Thank You Chase

There is Chase and then there is no one. From the first time we photographed her years ago until this very day, she is the most consistently perfectly performing model ever. She was then just as she is now... unquestionably perfect.

A few weeks ago we crossed text paths and shared a Happy Holidays and Season Greetings sort or message thing. It had been awhile - too long in my opinion. It's always a good idea just to stay updated with the best of the best models if for nothing else than just a chit chat to see what's going on with them. To our delight, she was interested in a photo shoot. We all agreed that it should be something smaller this time around. Something that didn't require a full crew and only called for minimal gear. It had been awhile after all and we knew Chase was a fan of natural looks. Now when a model tells me she wants natural that normally makes me cringe. Once upon a time my mind would have interpreted that as no makeup, no hair styling, no clothing stylist and bad bad bad clothing options. My every instinct would have screamed no freakin' way. It was only after working with her once years ago I realized that when you have the right talent, everything will be fine. In fact, with Chase it's stellar.

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Model: Chase "Whitehill" Rubeor

You see, she's not just stunning but she is also the most gifted and professional person I've ever had the pleasure of working with on a photo shoot. Not to say that no one else is great. Chase is simply... I don't know. I don't want to say "flawless." That seems so final and committed and such words have a way of biting you in the ass later. You just know what you're going to get every single time and it's never ever wrong. She is never late. She never complains. Everything fits perfect and looks amazing on her whether we buy it or she brings it. There is never a mix up on who is doing what or bringing what or going where. She is not demanding or pompous. She is not overly emotional. She is drama-free. She doesn't bring her personal problems to work if you know what I mean. Yet, she's personal and has a cozy personality like a blanket (okay that's weird but you get it). A girl next door kinda personality vibe (that's better) but she just happens to look like and model like an international supermodel (she already kinda has been). She's not gonna break down in tears at the slightest thing (you'd be surprised what we've seen over the years). She has an unmistakable sense of personal style that is both refined casual and classically sophisticated and oh boy she wears it well.


It's really difficult to describe how well arranging a shoot goes with her. We don't need to exchange 30 emails or 50 texts because we've come to trust her unconditionally. I send her one single image of an idea for inspiration and she replies, "I know exactly the mood you're going for. I got it." That's music to my ears. "The Mood." She understands. She gets how this whole thing works. She understands modeling, call sheets, go-sees and test shoots. She gets mood boards and story boards. She's a professional. If I hire an MUA we don't get nervous that she will be late or not show up. If I have a hair stylist, we're not concerned that she's gonna complain about the hair styling or  how the clothing looks. There is a mutual trust and respect for one another's gifts and contribution. She does what she does best. We do what we do best and it's always beyond expectations even when we don't seem to ever take enough images of her or see her as often as we would like. Then again, there could never be enough images of her.

I suppose there is one hiccup if any. Availability. We would like to give her solid week of shooting. At least three back to back to back days. Unfortunately, we all have busy schedules and lives to go about. But good things (good people) are worth waiting for. Ten years can go by and Chase will still be Magnificent Chase whether she is wearing Givenchy or Gap,  Burberry or Balenciaga. She could be full body air brushed or have no makeup on at all and it's still Chase. If she's not feeling well but committed to doing the project anyway, it will still be the magnificent, high performing, beautiful, professional, endlessly talented and intelligent Chase.  

Thank you Chase. Thank you for making 2016 end on a high note and 2017 begin with a sense of discovery and possibilities. 

Burn Bridges or Get Agency Representation

In an uncharacteristic move, I took it upon myself to reach out to someone I thought would make a great model for a series we were creating. The goal was to publish, widely market the images and even potentially submit to other publications providing the model made the proverbial cut. Well she very very nicely said she was just too busy on "paid assignments" and not interested. Okay so which is it? Are you too busy or are you just not interested? Well she didn't just burn the bridge, she burned it and buried the ashes in the desert somewhere unknown. Here's why her reply isn't as honest as it appears.

