is a range of potential subjects and uses:

An
advertising agency is doing an international print campaign for a
consumer goods client and needs a picture of two kids brushing their
teeth in their pajamas.
A general interest magazine needs a picture to help illustrate ‘green living.’
A music magazine needs a picture of a Michael Jackson concert from 1984
A travel agency needs a picture of a very specific castle in Ireland to use in a brochure.
A book publisher needs a photo that somehow conveys ‘reckless experimentation‘ for a book cover.
A bank needs 10 pictures of African wildlife to hang on the walls in their new branch.
A celebrity magazine needs a picture of J. Lo working out.
A newspaper needs a ‘cut-out’ picture of empty pill bottles against a white background to use in a story on rising drug costs
Stock
photography covers almost anything you could think of – from everyday
objects, to people in every age, color and situation imaginable,
families, business settings, travel, concepts, landscapes, nature,
underwater, sports, news, and entertainment.


How is stock different than other photography?
There
are no hard and fast rules regarding the aesthetics of stock
photography, but there are some considerations for the photographer.

First,
commercial stock photography isn’t photojournalistic in nature. Stock
photography doesn’t have a brooding quality that is sometimes
characteristic of documentary photography. “Light and airy” is a phrase
that is frequently used to describe contemporary stock photography. The
goal is to make things visually appealing.

Stock photography is
also frequently used with embedded marketing messages, and therefore, the
experienced stock photographer thinks about composing the shot in such
a way that it can appear in an ad or publication.

Also, stock photography is used commercially and requires a certain level of production quality. Rarely
can you just casually take a picture of something or someone and sell
it for use in an advertisement. Why?

First, because you probably don’t even have
permission (aka a model release)
from the model to use their image commercially.

And second, because of the production
details. The lighting might not be right, the person’s clothes might
not be presentable enough, the person might not be model-quality, the
background might be too cluttered, the expression on someone’s face
might not clearly evoke an emotion – there are so many considerations
taken into account when photographers shoot stock.

This is why we’ve
created the School of Stock – to help teach photographers how to turn
their photography into totally sellable and effective stock imagery.

Who are the buyers?
Stock photography is roughly a $2 billion industry. The types of buyers include:

Advertising Agencies
Magazines
Publishing houses (fiction, non-fiction, textbook)
Corporations (in-house communications departments etc.)
Websites + blogs
Non-Profits + government agencies
Graphic designers

How much do buyers pay for stock images?
There
is a huge range of prices in stock photography – and prices depend
entirely on usage.

In most cases buyers are not actually purchasing an
image, they are purchasing the right to use that image for a very
specific format, period of time, and audience circulation. If a website
runs a thumbnail size image for 4 hours, it will be a lot cheaper than
an ad agency blowing it up for billboards and running it in an
international campaign for 6 months.

That said, a typical
magazine sale might be between $150-500, where an advertising sale
might be $5,000 and as high as $50k or up. A web usage might be $50.
For most major purchases, the stock site will manage the negotiation
for you – you do not need to develop an expertise in pricing. You
should though educate yourself on the basic license types (Rights
Managed and Royalty Free) – and get familiar with general usage-based
pricing.

PhotoShelter makes pricing very easy for you. We
provide pricing tutorials and pre-configured pricing profiles (low,
medium, high) for you to choose from on a per-image basis.

For more information on pricing and licensing, please
read the “Stock Image License Types” article.


What qualifications do you need to shoot stock?

1. You need an imagination, creative vision, basic photography skills, and a
decent camera.

2. You need to educate yourself. Read the School of Stock from start
to finish, and especially the article on Production Value . Start
obsessing over magazines and other forms of print media and start to train your
eye on the aesthetic of commercial imagery.

3. You need to get out there and start shooting and
submitting work. The best way to learn is just to do it – and to understand
which images get accepted, which get rejected, and which ones SELL.

We hope PhotoShelter and the
School of Stock can help you get both excited and prepared to dive into
stock photography. There is nothing cooler than seeing your image run
in major magazines or advertisements – it is a chance to participate in
pop culture and international media, and develop your photography
career, from anywhere in the world.

We look forward to seeing your work!


Modeling Posing Tips

It’s a common misconception that naturally beautiful models take naturally beautiful photographs. The truth is—without modeling poses and modeling tips, perfect photographs are harder than you think.

