Doing ON-LOCATION Photo Shoots

Take it from us that the best kind of photography is on-location. There is simply no match for wide-open plains, rich blue skies, crisp and bold waves or a downtown metropolis as a backdrop. This is why when a client asks us to shoot on-location we are more than happy to oblige.

First and foremost is weather. You never know what you'll get. It requires more planning, watching forecast and being prepared for anything. Even then it can go wrong so have a backup plan. A sudden downpour can and will ruin a very expensive photo shoot in a matter of seconds. I am also known to watch tide prediction charts. If we are shooting on a beach, it is imperative to know when the tides are at their peak and their lowest. Why? Because the last thing I want is to have our equipment swept out to sea. Also, there are some seriously sweet places that become inaccessible at certain tide levels while others open up. For example, we have a certain little hidden gem of a spot right here in the Pac NW that when the tide is high you cannot even see it. But when the tide is low, one can see a nice little path to a nice spot perfect for a small photo shoot.
The largest hurdle in our opinion is getting permits. If you've hired us for an on-location project before then you know that some places are just off-limits unless we get permission first. Most locations will NOT permit commercial photography without a permit so know that if this is the case we will need to consider that in your quote if that is known prior to booking. A few places can be more lenient if the project is not commercial and you're not disturbing the public. Even this can be somewhat ambiguous. One day one person will tell you one thing about a location while another may tell you something different about the same spot but they both work for the same building or department You'll want to get someone of authority to give you a written permission letter, a business card or something saying it is okay. Otherwise, you may come face to face with a police officer, a park ranger or a security guard looking for an excuse to put you in cuffs and they're not always as friendly as they could be. A few will come by, give you a friendly reminder and tell you to move on. Others may opt to have you face down in the dirt threatening to confiscate your equipment and threatening to press trespassing charges. Trust me this is not a joke.
So what to do? Follow the rules. If you need a permit, get one. But the best way is for you or your talent to ask for permission beforehand. We have found that it is incredibly difficult to turn down a beautiful person standing in front of an administrator asking nicely to briefly use their facility for a few minutes. Some may see it as a potential promotional opportunity for them, their facility or their park. This happened to us just recently. We wanted to shoot in a park filled with flowers and I went about politely asking what the rules were beforehand. I received a kind reply that in summary emphasized being kind to other park users, making sure the shoot was non-commercial and staying directly away from the actual flower beds. Otherwise, I was told a shoot would be okay. In fact, I was encouraged to tell them what day I would be coming by so the facility could promote the event on social media. Now that is how you handle business. Be professional, be courteous and be transparent. Fortunately, this person saw the benefit and instead of becoming defensive and rude, she took advantage of a potentially free promotional tool should we choose to use it. Unfortunately, someone like this administrator is rare.
I fully support being able to protect your assets. I certainly would not want some unknown person profiting or loitering on my property. They could be casing the place or using my property for commercial purposes without my knowledge or consent. I get that. What permits also do is insure that people do not destroy property and unnecessarily disturb other patrons. It can be an expensive and lengthy process but in some places under certain circumstances I dare say it may be smart for some property owners to do so. You would not want someone coming into your parking lot with dozens of people in a mobile studio, shooting a full motion picture movie which blocks parking spaces and in the process causes damage the street, the curb and shrubs planted on your property or business; then that mobile studio leaves without any accountability. No one wants that. But for most of us this is NEVER going to be the case. Most photographers want a comfortable place they can go and unobtrusively make beautiful art. The best way I have found to do that is to ask first. I can't afford to apologize later. I don't have those kinds of privileges afforded me and quite frankly that is too expensive of a mistake for me. Just ask. Better yet, get your client or in some cases get the model to ask.
Every shoot we do is NOT a commercial one. In those instances I prefer the model or photo subject to obtain permission. Most often they discover beautiful locations they want to shoot on and I simply say go and ask for permission and we can set it up. Give them a day and a time and in most cases that property manager or owner will happily obliged. Let me tell you, it is difficult turning down a beautiful face, a sincere smile and a genuine non-commercial promotional opportunity.
Next time you need a place to shoot, think about the places you visit; the cafe you go to every other day. Surely the staff knows you by now. They'd love to have you do a small unobtrusive photo shoot there. Think about the bar you like to have drinks at once a week. You already know the owner or the manager. Ask about shooting there after hours or before they open. Consider that friend you have with the huge horse ranch. How about that large commercial parking lot with the colorful graffiti walls next to it? Surely someone manages that lot. Just let your model get a business card with a date and time of the shoot written on the back of the property manager's card. It's that easy. If they say no then you move on and figure out something else. Chances are if you went to them nicely and respectfully they would say yes.

