Details

Model Mayhem #:
1625455
Last Activity:
May 27, 2018
Experience:
Very Experienced
Compensation:
Time for Print
Joined:
Apr 01, 2010

About Me

Beauty, I have learned, is truly within and without. Seeking to produce the highest quality work, I will only accept models who work hard to embody both. Here's what I mean:

The "eyes" and expression tell all.

Every human contracts muscles as a form of non-verbal communication, which is wired into the part of our nervous system we have little or no conscious control over. This means that whatever you are feeling or thinking will flash across the 90 muscles of your face and hundreds more in your body as an expression. In a photo, the only thing we notice about the eyeball itself is where it is looking or whether it is in focus. It is the face that conveys the inner essence of the mind in model photos.

Following several years of model photography, I've come to understand a primary truth, physical attractiveness of models being equal.

The MONEY shot

This is what we are after, and hopefully more than one emerges. These are the images that will rocket a model beyond the thousands of women she is competing against for success.

...the pictures that gain the most attention are those that reflect the mental attitude in best alignment with the objective of the image and the attitude of the photographer...

So while a model may be "hot" she's definitely not going to be perceived so if her mind is not in the right place for the shoot. Being--at first--a naive newbie photographer, I worked with a number of girls who conveyed an unearned sense of entitlement. I thought that in spite of their bad attitudes, I could make them look good, and I did. But what seemed like stellar photos never made the cut. No money shots were possible in these situations, even after thousands of shots over several days with near perfect lighting and composition. As I reviewed the years of notes I made while banging out sets, the connection between model attitude and subsequent success was self-evident. With this epiphany, I now know that I only should work with models that embody the following...

Humility

A photographer that captures the inner and outer beauty of a model while balancing the requisite composition and lighting expertise, invests a lot of hard work in the process. Good photographers never feel they master it; they are always striving for improvement. But it's not just about the technical aspects. I've learned that without a strong rapport with a model, the outcome will suffer. And that doesn't happen without a good degree of humility on both sides.

Until someone gives you cause to react to them otherwise, I believe it is important to be humble, respectful and grounded. One cannot act this out effectively. One must genuinely strive to be so. In my view, it is this zen-like outlook that is essential to the kind of rapport (on both sides) that will generate a winning photo.

Talent and ad agencies aren't looking for massively photoshopped images. These are fun to show to your friends, but they do nothing to advance YOUR career. Image manipulation is the last thing a publisher does, long after a model is selected. Present a portfolio filled with manipulated images and it will be filed directly to the garbage. While some post-photo adjustment is always standard practice, those very busy talent scouts that scan thousands of models summarily reject doctored photos. They need to see the model as she really is. So what to scouts care about?

Does she have the "look?"
Does she captivate?
How versatile is she?
Is she present in the photos?

There are many more factors, but selection boils down to strict attention to micro-expressions. I have studied micro-expressions greatly, and have a unique process for bringing my other training as a mediator and counselor to the art. I'm going to take the time to know you before we start shooting. I'm going to bring out your best if you desire to bring it.

I don't take on a high volume of models. My focus is on quality of work and quality of experience. The working relationship I endeavor to generate is the type in which my model will insist that I am her photographer long after I help make her famous...simply because no one understands her well enough to bring the "money shot" expressions to the surface the way that I do.

About Profile Photos

Although I could post images of many different models here, I decided to demonstrate what I can coax from just one. I was working with a first-time model with no experience or training whatsoever. She had hardly any makeup on, just lipstick and a little eyeliner. Nobody has perfect skin and we could have caked her face, but the talent scouts I've talked to tell me they prefer this realism. Clients want to know what they are working with and how much natural beauty exists. The trick is to make a photo work without so much makeup or retouching. Clients know they can do this themselves later. Ariel had the right attitude to pull off the highly sought after girl next-door look with minimal props. Check her out.

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