If you are a professional model, a photographer will most likely guide you through a variety of model poses throughout the photo shoot. But if you are an inspiring model and are still working your way up to the top—you may have to control your poses to ensure great headshots and sample modeling photographs.

Live show models, promo models, photographic models, and runway models all rely on professional model poses to succeed. Whether you aspire to appear in print magazines or fashion shows and Hollywood movies; if you want to be a model, pay special attention to this insider guide to modeling poses.

Breathe

Although sometimes concentration enhances a good photograph, obvious concentration can distract and often ruin a good photograph as well. Do not hold your breath for a modeling pose; always remember to breathe and appear at ease.

Posture

Bad posture is an unrecognized flaw in many people. However, for models, posture is a harmful flaw. Always remember to keep your back straight and your shoulders up. Slouching affects the mood of the photograph and enlarges the appearances of your stomach. In addition to your back and shoulders, always remember to flex your stomach muscles. Despite your weight or state of shape, your abdomen will appear more toned if you flex.

Limbs

Symmetry is officially out in the modeling world. When posing, make sure to differentiate your arms and legs with asymmetrical poses. If you have one arm long and straight by your side, make sure the other arm is bent. Whether a big or small angle, the bend will make the modeling pose look more real, less artificial. Continue the asymmetry to your legs. If one leg is locked straight, give the other leg a casual bend.

Camera

Although the camera is the ultimate focal point of a modeling photo shoot, great models do not look directly into the camera. To enhance the quality of your photo shoot, look away from the camera with a mix of head and eye poses. Looking off to the right or left side, or tiling your neck to either side can help you avoid direct eye contact with the camera. In many cases, your head and neck can remain stationary in your modeling pose—and your eyes can do all the work. Head and eye positions, coupled with personable facial expressions make for great model poses.

Sitting Poses

If you are sitting down during your photo shoot—don’t think it’s ok to slack off. In fact, sitting photo shoots require a lot of extra work. If you are sitting down or reclining, it’s important to put your eight on the back of one thigh, rather than distributing your weight equally on both thighs. If you roll one hip up from the ground or surface, shifting your weight will be simple. This pose results in a slimming effect that you don’t want to miss out on.

Cleavage

To make sure your best assets shine, there are a few basic guidelines to follow. Based on two distinct poses, a forward lean and a backward lean, any model with any breast size can maximize cleavage. When leaning forward, either bring your arms together at your waist, keep your arms straight at the elbows and clasp your hands together below your waist, or simply cross your arms. When leaning backward, raise your arms about your shoulders and head, keep your arms apart, and always slouch for the best cleavage results.

Smile

If you have a naturally beautiful smile—show your pearly whites with pride, just not every time. If you smile in each modeling pose, modeling agents will notice your lack of versatility, not your smile. To add variety to your modeling poses, try switching up your smile with a cute frown, a bratty bout, a friendly laugh, or even an edgy scowl. Your facial expressions can make or break your modeling poses. Let your smile show, but make sure to show what else you can do.

In addition to these personalized tips for modeling poses, every model should be aware of the basics of posing. There are 4 main types of model poses: lifestyle pose, movement pose, portrait pose, and body pose.

Lifestyle

The lifestyle pose evokes a sense of everyday living with common body movements and facial expressions. Throughout the day, moments of happiness, love, anger, and hope arise. To succeed at the lifestyle pose, each model must be able to recreate these everyday emotions.

Movement

The movement pose captures a specific action, such as running or jumping. Because this pose is most often used for a marketing photo shoot—the model is used to promote a product. Each model must be able to smile and laugh when using the products in the photo shoot.

Portrait

This modeling pose emphasizes the face of the model—and relies purely on facial features. The model will be in modest makeup and relaxed hair and should pose with a casual, genuine smile. Many portrait photographs are close up and emphasize details of the model’s face. If you are scheduled for a portrait photo shoot, make sure to pay extra attention to your skin and drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day.

Body

Full-length photographs require body poses. Models are encouraged to shift weight between hips and make arms and lengths into asymmetrical stances. Although many body poses do not require specific facial expressions, putting your entire body into character during full-length poses helps your body find a natural balance.

Keep these insider model posing tips in mind during your next professional model photo shoot to ensure you blow the photographer away. Whether you’re a trained expert or an ambitious beginner, all models have the ability to excel in photo shoots. Focus on your posture, attitude, and facial expressions to succeed beyond your wildest expectations.

Tags

See All Tags (6)