The reply she gave is plenty simple and nice enough. Some might even say it was professional. I think it may have gone better but what did she possibly do or say wrong? What else does this guy want you might ask? She has to make money for her modeling services right? Sure she does. She made the horrible assumption many models make. First she assumed I wouldn't pay. A true professional would ask about the specifics. Where is it? When is it? What is the compensation? What is the theme? I had given an ample amount of information to make an informed decision or to inquire further. But she didn't take it. She blew me off right away and gave that dumb lazy answer of "paid assignments" and "not interested." No worries I thought. That's how it goes. I'm retired so what do I care right?

But as always I genuinely thanked her for taking the time to reply and told her I may consider for something in the future when I need a fashion editorial model that I can publish with all the makeup and hair styling provided for along with designer clothing and accessories. Additionally, that it may lead to a cover that may have made her eligible for a temp web page, free magazine copies and downloads with an extensive social media campaign featuring her as a result. Oh but wait she replied again. She might be available or able to rearrange her schedule for that. Seriously???!!!! I couldn't stop laughing. What happened to "not interested?" What happened to "I'm just so busy making stacks of money? (no-one believes that by the way). No thanks I'm thinking. You burned that bridge to the earth and where there was once water underneath it is now a bottomless canyon. There is no mending that fence.

All is well that ends well. This isn't about me because fortunately I'm not that sensitive. This is about exercising a reasonable amount of etiquette when dealing with potential opportunities. Many people, including myself, often jump to conclusions and make assumptions based on past experiences or hubris. Most often it's just pure pride and ego that has us making bad decisions. It took me awhile to take out the emotion when dealing with certain business dealings and just focus on what is in my long term best interests professionally.

This isn't about the aforementioned model either; at least not entirely. People have the freedom and right to make their own decisions about what they will and will not do. Just like I will not ever offer her any new opportunities ever again. Nor will I ever recommend her for anything no matter who asks. That's my right as it is hers to never come back.

This isn't personal. I'm an humble guy. I'm not feeling myself enough to believe there aren't multiple alternatives to what I do. Yet, I also know my worth, my vision, my skill and technical prowess to execute an idea. I wish her and everyone else the absolute best even with that jacked up sh*t attitude. It's really not her fault. The industry made her believe that having slightly above-average looks was all it takes. She was told she was cute one too many times before it stuck and now she believes the sky is the limit. "Oooh, I beautiful. I can be a model she thought." Yet, she never had the direction she needed. She's simply one example of a much larger issue. Why are there so many non-professionals involved in this industry? What she needs is agency representation.

I know you can't believe it. I said it. This is one of many reasons why agencies exist in the first place I thought. Yeah, there I typed it. I know I know. He actually thinks agencies are a good idea? Well don't get carried away just yet. I think they are great for people who simply don't have the acumen to handle their own affairs among other reasons. This is definitely one of those cases as are many. It is precisely why most of these delusions of making it big go absolutely nowhere. The talent is there. The mindset, the professional attitude and business acumen are NOT. 

Visual Conceptualization Acuity

Leave it to me to coin a phrase that has zero meaning to anyone outside of the purview of those with an acute handle of high-brow vernacular; in other words, people who probably write too many words to say simple things that just don’t sound as good with little words. But in all seriousness I will take a moment to explain what this means as it pertains to different facets of art and the perception of art in general.

I can’t explain this concept without first going back to when I photographed fashion, beauty and art model Lauren Moon. For those lucky enough to have a copy of SIRCUS™ magazine Issue 10, I will not rehash just how wonderful she is. You will  learn everything you need to know about visual conceptualization acuity just from seeing the pictures and reading our interview with her. For those not so fortunate, I translate the meaning as being able to disseminate complex ideas and concepts into executable and tangible reality. 