A Social Media Mistake for Creatives

Last night I received the most intriguing question from a model we had never photographed before. She asked, “Can you please have a look at my portfolio and tell me things I can improve on? I use to get far more likes and comments than I usually do but now I can’t seem to understand why my follower base is quiet. Has my photo quality diminished or should I be working with different people?”

I was both humbled and mystified over the question. We thought it was something best asked of a modeling agency or an experienced model. I made that observation known to her and yet she insisted on getting our input. She sent links to her Page and her website. We checked it all out. I must confess the images she has there are all quite stellar. They were all very well done and of the highest styling and quality across the board. It further baffled us as to why she would ask us considering the multitude of phenomenal photographers she has worked with. 

We looked at her Page and social media sites over and over again and we didn’t find anything wrong with the images. We scratched our heads trying to work out why her engagement and popularity had waned so much in the last few months. You would be surprised at the conclusions we came to. Read on.

The first clue came when we started to study her post dates, frequency of post and message content. That is when it hit us like the blunt instrument of a lumberjack. You must understand that Facebook changes their “reach” algorithm seemingly at a whim. The fallacy that Facebook is a free application for business is far from the whole story. It may be that you’re not paying anything in the traditional sense but it is also true that the amount of people that saw your daily, weekly or monthly post have diminished considerably when compared to when you first began your Page. They are the gatekeepers as to how many people see your feeds. Aside from your known followers, seeing your Page suggested to a non-subscriber isn’t likely to happen like it once had. They do this because Facebook - like any business, wants you to pay for visibility. They want you to pay for advertising. They wanted you reliant and fattened up on popularity and you might even say addicted to their app. If and when the most attractive feature (reach) was taken away, they had high hopes you’d be psyched up and willing to pay for that same reach you once enjoyed for free. Those days are over. It is why many creatives that once relied on Facebook for their sole social media outlet are abandoning it in droves for other apps like Instagram and Snapchat; the former being a Facebook sister-company. Essentially, being a sister-company means that once the bait and switch routine is worked out for Instagram, people will soon see that application monetized as well. 

Now that wasn’t this particular model’s only social media faux pas; far from it. In fact, it may not even be the largest discovery. The largest hit to her social media accounts were due to her infrequent inactivity. If you can’t manage your Pages and you intend to keep a subscriber base then you should probably hire someone to do it for you. Maintaining social media is time consuming and frustrating at times. It requires due diligence and an almost reverent attitude toward maximizing those hidden algorithm gems to great effect. Additionally, prospective clients and fans come to expect a certain degree of frequency after having enjoyed it from you for all these months and years. When that frequency wanes, they lose interests. So this model’s on again off again, I’m still modeling but I’m not doing anything right now doesn’t cut it. People have a vested emotional and artistic interests in following you. When you stop, you let fans down and being that social media is what it is, people quickly lose interests and move on to the next shiniest thing. 

If you’re taking a break, have someone take over your Page or sites to keep fresh content coming. Disappear for weeks or months at a time with no posts or interactions and people will soon forget even the most popular person. Some aren’t aware that if they are taking a break that they can schedule posts far ahead and have them automated. That is an option if you’re on an extended vacation or taking a much needed respite. 

Most of this model’s engagement derived from when she posted at least three times a week. She also replied to more comments that time; thus, encouraging others to interact with and participate on her site. These same people followed her other Pages as well. She created unique content on some Pages not seen on others - sparking further reach, links and participation from sources she may not have otherwise attracted. Her greatest slump came when she had not posted anything for more than six weeks. She returned with single image and disappeared for several more weeks. That engagement had dropped more than 50% from her previous post. Now when you go from posting a minimum of once a week to six weeks of absolute silence you are going to lose people’s interests. Certainly, many of them hung around but even the most entrenched fans went silent. 

We concluded that the largest hit to her social media presence was simply inactivity. Photography, modeling, designing, stylists, makeup artists, fashion or even decorative painting etc, are all visual industries. If you are to be taken seriously and stay relevant you need to stay present and out front. Unfortunately, these groups don’t get to take as many breaks and disappear from our core base as often as other careers. Unless you are out of the game completely (in which case you need to actually un-publish yourself), then you need to stay engaged with your followers. They’ve invested in you and you owe it to them to satiate their creative thirst. Otherwise, you’re another one of those people that has a currently active social media site with a “Last Activity” date of June 12, 2014. You know what we call people like that? We call them “IRRELEVANT.” 

