Randall_Oelerich wrote:
Wondering if you models ever make short videos to show off your skills, such as being able to strike a series of poses without any direction from the photographer? Speaking as a photographer, that would be of great interest to me, help me know that for a paid gig i would be getting a model who can take charge and pose professionally and such. Otherwise, just looking at a portfolio of still images, I would have to wonder if the posing was just directed by the photographer. Just asking. I think a short posing video as link off a model's portfolio profile page to a vimeo/youtube video would be valuable, probably help the model get more paid gigs over TFP. Personally, I would probably be 5x more likely to look for a paid gig model over TF seeing a video showing off posing skills; otherwise I am taking quite a change with at least local models fairly new to modeling that have limited profile pictures.

If you're worried about the money you're spending and the chance you're taking, then schedule a short test shoot to see how they interact with YOU.

How a model works with me will certainly be different than how she works with you.  Seeing her pop through 10 to 20 poses would simply not affect my decision to work with someone or not.  Especially if I like only 3 out of those 20 poses.

LexLethal wrote:
Not I. I feel like it would be more advantageous for photographers to reach out to my references who will probably give a better description of my posing style or if they had to give me direction, etc.

I see you have worked with a looooooooooooooooooong list of photographers. So yeah for you I think I would contact other photogs. Perhaps a video showing off a model's ability to pose independently of direction might work better for a noob model.

Randall_Oelerich wrote:
Wondering if you models ever make short videos to show off your skills, such as being able to strike a series of poses without any direction from the photographer? Speaking as a photographer, that would be of great interest to me, help me know that for a paid gig i would be getting a model who can take charge and pose professionally and such. Otherwise, just looking at a portfolio of still images, I would have to wonder if the posing was just directed by the photographer. Just asking. I think a short posing video as link off a model's portfolio profile page to a vimeo/youtube video would be valuable, probably help the model get more paid gigs over TFP. Personally, I would probably be 5x more likely to look for a paid gig model over TF seeing a video showing off posing skills; otherwise I am taking quite a change with at least local models fairly new to modeling that have limited profile pictures.

Personally, I don't think this would be of much help at all. Consider that the actions of a model in a setting she's familiar in, in clothes that she's comfortable in without any distractions is going to be very different than the actions of a model on set and if they differ too greatly you're going to likely feel as if you didn't get what you believed you were paying for.

I think it may be more beneficial for photographers in general to be able to communicate directions to their models and for models to seriously practice posing on their own time in a tank top and boy shorts (e.g. garments that they can't rely on to "make" the image awesome) to get a feel for what it's comfortable for their bodies to do. What I found also helped me was having a book of poses on set (it was something I created using magazine images and was sectioned to cover full length, three quarter, beauty and group shots) that I let the models peruse while getting prepped.

ShotbyRon wrote:
.. A llama posing in her living room while wearing her favorite clothes and nobody around is a lot different then a llama say posing outdoors in a field during a implied shoot. Especially for newer llamas.

Agreed. But what if a llama could put up a video from an actual photo shoot, kind of like you see in the SI swimsuit videos, showing the llama posing during an actual shoot?

Randall_Oelerich wrote:

Agreed. But what if a model could put up a video from an actual photo shoot, kind of like you see in the SI swimsuit videos, showing the model posing during an actual shoot?

I still don't see how the video would be helpful. I mean at least not to the point where it could be a deciding factor for the photographer. The way I run my sessions could be completely different from the way you do things. We probably don't share the same styles and personality.

For enjoyment purposes, sure I love watching behind the scenes videos. But it doesn't really serve any major purpose. At least not imo.

ShotbyRon wrote:
I still don't see how the video would be helpful. I mean at least not to the point where it could be a deciding factor for the photographer. The way I run my sessions could be completely different from the way you do things. We probably don't share the same styles and personality.

For enjoyment purposes, sure I love watching behind the scenes videos. But it doesn't really serve any major purpose. At least not imo.

I have posed the models myself so far, as the models i have worked with so far have not known how to pose. What I am saying is that I would be willing to pony up more cash for paid gigs, pay a premium, for models that I know are able to take charge of their own posing to save me time during photoshoots. I would like to find models that can go through posing routines on their own initiative. Like in this video, at least to have posing basics down, and have a posing set memorized to go through once out on location:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … 8YZIL8JZfg

Randall_Oelerich wrote:
I have posed the models myself so far, as the models i have worked with so far have not known how to pose. What I am saying is that I would be willing to pony up more cash for paid gigs, pay a premium, for models that I know are able to take charge of their own posing to save me time during photoshoots. I would like to find models that can go through posing routines on their own initiative. Like in this video, at least to have posing basics down, and have a posing set memorized to go through once out on location:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … 8YZIL8JZfg

Just my two pennies, but if YOU have to pose the models, YOU shouldn't be paying them. If you're paying them, they are assuming what they are doing... er... well, not, is ok. And it's not. Till they learn to pose on their own, TF! You're better off spending your money on a model that knows how to pose. Of course, giving some direction during a shoot happens "tilt your head a bit more toward me...etc" - a totally silent shoot would be so weird.  But having to pose the models yourself, shoot them and then pay them for doing nothing but having you pose them? Pffft. Cut that ish out.

Venessa M Baez wrote:
Yes, some models hire a photographer or videographer to do a motion portfolio or a reel, usually with another photographer in the shot taking pictures so that the model is in a moment and not paying attention to the video camera - posing for the photographer instead. It helps to show the model from different angles that aren't shown in still images that a photographer may have missed.

I like that.