We easily rank Lauren as the most intuitive models we’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. She still has that title. With that said, let me further explain as briefly as possible how we work. This the abridged version. We have an idea. We create a storyboard. We write a few lines describing a scene and often make sketches as to how it may look. In Lauren’s instance I even had a dressed sketched and custom made by a designer and styled with a fashion stylist that went with the idea. I sketched out and listed the necessary props, worked with the stylist on accessories and shoes and then had several people included as to how the makeup and hair would be done to tie it all together. Over the course of weeks leading up to the editorial, everyone stayed in touch; briefly exchanging tweaks and corrections in the ideas as the day approached. When the day came, everyone was ready. Using visual cues and prints as I often do I take a few moments to bond with our model (Lauren), going over the story. I told her you’re an Empress. You’re privileged, beautiful and elite. You want to invoke a sense of entitlement and pompousness. I want you to be spoiled but prim. I want you confident but dismissive. I want you to be sultry and sexy but off-putting and yet desirable and insatiably alluring. I said it once, maybe twice and when she got into the perfect dress for Empress - once the makeup and hair was complete and done by MUAH Lindsey McAndrews, Lauren completely and totally immersed herself in the role. We wanted that... "I run this. I'm all that but I refuse to wear a crown because it makes me itchy (or it's too heavy)" kinda attitude. 

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©heliosimaging
Model: Lauren Moon
"Empress" SIRCUS™ magazine Issue 10

You see, a perfect model is an actor; a chameleon. They are adaptive. They can intuit what the photographer needs. Lauren could see the story in the garment and makeup. Lauren could see the styling and understand what she was to become within the context of the whole idea. She understand likely sub-consciously how she should move in the clothing and how she should pose when she saw the color of it and the way it hugged her. Everything was done on-purpose. There were no accidents or guesses and Lauren transformed into an Empress right before our very eyes as we knew she could. That’s why we gave her the look. That’s why Lauren had so many looks in this issue. That is also why Lauren was the Cover Model. She has the most perceptive ability of awareness than anyone I had ever seen. It made her very easy to photograph. We glided through the shoot seamlessly and without worry. Everything worked beautifully. 

A few short weeks later we concluded the remainder of the other looks with Lauren. We had a completely different MUAH (the incredible Dawn Dominick). Just like the first time Lauren excelled beyond anything we had ever witnessed. She brought the vision alive with a heightened perceptiveness and awareness of what the look required. 

It’s not unlike when a sculptor says the statue was already inside the bronze before they carved it. They simply pull back the layers. It is not unlike the painter who perceives how the light falls across the subject before he even picks up the brush. It’s not unlike a fashion photographer or designer that can visually project a garment into a theme or scene even before they pick up a camera or sketch out a pattern. 

Good models can take good pictures. Great photographers can take great photos. But to be truly spectacular one must transcend just wearing the clothes and just operating the camera. They must be able to project their will forward; to move their minds beyond what they see and embrace all that may not be immediately tangible. Lauren willed Empress into being. That’s pure skill. That’s natural ability and no one could have done it. She still has yet to understand how I cherished our shoot and everything that we created. It will remain one of our favorite sessions. In fact, every look with Lauren was equally captivating. It was very rewarding to see her manifest our concept in real time. 

That is visual conceptualization in the most simplified way I can word it; with an actual example. Everyone can’t do it. Every model I’ve had simply can’t get into character and meld the clothes, the emotiveness and the posing into a synergistic whole. Lauren can and Lauren does. If I say be Barbie, Lauren embraces all that is Barbie the second she dons the clothing, the gets the big curly wavy hair and prissy pink perfectly fitted bodycon dress on. When we say be a Hampton socialite, Lauren laid casually back on a designer woven-back chaise, prim and poised like she owned the place. Then I said Lauren be Cotton Candy, she became teasing, playful, flirty and fun. She saw the storyboard, she saw the inspiration images and owned them as if she was in the moments and became those characters. That is how it’s done.

A lack of visual conceptualization acuity is why some of the most beautiful people you know aren’t great models. It is also why the most expensive gear owned by photographers do not produce great pictures. They’re clear, they’re crisp, they’re well lit but they have no soul, no character. They lack ambience, mood and feeling. These people struggle. They never make the connection that people like Lauren do intuitively and effortlessly.