We all can learn a lesson from this. We certainly did. You do not have to be a model or in any creative industry. This applies to all business types. You absolutely have to stay engaged with prospective clients and fans to insure you appreciate their patronage and attention. It is that simple. Did Facebook algorithm changes play a part in her engagement fall off? You bet it did. But this falloff happened across the board on many of her social media Pages and sites, not only Facebook. They all revealed the same thing; a somewhat lax and inattentiveness to her base. 

  

Lingerie vs Swimwear: The Great Debate / Style or Trash

I had no idea lingerie and swimwear was such a controversial topic when it comes to modeling and photography. I mean sure, I know some people are more… “conservative” isn’t the right word; maybe timid or paranoid might be more appropriate. It is true that nothing you put online is private despite the number of filters and blocks you put up. It is impossible to perfectly block a picture that is online from a committed person. I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. Some people model swimwear. Some people model lingerie. But sometimes I can encounter someone that doesn't do both and it is baffling and a bit befuddling to say the least.

First, let me give you a bit of a background with the kind of person writing this. I come from a very conservative and religious background. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being hardly ever seeing the inside of a place of worship except for on Easter or just saying you’re a Christian during Christmas, and 10 being a totally dedicated to convert everyone or the world will go up in flames… I’d say I grew up in a household around a number 7; 8 in a pinch. So you might say, I know a bit about scripture, morality, ethics, burning in hell or not (depending on what your interpretations are), idolatry, family responsibilities, chastity and everything in between. I still hold many of those truths close to heart like not living with someone unless you are married to them. I’m not so demented as to think burning bushes will start talking to me in this day and age but once those things are with you those sense of moral don't go away. 

Now that you know something about my level of “letting it all go” if you will, you can take comfort in the fact that I’m not to be taken casually when speaking on a topic as sensitive as lingerie and swimwear. First, I’ll address the first part of the topic. The "I will model swimwear but not lingerie" group. This group is the most mind-numbingly baffling. Why? Because swimwear is lingerie on the beach. Not only is it that, it is public for all the world to see and it shouldn’t bother you. The more we make something forbidden, the more people glorify it, taboo it and think it's dirty. The more any degree of freedom like swimwear or lingerie becomes labeled as dangerous or wicked, you give it its power. 

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You might say I’ve been desensitized over the years because of working with so many people. That might be somewhat true. But that further proves my point. That theoretical desensitization doesn't make it any less private, personal or intimate, but it does lessen the impact such draconian ideology has on society and human sexuality as a whole. I would never want a child of mine to think somehow the human body is not a work of art. It’s imperfections and its perfection co-existing in unending upswept curves, tips and lines are to be marveled. I asked several people why they would do swimwear and not lingerie. The answers I got all started with, “My husband…,” my boyfriend…,” “my culture…” or “my religion…” Do you want to know what no person in the history of photographing people for nearly 15 years started out aying? No-one started out with telling me what "they" wanted or thought as an individual. They had convinced themselves that the opinion of someone who had no true control over their decision making to make them feel unclean and dirty to even consider such a thing. They were being treated like property. That shocked really shocks me to my core. What year is it anyway? We don't own people anymore nor should we ever.

Having been around art much of my life, I’d long developed in appreciation for art in all forms; not despite my conservative upbringing but because of it. You see it was never a topic shunned in my family but rather respected, protected, discussed and revered but not by wrapping oneself in chastity belts and wraps but my instilling values to respect yourself first, then other people, their opinions and their values even when they do not coincide with your own. That laid the foundation for me to see the world in a broader context. Such as, knowing that in many parts of Europe nudity is no different from riding a bike down the street on a hot summer’s day. Yet, in other countries it may be a public beheading offense. I respect that like I respect anyone’s opinion about even modeling lingerie, swimwear or even nude because I believe anything that has an appropriate level of tastefulness and style applied that can make any and all things beautiful and visually palatable and that such things should at least be considered with an open mind. 

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What do I mean by the latter? I mean anything not done well will be bad for your reputation and your career considering how paranoid and Draconian the sometimes overly-righteous US can be about such things. I’ve seen some of the most distasteful swimwear in poses that would make my grandmother roll over in her grave. She would say, “why is that woman outside in her drawz with her business in the street? That is just filth,” or she would say worst things. Just go online and you can see swimwear models in extremely compromising poses, horrible styling, inappropriate clothing and it is not always a matter of skin coverage. It is a matter of style and appropriate taste for what is being presented. Consider that I can show a fully nude photo of a model posing in an appropriately beautiful and artful way and yet another fully clothed in a less than flattering way and the clothed one will offend far faster than the nude. Why? It is because of style, appropriateness and quality not how much skin is showing or where the model is or what she's lying on or if she's inside or outside.

