Clicking with Models

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter." - Alfred Eisenstaedt

Interestingly, Eisenstaedt's most famous photograph, VJ Day Kiss, is a candid, street photography, image of two people he neither clicked with nor whose names he ever knew.

But the apparent contradiction between Eisenstaedt's words and his most famous photo doesn't deter me from using the master photographer's observation to, once again, underscore the importance of, well, of clicking with the people you are photographing.

The other day, I rambled on about casing locations. Today's rambling focuses on clicking with models.

After arriving on set, casing the joint, and choosing whatever spot that remains available for to me to shoot in, I generally turn my attention to the first model who will grace my lens. Usually, I'll find her sitting in the chair, the makeup chair, that is.

As a rule, models and MUAs will most always be engaged in some deep conversation. These deep conversations usually revolve around cosmetics, hair care products, boyfriends or girlfriends, some sort of gossip, or how blasted one or both of them became last time they were out partying. The first trick is to know when to ease into the conversation without actually crashing it. Fortunately, I'm often acquainted enough with the MUA for she or he to greet me with a big smile and a bigger hug. As a result of that smiling hug, whatever ice that might exist between the model and I quickly melts.

Here's why:

The model wants to like me. She wants to like me because the MUA apparently likes me and because I'm not a competing female and I don't come off as a leering, on-the-make male and, most importantly, she wants to like me because I'm the guy she wants to believe is going to make her look like every man's dream-come-true in the photographs I capture.

It's like this: Even if the model isn't overly fond of the MUA, models are well aware that MUAs have a lot of control over what they're going to look like in the photos so they'll pretend to like the MUA whether they like them or not. Likewise, photographers are the next people in line with control over how the model's beauty will be portrayed in the images. So, it's no-brainer that it's in the model's best interest to like me... or to pretend to like me. This is important for shooters to remember: It's in the model's best interest to want to like the photographer or, at the very least, to pretend to like the photographer. This, of course, works in the photographer's best interest and is a situation worth exploiting.

BTW, if I'm not acquainted with the MUA or the model, I approach, stand quietly for a moment until I draw their attention and, when they acknowledge my presence, I introduce myself as the photographer followed by a couple of quick ego strokes applied to both the MUA and the model.

Often, the first thing out of my mouth to the model is something very complimentary about her appearance. Here's a simple example: "Wow! You are gorgeous!" I say this even if the MUA is in the very beginning stages of applying the model's face or whether it's true, untrue, or merely somewhat true. Stroking someone's ego is always a great way to begin a relationship providing it's said with all the sincerity and friendliness one can muster. I should add that I always say stuff like this with a big, friendly, smile plastered on my mug.

I never overstay my welcome in and around the chair. Doing so risks having the model become suspect of my agenda and my intentions. I only hover around the chair long enough for a quick meet-n-greet, application of a few well-placed ego strokes, and getting a fix on when the MUA will be finished. I also try to make some decisions about the model's face and her height and body type: These decisions effect how I'm going to pre-light for her. Example: Determining if one of the model's eyes are noticeably smaller than the other, a common occurrence. (Note: A smaller eye is usually best photographed closer to the camera's lens than the larger eye. The difference in distance (perspective) between each eye and the lens will seem to even them out, size-wise, in the two-dimensional images you're about to capture.)

Once the model arrives on my set, I generally cease paying attention to whatever technical things I'm doing and all my attention seemingly becomes focused on the model. I say "seemingly" because part of my brain is still focused on the technical aspects yet I put on the appearance that it's all about her. Even while physically adjusting lights or taking meter readings (and while I'm shooting) I keep a constant, friendly, humorous dialogue going with the model. I don't miss opportunities to apply ego strokes. I give direction. I make her feel like she's doing things right. It's lonely out there in the lights and I work hard to make the model feel that she's not alone and that we're a team. My goals, of course, are to relax her, build rapport, have her trust my directions, believe in herself, and to get some great pictures!

The model at the top is Kayla. We were shooting at a location house and, for reasons that still baffle me, the only place I was permitted to shoot was in the driveway with the stuccoed side of the garage as a background. Nice. (Not.) Anyway, it was the middle of the day and the sun was overhead. Again, nice. (Again, not.) I used a couple of strobes to overcome the sun and shot away. Obviously, the image is more than slightly processed with brown and sepia-toned goodness.