When I consider taking on a new model I’m looking for those potentials. I want another Lauren. I want to know that at the very least this person has the fortitude to see it through. I need them to understand they’re not just wearing clothes or jewelry. They’re inhabiting a lifestyle. They’re emoting a feeling and a sense of being. 

The next time you look at an image you can’t take your eyes from; the image you can’t get out of your mind. You see the model in the image, you see the light and composition of it and the garments. You see her expressiveness, her pose and you’re captivated by it. Then ask yourself why it works. Why does it captivate you so? It’s because you feel the image rather than see it. It stirs you because not only does the model wear it well, she is convincing you without a single word that she lives in that space - in that moment. You see fashion isn’t selling you a garment directly. They want to sell you a lifestyle. A perception of the person you will become by owning the garment. The most convincing artist makes you believe. 

That my friends is visual conceptualization acuity. 

Stop Posting Serial Photographs

Avoid those serials. You know what we mean - the serials. Putting up two or three and often more of the same series of photographs back to back to back. It diminishes their effectiveness and awe factor. 

Photographers can get carried away with serials as well as models. We fall in love with a model (happens all the time. Don't worry, it's platonic but it will never lasts because we're artists. We're passionate and intense but we bore quickly 😀). Or we fall in love with a look or a series and we want to put up three four or more of the same garment from the same model in the exact same location with very little change between each shot. We're not talking a complete pose change or location change. We're saying a subtle change like she's leaning to her left side on this shot and then the next she leans to the right. Trust us when we say people bore pretty quickly and unless that image offers a unique look or perspective not seen in its preceding image you had better leave it out completely.

People want to be shocked, awed and surprised. The more you feed them the same, the more you'll bore them to tears and they'll quickly lose interests. As a photographer, we have to keep pushing ourselves to be more innovative, creative and forward thinking which is why one of the greatest attributes of the best artists in the world is that they hate sameness. They need to keep pushing boundaries of expressiveness and always wanting more - more sensation and more variety. But when anyone, including models, puts up two or three of the same picture from the same look without staggering them it gets old pretty fast. This is more pronounced with social media. Upon first seeing a picture the reactions are near instantaneous, plentiful and  immediate  especially if it is unexpected; followed up with a very similar barely differentiated image of the same you can likely expect about a 50% to 70% drop right off the top in the number and time of reactions. What can I say? People just have short attention spans. They're already looking for the next shocker. 

If you have a lack of work then stagger the looks or wait awhile between posts. If you lack the patience then you really need to shoot more variety with more frequency. If you still can't do that then you need to shock your audience beyond words. You'll want them to gasp and you'll want to blind them in waves of mind numbing awesomeness with each posts despite those long spans of time between each one. It's one more reason why runway pictures get old really fast. I mean just how many angles of the same runway, in the same dress of the same person do we need to see? Ok runway - got it - check - let's move on. One is ok. Two is bad. Three is horrible. When we saw the first image we got it. Great, you do runway. Bored already. Trust me, they'll wait for you between post if you're good enough. But if you're predicable and keep doing the same thing you're gonna irritate them and your audience will not come back.  

To Model or Not to Model Lingerie

To Do or Not To Do Lingerie

It's a question that any and all aspiring models ask themselves at some point during their career. It doesn't matter if a model is in to it for simply the art of it, or just the money - at some juncture the question will arise as to whether or not he or she will ever model lingerie.

People have their different reasons and I've heard them all. Let's start with the "I will never model lingerie" group. The most common reasons given are as follows:

1. I do not wish to objectify myself or my body for the sell of any product.

2. I have too much respect for myself to parade around half naked for anyone else's benefit.

3. I don't have the appropriate body type for lingerie modeling.

4. My spouse would not approve of me modeling lingerie despite me considering it.

5. have a family with kids that would not respect me for showing that much of myself publicly. 

6. I have a day job and I risk shaming my employers and potentially losing my job for anything that might reflect negatively on the company. 