You might conclude that this notion of not modeling lingerie but openly modeling swimwear because lingerie is too closely related to sex is dumb in hindsight is it not? Is that what your small minded husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends are thinking? That seems more like a trust issue. To say such a thing means that I can take a model dressed in nothing but lingerie out to a public beach and it would be just fine. That is the logic people that model swimwear but not lingerie is using isn’t it? Swimwear is in fact lingerie outdoors exposure-wise and modeling one is no more controversial than another. I’ve seen far more revealing swimwear than I have lingerie in my time. But even so, skin visibility isn’t the issue. It is that fear of getting it wrong. That fear that they might be shown in a most sexualized and unflattering way that sends the wrong message; a horrible message that objectifies instead of empowers. A message that says I’m easy trash. It is that along with a paranoid boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband right? Can it go down like that? You bet it can. But any kind of clothing or lack thereof can do that, swimwear included. 

People often project how they feel and assume they know how other people will feel. That other husband thinks my wife or girlfriend will look like a slut they think. But that is only what he would think in such a position. But let’s get to it while it’s fresh on my mind. I know you’re all wondering so I’ll just lay it out there. Would I let my wife model lingerie? You’re damn right I would with very few conditions. My only rule is to do it well. I may want to help her choose the photographer and have some idea of the set or theme of it. I would like to be sure it’s extremely high quality, fashionable, tasteful and resembling of something from Victoria’s Secret, SIRCUS magazine, Vogue or Harpers. Other than that I trust my wife completely to make reasonable decisions that would not endanger her, her career and put either of us in harm’s way. I don’t treat her like property. She is as smart and intelligent as I am, perhaps more. If she chooses to she can do whatever she likes and I’ll be sure to support her fully should she want me to. 

Now that elephant has left the room what about modeling lingerie and not swimwear? This was a rare one; far rarer than the first but I encountered it once several years ago and once again no more than three weeks ago. This is a far simpler explanation. A lingerie shoot is far slower. There is time to think, consider, plan and organize. It is more private, there is more interaction with the team and above all else it far less public. There aren’t strangers walking by and despite the fact she may be wearing more or less, every pair of eyes may feel like eyes of judgement for less than confident model. I get that. It is far more believable and valid a reason than the “swimwear not lingerie” crowd. Outdoor photo shoots are a whirlwind at best. Things are happening fast because of changing light. There can also be great deal of moving, the weather changes constantly and people going to and fro gawking and commenting aloud. Unless of course you have a private space to shoot, I imagine that anxiety building and interfering with concentration is difficult. But for the most part this type of fear is far less common than the aforementioned one. 

Like anything each and every person can make their own decisions about what is and what is not appropriate for them. I can’t possibly understand everyone’s motivations for doing or not doing anything. Something as private and deeply personal as lingerie and swimwear is a personal decision that I respect one way or another. I would never and have never asked anyone to model anything they don’t want to. I heard the horror stories of other photographers that have but I will say even those instances are very rare. Once a model makes her limits known, they work it out or she walks away. It is that simple. 

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We have been fortunate to work with some viciously gorgeous people over the years and hope to continue to. Some model only fashion, some beauty, others lingerie and swimwear. We love them all. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and different life circumstances that dictate their decision making. No marriage is worth losing over a pic and no job is worth risking because you look beautiful in La Perla. Okay maybe if it’s La Perla it might be worth considering because I’ve never seen anyone look bad in La Perla. LOL! In all seriousness, the decision is your own and no one should be able to make you feel bad for doing so or not doing so. 

I have done my fair share of lingerie shoots, boudoir, glamour, fashion, art-nude, beauty, fitness, swimwear, avant garde, implied, cosplay and other ideas that defy genre classification. Boudoir is most popular largely among wives and girlfriends and guess what, they are not even models in the traditional sense. They give them as a gift to their husbands or most of them gift it to themselves as a gift of empowerment, bravery and strength. Many have commented that it is as if shackles have fallen off. They feel braver and more empowered than they ever had before. It is not a dirty thing. It can and often is a source of strength if you let it become so.

