Models are people too!

Most of the people we use as models are real every day people, they wont have the experience of a 10000€ a day supermodel. There for interaction with your "subject" is very important. The key to a good posed photograph is making the photograph look as if it wasn't posed.

While a natural-looking photograph is partially in the hands of a model professional enough to pull it off, there are many techniques photographers can use to help accomplish photos that don't appear stilted. Learning to apply some of these techniques can help you pose your models naturally.

Model Interaction

• Learn to interact with your models. Nothing can ruin a photo shoot faster than a photographer and a model that can't work well together. Be conversational, tell them what you like and what you don't like . Put your models at ease with casual talk. Ask if there is anything you can do to help make your model more comfortable. Body language can change a photograph drastically. A tense model will take a poor, unnatural photograph. Talk to them about their interests and hobbies, as they are in the limelight making them feel more important will make your job easier.

Lighting and Planning

• Have a few different lighting ideas before you start to shoot. While models may be used to posing in all sorts of conditions, harsh, hot lights can make people irritable. It's easy for a session to become intolerable, thereby causing some models to become sloppy in their poses. Careful planning on your part can help reduce the time spent in uncomfortable lighting situations; the more prepared you are for a shoot, the less time it will take you to get the shots you need. This means less time under hot lights for your models.

Setting and Props

• Customise settings to your models when possible. Unless specific settings are required for the shoot. Unless specific props or clothes are required for the shoot, work with your model to choose clothes and props they are  comfortable working with. If you must work in uncomfortable locations, be aware of your subject and interact to encourage her to bear with you while you get the shots you need. Take plenty of breaks if necessary, especially if you're shooting in a cold, wet environment or under other particularly miserable conditions.

Friends and Family

• Imagine that you are expected to turn up alone for a shoot with people you don't know. When your model is accompanied by a best friend or family member they will feel more secure. This can also have a down side e.g. over protective boyfriends can get very jealous. I always try to recommend a best friend or sibling, as they tend to have inside tips and knowledge of your model that may help.

Boundaries and Contact

• You never know what could happen. Protect yourself, keep your distance at all times and never shoot with out a contract. Never actually have any physical contact with your model, always ask your assistant or the companion thy bought with then to do things like "brush the hair out of the eyes", " position dress", "tuck the bra strap in" etc. Parents or legal guardians MUST always be there if you are shooting younger models.

Contracts and Respect

• Always have a model contract... No contract - no shoot. The contract should protect both photographer and model from any misunderstandings. It should cover things like: the type of shoot, location, payment, who hold the legal rights to the images, how and where they will be published (web, print etc), if the model wants to use their real name or an alias. You may have taken the best photo of your life, but if the model hates and doesn't want it published you should respect that (no matter how hard or non-logical it may seem).

Here is something to keep in the back of your head, "there are 3 basic ways people will tend to react once they are in front of the lens". This is not based on any fact or official studies its just what I have noticed and should be taken light heartedly.

1. The Exhibitionist: They want to be the centre of attention. Keeping them motivated isn't hard but keeping up with them can be. They may be easily distracted but are open to suggestion and will try anything. Comments like "ohh thats sexy", "yeaaa more more", "you look fantastic" go down well. Try not to over do it keep them wanting a bit more. Sometimes getting them to keep their cloths on can be the hardiest part of the job.

2. The Introvert: They will just stand there like a rabbit in your car headlights. And you be surprised how many people will turn into that rabbit once the lights are on them. This is the hardiest group to deal with, even beating them with a baseball bat wont cause any reaction. That is why we have a fully stocked beer fridge at every shoot, not for the models but for our own nerves.

3. The, Ambivert: Will start of a bit shy and withdrawn, but with the right encouragement they will come out of their shell. The Ambivert is an Introvert with an Exhibitionist hiding inside. They can be the most rewarding to work with as you will see real results over the course of the shooting.