7. I'm not confident enough or brave enough to show that much of body.

8. I believe that lingerie is intimate and not morally fitting to be publicized to anyone but my spouse. 

9. I don't trust anyone to behave respectfully toward me after I model lingerie. 

10. There are too many perverted people and I'd hate to see or hear what they think of me.

11. People that dress this way for attention are little more than sexual solicitors. They do it for money or attention or both.

12. These people have no self respect. 

The aforementioned are a few of the reasons we've heard and I'm sure there are many we've missed or simply forgot to write down. Modeling lingerie is an extremely personal choice. No one should convince you. No one should inhibit you and no one but the model themselves and their immediate family should be privy to even discussing the possibility of doing so. But even so it's deeply personal and the consequences and rewards of doing so is different for every single person. 

What are some of the reasons for modeling lingerie? We've heard several of those as well and they are:

1. My body is my own and no one should have the authority to tell me what I can and cannot do with my own personage.

2. It is not a sexual issue unless you make it one. I do not do so for sake of anything sexual but more so to demonstrate that a person can be beautiful, tasteful and attractive without shame or objectifying themselves.

It is ultimately liberating and freeing and I am more marketable as a model and have had more paid assignments and jobs as a result of being more versatile.

3. My body type is more suited to modeling lingerie than it is for fashion or runway work.

4. have a very supportive family and they respect me, my decisions and they always strive to not just support me but also help me make informed and smart decisions. They participate in my work and there is zero shame in anything I do because I always consider what jobs I will take or not take based on how feel.

5. Lingerie modeling is as much or more so about articles of clothing as fashion modeling depending on what it is being used for. It simply depends on how well it's done and who is doing it. I prefer the fashion-lingerie modeling because of great styling. 

6. I've seen swimwear modeling more trashy than any lingerie modeling I've ever done. So the idea that lingerie is bad or objectifying is a matter of taste, quality and perception. I only so high end work so I never have some problems I here about.

7. I work with great people and I know I can trust them and they always have my best interests at heart. They would never do anything to debase me or themselves for a quick buck. I'm also allowed to take part in the look and direction of what is being modeled so as not to be potentially embarrassed about what I see later.

8. There are swimwear lines I would never wear because they're overly revealing and yet there are several lingerie garments that I would wear. As long as it's styled well and suited to my body it works.

9. Society has far too many stipulations about what is and is not appropriate. I'm just gonna do what's good for me and the people that love and support my aspirations.

10. I only want to do high quality work no matter what it is. Quality is key. I've seen short shorts and dresses more inappropriate than some lingerie.  

11. I don't want my kids growing up thinking the body is something to be feared or hidden away like some sort of object of ownership. That's part of the problem. We create our own stigmas and often times the more we try to project our own sense of morality onto others the more we negate the positives of being free, being beautiful and having a strong sense of self and authority over our own bodies. It's why their is so much body shaming. We hide ourselves behind these lies; behind veils and stereotypes.

12. It's just not a big deal. We don't live in the 50s anymore. I've seen some of these new dresses models wear and they look like street walkers. These dresses don't show an ounce of skin either but somehow they can still look indecent. Then I've seen lingerie that looked like a sculpted piece of art and when it's modeled and photographed well it's beautiful and I'd be proud to show anyone. I believe it's styling and posing. 

Well there are several models that have made great careers never modeling a single thread of lingerie and they have their reasons for doing so. Yet, there are more models that cross style boundaries and delve into many types of modeling, maximizing their portfolio and seizing endless opportunities. Most Victoria Secret models tend to do high fashion, lingerie, casual and even some very very well placed artful nudes even as they got older. In fact, it could be argued that we have seen more VS models model implied nude or nude in the last yer than ever before. Many of these models have families and other sources of income but modeling remains their primary career. 

Their situation isn't like everyone else's. Modeling is their life. It's all they do and their fortunes are built on it. For most people starting out, the lines aren't so clearly drawn. It's a tough business and some models feels that modeling in lingerie for nothing but the absolute best designers and for the best photographers simply isn't work the risk despite how much it pays or the potential uptick in marketability.

We believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well. In our humble opinion, lingerie does  requires a higher sense of caution when compared to other types of modeling. I recall a model contacting me a few years ago about wanting to do a series lingerie photo shoots. According to her, she had been following our work for some time and she felt like it was time to try lingerie modeling. She knew we shot lingerie but mainly fashion and portraits. In her words, the ideal photographer was someone who could shoot lingerie but with the eye and style of a fashion photographer. "Perfect" we thought. But after sitting down with her a few weeks prior to shooting just to discuss what she had in mind I learned that what she wanted was considerably more risqué then I originally thought. I took it as a paid assignment and did the session in a manner befitting our shooting style and her want of daring looks. It turned our spectacular. We attribute that to taking the time to really establish beforehand what our expectations were and to get a sense of hers. You see, with lingerie you don't get any do overs to clean your act up. It only takes one bad picture to come across looking like trash forever. Therefore, that sitting down and talking about what is and what is not the goal and look is paramount to achieving stellar results.

In another instance we sat down with a totally different very experienced glamour model. She was very clear about her look. It wasn't about garments. It was about her, her posing and her body. Consequently, we photographed her accordingly and again with extraordinary results that went on to be multi-published in a variety of glamour magazines across the country. Another instance, involved a very demure almost timid mature model who physically had all the look of a fashion model but wanted to do lingerie. Sensing her initial anxiety, I sat down with her beforehand and had a frank conversation about the forthcoming shoot and what she can expect and how she can prepare. I even talked about choosing "not" to do the shoot to give her an out because no one needs be pressured into lingerie or feeling committed to doing it just because they'd feel guilty about backing out. Basically I was giving her a chance to back out without hard feelings because we abhor cancellations and no-shows; even the paying ones.  Afterwards, I discussed sexy but extremely soft and stylish looks indicative of that same everyday VS style you see in everyday shopping mall storefront windows. With the shoot weeks behind us I later learned that even her mother was ecstatic with the results and if I can make mom smile without embarrassment then I've done my job well. 

If you're still not sure if we think someone should do lingerie modeling then let me be clear. It's truly up to you. Naturally we support the decision either way and as a photographer, publisher and designer, my advice is that if you do choose to do lingerie modeling DO IT VERY WELL - just look like the supermodel that you are when you do. Get a perfect style. Choose a phenomenal photographer you can work with on the look to make certain it is extremely stylish, well suited for what you want to achieve and in a genre you want to be within. We would say the same on swimwear or any look for that matter. This is your reputation on the line so it's imperative to get it right. I read a model wrote on her Facebook Page recently that she doesn't want to do anything sexy anymore. I wasn't quite sure what that meant because what is sexy is very subjective. Later I learned she didn't want to do lingerie or swimwear any more but only fashion. Well given her past shoots, body type and height, stereotypically she was already in her best genre. Yet, rules can and have been broken before. Her problem wasn't sexy. It wasn't showing skin or lingerie or swimwear. I fear she still doesn't quite understand this but her main problem was styling and posing. If you don't want to look slutty then you can't dress or pose slutty. It's that simple. For example, to this very day I can't say that I've ever seen or even heard of a trashy or ill conceived La Perla lingerie ad in Vogue or elsewhere; none that offended me at least and I consider myself somewhat conservative. Yet, this aforementioned model kept working with the same people and expected a different results. Hire a wardrobe stylist. Hire a photographer and a different makeup artist and hair stylist. If you're not getting what you want from the people you have you have to change your people or change yourself. You can't shoot with the photographer that pays you in a pair of smokes and expect a La Perla quality photo shoot. It doesn't happen. You have to vet new people, study and learn about why you're not getting the look you want and adapt before making sweeping generalizations and say that it's because you're being too sexy and blame the lingerie. That's just weird when you sound that out. Try it. "I'm not successful as a model because I'm too sexy and I'm not doing lingerie anymore because I'm so hot I look slutty." Dumb right?