We love it when people that may not model lingerie or swimwear themselves can look at a Helios image of someone that has and appreciate its style, beauty and attention to detail. I’ve seen the comments and read them. “I don’t model lingerie but this is very tasteful and beautifully done” is often said. Or we read “I do not model lingerie or swimwear but I would like to do so with Helios if you would consider giving me a quote and explaining your process.” We appreciate that level of trust and understanding because before I am anything I am a professional. My concern is not only that you get the image or design that you want, but that we also exceed your expectations.

That same model I mentioned earlier that told me she has modeled lingerie but that she never considered modeling swimwear flipped thru SIRCUS magazine Issue 9, the special swimwear edition we submitted to and changed her mind on the spot. Before, she was worried about not looking classy and decent in public. Well, her worries were dispelled immediately and she decided on the spot that making a gorgeous timeless image is less about what people think about you. She realized that it comes down to style, taste, appropriateness and finding the right people you can trust to give you the high quality you need. 

There is nothing trashy about swimwear not more than lingerie and vice versa. This is about perspective and managing expectations that will insure your success with either or both. Nothing is beyond your control when you have the right people supporting you and not making you feel lesser than you are.  

Are You a Helios Model? And What is a Helios Model Anyway?

Who or What is a “Helios Model?”

To be completely honest with you, we didn’t know this phrase was a thing until about the third time we had heard it from at least three different people. We’re not a modeling agency but I do believe that over time we may have indirectly chosen or maybe created a different classification of models and clients.

I don’t believe it is a look. I personally think everyone we’ve photographed is beautiful. I really mean that. Everyone we have ever photographed in uniquely gorgeous in their own way. Our portfolio is far too varied to say it is just blondes or brunettes, dark hair, asians or blacks, whites or otherwise. But I do think that most of the models who collaborate with us have a refinement unseen anywhere else. It’s not a job, or a label. It’s just something people tend to remember the model by. We guess it’s a thing now. 

For example, I did a follow-up with a model two weeks ago. This follow-up was long after my initial shoot with her. We met just to discuss future ideas and just to see how her shoots with other photographers have gone since our first shoot together. She is having a blast. However, it was the recent photographers she had worked with that also gave her the label as a Helios Model which in essence meant, she was in a different and more elite class than normal. Hey, we’ll take that. Again, it is not our saying, this seems to be public opinion. We’re not an agency but we do often brag about finding the absolute best people to photograph. To be honest, even the paid assignments are exceptional in our opinion. I believe good people are simply attracted to good things. You want the best then you should always strive to be the best. If I want the best models I try not to beg for them, pay them extraneous amounts of money. I put my time and effort in honing, improving and perfecting my skill as a designer and photographer. In time, if it is meant to be we will simply cross paths; if not, we will not. We certainly don’t have a monopoly on premium people. In fact, we would say that there have many more people we would like to work with; all of which are well-suited to the ideas we have planned. Are they “Helios Models” before we even work with them? We can’t answer that if we don’t know why the label exist.

We don’t happen upon active photo shoots from other photographers very often so we don’t see their process with how they select, engage and direct models but I can’t imagine it would be that different. You select, research, schedule and shoot or you reply to a message or an email, agree on a rate, schedule and shoot. Simple right? Or so we thought. Apparently, somewhere along the line we seem to develop these new classifications and what some are designating as a higher echelon of talent than what is normally found. 

We honestly don’t know what is going on. But what we do know is that we are eternally grateful for every single paid assignment and collaboration that comes our way and we have fun doing them. As you might also be aware, we often credit the talent and clients themselves with how well the images manifest. We couldn’t be who we are without their skill, vision and talent. 

So what is a Helios Model? I still don’t really know. Perhaps someone else can define why people we photograph just seem so categorically premium and elite. If I had to guess we believe people decide to become a Helios Model when they make that first email, send that first message or make the initial phone call to setup a shoot. It’s a mindset not a look. They’ve decided to take a leap and see what happens and that within itself suggest a creative and more open minded way of approaching art and photographically specific. If the label derives from the results then that is most certainly our theory. Full trust in the process is over half of our successes. 

Our final theory on what constitutes a Helios Model is a person that constantly strives to improve their craft. They encourage others to be the best they can be while they themselves work hard to expand their creative opportunities. They want to forge productive relationships and work with other people like themselves that respect style, taste and refinement above all else and they would much rather have quality above quantity. If that is a Helios Model then I believe nearly everyone we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with suits that label. 

