“Testing” and Working with a New Model

“Testing” refers to a shoot where the intent is to try something new. You work with a model who needs some work to either build or update his or her portfolio, so it’s a “win-win.” I’ll usually try at least one new set-up for each test shoot before reverting back to a tried and true technique to make sure that my model gets some great shots for her “book.” Why would someone at my point in my career want to keep “testing?” Well, for one thing I truly hope that I have not stopped learning about the field that I love. Secondly testing on a regular basis keeps you fresh and enthusiastic. Thirdly--and perhaps most importantly for me--the images that I create on a test shoot become my stock of images that I can then use for my books, articles and blogs like this one. It is very important to get written permission from your models to use the photos in this way. There is even some debate about whether you can post mages to your own website without a written model release. MY NON-LEGAL opinion on this matter is NO. I will not post or publicly use any image where I do not have a release to do so. Now, I know that releases are not necessary for editorial work, so technically I could use the images for my articles without a release, but I don’t.  BTW, the topic of releases is always discussed upfront before the shoot--there are no surprises on my sets.

Where does working with a new model fit into all of this? Well. I have to admit that many of my “flashes of brilliance” come from hindsight (I’m joking about the brilliance, but not about the hindsight). I’ll usually try out my new technique for the first lighting scheme of the day. This--in hindsight--makes sense because it will usually take a new model some time to warm up and become comfortable in her new role. The very fact that you are “testing” a new set up means that it might not work. Why not use the time (and shots) that you are shooting to get your model warmed up?  If the lighting works, but you haven’t got great shot of her yet then you can always go back and shoot that style again later. If the lighting scheme does not work, then you haven’t wasted any great shots of her on so-so lighting.

The latter of these scenarios played out this weekend. Elise is a beautiful young lady with an impressive athletics resume. In fact she played volleyball for a college team that is a perennial top 10 to top 20 squad. She’s quite confident on the court. Modeling however, is a whole different ball game. This was only her second professional shoot and she was understandably a little nervous. I’ve worked with new models for a very long time, so I know that is just a matter of time before the jitters go away and she starts to have some fun. I used this time to try out a lighting idea that quite frankly didn’t work!!! Elise was plenty warmed up by the time we changed the set-up and she was a champ by our third lighting and outfit change. We wound up having a lot of fun and I captured some great images of her--and I learned that I have to make some modifications if I want that first lighting scheme to work! See: Win-win!