Still doubt me? Consider this; ever see a long full length gown, skirt or bodycon dress worn by a model somewhere and felt that it was the most indecent picture you've ever seen? Sure you have. Now consider, have you ever seen a huge billboard or sign with a lingerie model on it and thought it was sexy but not perverted. It was soft and approachable and yet not overtly sexual. You thought it was artful and well style and composed. Of course you have. It's not about what you're wearing or what you're not  wearing it's about how well you're wearing it and context. In the right context, the right fitting, styling, pose and light absolutely anything can be modeled well and stylishly. How do I know this? I know because I've photographed and have seen fine art-nudes less sexually provocative than some fully clothed models I've observed online and elsewhere. 

If you choose not to ever venture into lingerie modeling or swimwear modeling that's fine too as long as you're doing it for reasons comfortable for you and not because of someone else's reasons. In other words, be genuine and be honest with yourself because I don't know anyone that doesn't want to be or be photographed like a Victoria Secret's model at least one time in their life; if we're really being honest.  

Photography is a People Business

You can learn every single thing about lighting. You can buy the best camera gear, grip and props. Yet, the thing that truly makes your image great is how well you interact with and engage your subject. 

Just this past Thursday I was called upon to photograph a member of a corporate sales team. This guy is the big cheese of financial and sales analytics. He's the number one reporting guy. As you might imagine his professional image is extremely important and he was well overdue for a profile update image for his business page. I was approached directly by his direct manager to make sure he's taken care of from the image perspective. He knew i knew the deal; the upscale, professional, business look with all the fixings. But he specifically added, "give it your special touch." Whatever that means. 

I could tell the guy was apprehensive but he really needed the update. I'd seen the existing pxiture and lets just say it's... Bad would be an understatement. But he knew it wasn't great because he went on and on about how spur of the moment it was when he had taken it etc etc. I wasn't setup yet and I told him it would take a few minutes. I didn't even have a camera immediately on hand; my own was clear across town. But he wanted to just hang around and follow me until I was ready. They didn't have great lights either. In fact, they are atrocious little buggers; weak on power with a terrible color cast that was inconsistence every time you turn them on. The camera they had was also about 14 generations behind the tech curve. I worked very hard indeed to figure out how to set a reasonable white balance on the barely functional paperweight. That's all I had - two weak monolights of two different colors in a room the size of a closet with a prehistoric camera that barely turned on affixed to a generic very loud slow lens stuck on f4 aperture all under weak fluorescent office lights. I had no V-flats and no assistant. 

It took a few moments to setup but my intended subject was chatting me up incessantly obviously as a means to quell his own nervousness. Hey, I get it. Some people have very real anxiety when it comes to having their picture taken particularly when they don't want to. No amount of expensive gear and lights will make him more comfortable. Consequently, if he's nervous it will show and what you'll end up with is a crappy picture even if you used $50,000 worth of gear. Sure it would be clearer, brighter and in perfect color but you'll have a subject with an expression that says I really don't want to be here. I'd rather be getting a root canal. Fortunately, I've had years of experience with situations like this. If i didnt I'd be screwed because the company is about 15 years behind on having the appropriate gear for this sort of thing. I mean to say without exaggeration that a cell phone on a selfie stick could take a better picture than some of this company's stuff. From pure experience, I knew that the best pictures are always from people who are comfortable taking them and from people that trust you unconditionally do make them feel and look amazing. So what could I do?

Well I did what I always do. I talked to him. I'd subtly suggested a spot for him to stand in without him even realizing it. He was following me around anyway so I just lead him right into the light and stopped in such a manner that had him stand where I wanted him to be which was right against a bright white very boring wall. What that wall was to me was a perfect way to bounce the already atrocious lighting so that this weak camera sensor I was working with could pick up a bit more light. So while I'm pretending to look for stuff I ask him about projects he's been working on. It eventually lead to a few jokes, him laughing himself to tears and talking about some family picnic he was reminiscing about. Now keep in mind I'm shooting the entire time but he barely paid me any attention. His anxiety was gone largely because he wasn't thinking about the little ad hoc photo shoot I'd learned about only five minutes earlier. He was too engrossed in the conversation to care. To an onlooker we were just two co-workers having a great chat about absolutely nothing but trivial BS. 