2015's Greatest Models Part IV with Elizabeth Rhoades

From a rare combination of personality, intoxicating beauty and an infectious smile I was immediately enamored with Elizabeth upon our first and only pre-shoot face to face. Elizabeth might be among a very very short list of people I could just kick it with - have a drink, a few laughs and just hang out for hours and wonder what happened to the day. I actually didn't want the meet-up to end. She's just easy to look at and very easy to talk to. Besides who wouldn't want to hangout with as gorgeous a woman as she? She has this warm easy going attractive thing working for her I couldn't let go of and I immediately thought, we're going to make some magnificent images.

It took all of about 43 seconds for me to want to shoot with her. The rest of the time was just making sure we're on the same page and ironing out a few, "who is driving this car" kind of details. You see, on creative projects it can be difficult to define who is running the show. On larger shoots you might have a creative director on occasion, a photographer, the model, a publisher or whoever else that might be attributing to or funding the idea. But there can be only a single driver in the end. Part of the meeting is to make certain we have compatible personalities and clear of what looks we're both comfortable with, styling protocols, preparation, image use, copyright terms, etc. It's just best to iron all of that out first. But once all of that was over I wanted to just stare and listen to her for a few hours.

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SIRCUS magazine Issue 12 at www.sircusmagazine.com

The most incredible thing about Elizabeth aside from the obvious was the fact that she has one of the most incredible online portfolios of every model I'd seen in all of 2015. Each image seemed to have been carefully selected for maximum visual impact, quality, style and taste. Like we've always said, it only takes a handful of images to make your point and she made it. In less than a dozen images she told us, she prefers high quality over quantity. She was saying that she wants refined, polished and tasteful images. She was letting us know that she is confident and daring but sophisticated and  premium. She had set a benchmark. But even more-so, she told us that she is very very selective about who she works with and that's the kind of model we want to work with. Someone meticulously caring and mindful of their overall modeling reputation. That very fact, the way she looks, her professionalism and personality gave us all the ammunition we needed to take this collaboration. I left the meet-up very excited and uplifted about the possibilities. I recall thinking, this is gonna be good.

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SIRCUS magazine Issue 12 at www.sircusmagazine.com

It took a few starts and re-starts to get things rolling until finally our project day arrives. After many months I finally saw our talent again. Here she was, after so many long months of planning. I hope she didn't catch my slight lost of composure. She was stunning. I may have audibly gasped a bit. Even before makeup and hair styling I recall asking myself, "has she gotten even more beautiful?"

It was a several hours later that felt like minutes. You see, when things flow very well and you're getting the takes you want, you just don't seem to tire out. You're still excited. Our only regret is that it didn't seem like it was long enough. We wanted more; more looks, more images, more of Elizabeth. On the best days and best shoots, it always happens that way. If we just had her in front of the camera for just a couple more hours I thought. But such as it is, we all have other tasks to get done and we couldn't just adopt her and have her move in to be an on-call 24/7 model now could we? That would awesome and yet preposterous all the same.

In summary, it was a fantastic shoot and a great experience. It was easy, laid back, fun, stimulating. and most of all... productive. We can't say enough how important portfolios matter. Be objective and selective. Yet, personality matters. Talent matters. How you groom yourself and interact with the team all matters. Elizabeth easily goes down as one of our greatest models of 2015 because she is by far one of the most well-rounded models to date; the ultimate combination of beauty, class, talent and flawless execution. Thank you again Elizabeth for a fantastic 2015. 

2015's Greatest Models Part II with ShyAng3L

For all the reasons she was the 2013 Model of the Year and Cover Model of Sircus Magazine Issue 5, are the same things that make her one of 2015's Greatest Models. There are few people we have worked with as much as her. In fact, there may be no one we have worked with as often as ShyAng3L. But to be fair, we do tend to give preferential treatment to individuals that are extremely professional, talented, diverse and quite frankly have agreeable personalities.

It is her ability to shift from one visual persona to the next that makes her so intriguing a model. One shoot with her can often appear to an outsider to look like ten different shoots if we so choose. She fully engages what we're shooting on a emotional level. If we're doing dark and moody she will emote dark. If we're shooting light and fashionable, then she will emote light and fashionable. No one else changes as effortlessly as she can.

Yet, with all her abilities it is her stunning beauty that captivates us the most. But she doesn't flaunt it. She is not even fully aware of how insanely gorgeous she is and that makes her even more attractive than most people I know; people who actively model day in and day out. Additionally, she is the sweetest person I've ever met. Her voice is barely a whisper but when she models no words are needed. Her body, her posing, her skin, face, hair, her extraordinary and infinitely youthful look screams volumes.