I had changed shooting modes and aperture settings several times even after only a dozen or so captures in to it. You have to do that with sub par gear because crap gear can be so horribly inconsistent. You're never sure which images will be the keepers. I ached for my own gear but I didn't have access to it and quite frankly this gig doesn't cover the expense or risk of bringing out my gear. Besides, it's a very last minute thing. 

I finally showed him the first few pictures I'd taken. He was shocked as to how comfortable and poised he looked and even more shocked as to how much I'd already shot. He said he had always struggled with pictures and never quite mastered the right expression - not until now at least. He was very pleased and even wanted to take more pictures with a variety of backgrounds. Well time was of the essence so I kept it simple and put off something grander for a later date. 

The main thing to remember is that really great photography involves more than just standing behind your camera with thousands of dollars in equipment. I've seen those pictures. We all have seen those images; crystal clear, technically flawless in perfect light shot from a $5,000 camera with a $5,000 lens but images that are still boring as hell. You forget about them almost as fast as they left your sight. To really bring out your subject's best you need to engage them. You'll draw more of their personality into the look and that is always more appealing than just asking someone to smile (weird). Remember to stay productive while you're directing, adjusting, capturing and chatting. Remember that you're working. You just make it look easy and that always lowers the anxiet and nervousness of your subject. To the untrained eye you're just having a great time and seemingly rarely firing off a shot. But in reality, you're adjusting lights, changing the aperture and shutter speed, recomposing and adjusting white balance all while having them follow you around the space as you get a variety of backgrounds, genuine expressions and real emotions. It's a win-win because you're capturing amazing images, getting a potential lifelong client and probably making a new friend. 

Shooting Themes

As you know by now we're really big into shooting themes or looks that carry a common thread. We chalk it up to experience with publishing. Generally, projects that get the most press follow a general idea or pattern. It is the same reason why editorials are published more than just random images. Furthermore, people that participate in editorials as a model, photographer or even makeup artists and stylists tend get more publicity. But there is another reason aside from just having a theme.

Having a theme is critical for editorial publishing and some periodicals can accommodate several in a single issue. Quite frankly a theme or an editorial can be anything but it will often be slated toward the general audience preference and type of publication. But from a purely logistical perspective shooting themes simply make more sense. I much rather shoot just denim for instance, if denim is the general theme; then I  know precisely what kind of vibe and atmospherics I'm lighting for rather than try to shoot denim, swimwear and gowns all in the same venue and time unless that's the goal. Models tends to perform better as well. Having a central idea is conducive to her posing and manner of expressiveness.

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SIRCUS™ Magazine Double Cover Edition Issue 9

It's also great for MUAS and stylists. Shifting dramatically from casual to formal then chic to gaudy can create a nightmare when trying control foundation, concealer, colors, eyeliner and then clothing and accessory changes. It's bad for the model's hair and skin and quite frankly there is less synergy because there will always be that visual disconnect because everyone may be on a different creative page.

In summary, themes are important. When I want to shoot denim and that's what I cast for then I really want to shoot all sorts of different denim looks, not bikinis and dresses and lingerie and anything else unless it plays into the theme. Let's do that on another day. 

If we're doing swimwear then let's make it a full day at the beach and shoot all sorts of swimwear with different angles, lighting and backgrounds. Let's go to the lake and then to the beach or pool. It's much easier to manage the shoot. The best case for me if we're shooting denim and we want swimwear included then the swimwear should be denim. Oh yeah, denim swimwear exists and it's awesome. Otherwise, I've learned that it's best to have nutlike smaller shoots over a period of time than trying to get all sorts of different looks at once. 

The upside is that no one will get exhausted and start underperforming. I believe it's also why SIRCUS™ magazine Issue 9 was so successful. Superior models, great casting and styling and a central theme. Everyone knew it was gonna be and only be swimwear with a few bonus looks. It made everything more cohesive and easier to manage.