Even after more than three years she can still be a little anxious at the start, (those first few seconds). But given just the right amount of coaxing, she swiftly goes right into character.  Despite her namesake, I don't necessarily feel that she is shy. She is simply gentler and kinder than most people we've worked with before. But if you need a bad ass harlot for a look or a fairy princess, ShyAng3L is definitely the model to have because not only can she do the look, she is the most creatively malleable person I've personally ever known. She can do both on the same shoot and within minutes of one another in a way that is both beautiful and convincing.

She is not going to push back and tell you something isn't possible. She will not argue with you and tell you she won't do it or try it. If it's stylish, tasteful and she trusts you, then she will do it and do it well. In fact, no model I've ever had with the exception of maybe Trexie Dorrell has successfully done and mastered as many genres as ShyAng3L. Fashion, beauty, cosplay, lingerie, art, creative and swimwear are just a few of the things we have done together over the years. We have done more themed shoots together than anyone and I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.  She would bring me an idea or two and we would just do them - no questions asked on why or how. She was simply that kind of person and model. You want to do everything for her because you know she would excel in all that she does. As a result, we would always make extraordinary images. As of yet, those images still remain some of our best ever.

Unfortunately, we suspect that as time carries on our sessions will be fewer and farther between. It is simply the way of things as we scale back our operations to pursue different graphic design and video projects and she travels more as the demand for her talent continues to grow. Yet, as far as modeling and friendship goes, ShyAng3L can return again and again as much as she desires and we will always try to make time for her. Her talent, beauty, versatility and kindness has no equal. She remains and will likely always be one of our most revered collaborations.

What Are We Shooting?

What photography do we like to do? Naturally, paid assignments take priority. That's a given. But we're fans of most photography if not all. However, for publishing and personal projects, fashion, beauty and avant garde take priority. We’re also major fans of fitness in general so most opportunities to shoot fitness under the right circumstances we’re willing to do. The truth is, we're more likely to take on a fashion editorial or even a fitness project over a lingerie one. It's just our taste. 

The trends lately has favored glamour and lingerie. While we love beautiful lingerie and glamour as much as the next person it has become our priority to take on such projects with extreme tastefulness while still being sexy and stimulating. Too often have we witnessed lingerie slide slowly into distaste and pointless sexual exhibitionism. We're convinced that lingerie can still be gorgeous, sexy and sensual without going too far. We've use Victoria's Secret as a benchmark. They've always been tasteful, sexy, glamorous and beautiful without overstepping decency. They have found that perfect balance of what we coin as "acceptable sin." But there is nothing sinful about looking, wanting and being sexy and even showing it off a little. We'll be exploring this topic more in forthcoming issues of Sircus Magazine.

Swimwear is wonderful; the beach, the water, sunshine; who wouldn't love it? Categorically, it's nowhere in the vicinity of lingerie to us. Same amount of skin showing - perhaps less, but it's just not the same. We akin a well poised swimwear photo shoot to a fashion one. We approach it the same way. We still consider accessories and lighting and props. Our fav is swimwear with separates like jackets, heels, and clutches. If we can bring fashion to the beach we're down for it. 

Art nude is also a favorite of ours. Strangely, it is one of the most sublime and less sexualized than one might think. It is far more about light sculpting and mood than about the person; It's an exploration that admires and highlights the human form. It takes a special person to do art nude modeling and a special team to shoot them. We're fortunate to have done a few and we have always been pleased with the results. 

For the more immediate future the plan for publishing will fashion editorials, beauty and avant garde. Naturally, we will always consider different ideas all throughout the year. Our TF or "trade for" assignments are minimal to almost non existent. Currently, nearly every shoot is a paid assignment by a client or model or used almost strictly for print magazine publishing or online publishing. It doesn't mean an immediate "No." It just means we want our minds blown about an idea before we will even consider it. 

We will keep you up to date as events unfold for 2014.

Helios Graphic Design

http://www.heliosimaging.com/Art/Design/20465785_ppxswK

Sircus Magazine Issue 6 is Coming

Schedules and release dates have been moved, changed and updated but we are working diligently to bring you Issue 6 of Sircus Magazine.

There will be new faces and new pics and if all bodes well, one of your fav faces (and body) will be back for i.6 if not soon. We will be keeping you posted. But if you can't stand it like we can't wait, Issue 5 is here NOW at www.sircusmagazine.com. Don't wait!

Until then, enjoy this incredible pic by model Kristi Wright. As always she is definitely easy on the eyes and born to do it; modeling that is.

We're looking forward to more Kristi and of course we're super excited about the new things and new faces coming to issue 6. It's bound to be a blast.

If you've missed Kristi as much as some of you have expressed, you can catch her spread right now in Issue 5.

Stay tuned....

Lingerie

Untitled, a photo by helios00 on Flickr.

Beautiful blonde photographed by Helios.

Independence Day

Independence Day, a photo by helios00 on Flickr.

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ShyAng3L
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ID4

ID4, a photo by helios00 on Flickr.

Sexy ID4 pic of model and fitness enthusiast Trexie Dorrell

Emote: The Secret to the Best Photographs

You know the photos where the subject looks exactly the same in every single shot; every frame has an identical expression no matter the context? Maybe even you yourself may be on the short end of the lens in situations such as these. The most interesting photographs in portraiture or fashion are those where the subject is able to project emotions. 

What does it mean to emote? Simply put, it means being expressive and relating one’s feelings. If you’re the subject of a photograph or film, you do project emotions through facial expressiveness, eyes and body language all in concert to give the audience a sense of what you’re feeling. While a model or actor may say one thing, their bodies may project or emote something completely different. That is why psychologist and other behavioral scientists dedicate entire branches of study to body language. It is far more telling than anything, including verbal communication.

If you’re looking thru magazines and books you’ve noticed that some people recur in print far more than others.  Are they more photogenic? Are they simply more beautiful or is there some secret they are not telling everyone else? The truth is, they are probably more skilled and practiced at emoting than the average person. That allows them to project any persona or feeling, often times without saying a word. They do it largely from the eyes and then the rest of the body follows.

Occasionally, a client or model very interested in improving and expanding their “looks” ask me for tips. They often complain that they look almost bored in all of their past photographs and have a difficult time conveying a mood, persona or feeling. Often times they simply want to take a better picture. Some people simply feel they are not photogenic. 

Now if you’re a client or model and you’ve worked with me, you know what you’re in for. You’re in for several hours of silliness, trash talk, and some fun conversation. Why? Because that’s my job. I want you to be you. I want you comfortable and at your most relaxed state. I want you to be malleable and open. Above all else, I want you to be silly with me and to trust me. I also want you to be serious when I’m being serious and so on. It’s so much easier for me to give you something to laugh about than for me to ask you to smile. It’s far more genuine and unforced for me to say something serious than to tell you to give me your serious face. Although, I have been accused of asking to “show me your bed-roomy eyes” in order to purposely gain a genuine laugh I can capture. 

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Model: Kim Jonet

When I asked the model featured here for her bed-roomy eyes, she erupted into a hysterical laugh. But immediately, and without pretense I looked serious and said “No, I’m serious.” She immediately stopped laughing and looked at me surprised and said “Really?” with wide eyes. I took the picture. That’s what I wanted; a genuinely surprised, unplanned look which turned out even better than anything I could have hoped for. You can’t fake a look like this no matter how hard you try.

It’s not all on the subject either. Peter Hurley is among the the best head-shot photographers in the business. But it’s not for reasons you might think. It’s not because of his technical skill, his lighting, or equipment. It’s for his ability to get into people’s head and pull out whatever emotion he thinks would make the shot. If you’ve seen him in action he comes across with a bit too much swagger bordering on arrogance. He talks a great deal of trash and seems somewhat dismissive but in a comical way. Yet, the way he interacts with people and what he can get them to express is undeniable and perfect. It’s camaraderie and a synergy that he gets from every client. That’s what makes the shot; not the lights or equipment, but a genuine emotion he captures at just the right moment.

On the other side, Coca Rocha is an extremely well known fashion model. She’s been featured in more magazines and shows than I can name. What I find so remarkable about her is her ability to project sadness, pain, glee, silliness, anger, happiness, reflective, sensual, etc. pretty much any emotion imaginable just in her face. She’s somewhat melodramatic but believable and daring. You believe what she projects is genuine and we buy into the idea and the look. One of my favorite photo shoots of her is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1hilU4X9Gk. She jumps in uninhibited, daring, wild but with purpose and completely unafraid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfl5ZCUgQYM to watch her is an experience all it’s own. I think my camera would explode trying to keep up. Think she’s worried about looking bad? I think not. She’s thinking about getting paid by getting the perfect shot.

It’s a team effort to emote. As the photographer and pretty much the director, I have to provide the context and the motivation. The client/model need only trust and relax, knowing that all will be beyond anything he or she could have hoped for. It really comes down to genuine feelings and letting your guard down. 

I suggest that you go out there and be silly, be serious, be sexy, be contemplative and spontaneous. But above all else, be you.