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Male vs. Female photographer
Being a model and all, I have done a fair amount of shoots. All with great photograpers, no doubt, though results vary from awesome to disaster. All of the photographers I came across are men. Great guys, nice fellows, who sometimes treat me beer and pizza after. Lately I have been wondering though what difference if would make to shoot with a female photographer. I have never encountered a female photographer neither here in Beijing nor HK. Does it matter? Could it matter? Why does it seem like there are so few of them? It's not that I distrust guys, or have daddy issues or something, I am just very curious if collaborating with a lady behind the lens would get a different (not better or worse per say)result for a shoot. Does anybody wonder about the same? Please share! Apr 17 14 02:38 am Link I've shot with a total of 3 female photographers, and all of them were great. I feel that women can bring a different dynamic/perspective to a shoot. Not necessarily better than what a male photographer has to offer, but different, and something I can definitely appreciate. I wish there were more talented female photographers who were putting themselves out there and shooting with models, but alas. Apr 17 14 03:10 am Link Yup.. I really wish I'd know where to find a good female photographer, just to see what difference it would make, after and while while shooting. Ladies, where are you hidden? And... why are there so many male photographers, and so few female? In general, and on MM? Apr 17 14 06:53 am Link Male photographers can fix their own cameras...  Sorry, that was too easy. Good morning y'all Apr 17 14 07:08 am Link I have quite a few models work with me, specifically because I'm female and they aren't comfortable with a male... I've been told (by those who work with both) that I do bring a different style and perspective to the shoot- but there's no way to tell how much of that is me and how much of that is a male vs/ female difference Apr 17 14 07:13 am Link Female photographers don't "shoot with their penis" (to quote another MM model)  Apart from that, most of the female photographers I know are probably more likely to be a bit 'hands-on' when it comes to posing you and will generally be less worried about appearing 'creepy' than guys, but otherwise, there's not much difference really. Just my $0.02 etc. etc. Apr 17 14 07:14 am Link All humans are different Apr 17 14 07:17 am Link Difference with me at my shoots get a bit long because I chit chat a lot usually when we have a team on set and we are all girls we get distracting chit chatting a lot. I have been told by a model that it doesn't feel like work but like girls playing dress up and hanging out lol When I work with male models I don't have much to talk about so shoots are prompt and in and out lol because I have not much to talk about other the shoot itself hahaha Apr 17 14 07:17 am Link A-M-P wrote: Maybe this girly familiarity is what works, in a way? Because the model doesn't feel as pressured as she would perhaps have felt during a shoot with a male she puts out more in sense of her personality? Just speculating here... perhaps when girls work with girls they -yes- giggle, waste time chit chatting, but in the end get a better (deeper) result. I wouldn't know! Apr 17 14 07:41 am Link I once attended a seminar with Peter Gowland ( famous glamor photographer who did a lot of work for Playboy, now deceased ) and his wife, who was his assistant. He said that he had his wife choose the models that he photographed because she was much more critical of the models than he was. Apr 17 14 08:50 am Link I always wonder about the female dynamic and style of capturing images, communicating with models, etc. I'd love to hear from models who have shot with both and were able to pinpoint what makes us different, if anything at all. Apr 17 14 08:56 am Link I like the conversation I had with a female photographer, but for some reason I felt more self conscious in front of her than any of the male photographers I've worked with. Apr 17 14 09:02 am Link Wait...are we talking straight female photographers, or lesbian photographers? Also, are they sweet as pie, or are they a snotty bitch with a type A personality? Lastly, are they super talented, or just starting out and completely unfamilar with lighting and composition? My guess is, your results will be the same as shooting with a male photographer...some will be great and some will be bad. Apr 17 14 09:15 am Link I'm a chick photographer. I donno if it's that much different cause I still worry about not respecting boundaries so I always try to ask people if they mind if I touch them to pose them (or at least make them aware before I do it) or I might tell them they can wear a tube top instead of a strapless bra if they feel too exposed. I'm really shy though so that probably has more to do with it. The one awesome thing is that, as a 105lb girl, if I'm out shopping for clothes or something for a shoot I can try them on before I buy them and see how they fit/look. A lot of clothing looks way different on you compared to the hanger or even on models online. I also sometimes test makeup/hair looks out on myself or try about poses in the mirror to see if there's anything new I like. I can also buy clothing for myself and have models barrow it for shoots if we're just testing. I'm also assuming it's waaaay less awkward for them if a model happens to have any kinda 'wardrobe malfunctions' during a shoot. I still feel a little bit weird having to make them aware of it though :p Apr 17 14 09:16 am Link On shoots where I am in charge of my own styling, hair and makeup I find women have tended to give me more specific instructions so I can come ready for the shoot. Instead of: "give your cheeks some colour, use bronzer and use black on your eyes and make it pointy if you can" I get: "Use a peach toned blush, contour a bit and draw on heavy winged liner" Of course I have gotten great instructions from make photographers, and this isn't meant to be a blanket statement. Just what I have found so far in modelling. Apr 17 14 09:20 am Link I actually seem to shoot with more female photographers than male, these days! A few years ago, I had never even met one - now, almost every agency booked job I do is with a female photographer, and a lot of my test work is with girls too. Many of them have been models in the past, and so I always find them very considerate (not that male photographers are not, but experience on both sides of the lens is helpful when empathizing), and I often come away from shoots with new friends - they feel less like work and more like a club meeting, even if there are deadlines to be met and stress. I've also never had a female photographer make gross comments about my breasts, which is nice - though plenty of male photographers have managed not to be creepy about bringing them up Apr 17 14 09:24 am Link Female photographer here! I think my sex was a big factor when I was starting out and didn't have a strong portfolio. I was living in South Carolina at the time where the major image producers did women in bikinis on cars so by doing something vastly different I caught their attention then sealed the shoot with being a female photographer and not asking them to pose implied. Now that I have a stronger portfolio, it doesn't matter. Male and female models get in touch with me and there's never discussion of the creep factor associated with male photographers. We do what we do and get the job done. Apr 17 14 09:41 am Link It sucks you haven't shot with a female photographer yet. You are missing out. Being a female photographer makes us see and connect with the models a lot differently then men do. I don't know about other female photographers but for me I connect with most of the models I work with in a personal level. They become very comfortable and at ease, which gets me some beautiful results. All I do is just listen. Women like to be told they are beautiful more by other women then men. They liked to be admired and appreciated, I give them that and whatever else they need. I'm not a girlie girl so I don't really talk about make-up clothes (maybe shoes) but we usually talk life, dreams, desires etc. I find women open up a lot more to female photographers then male. But that could be just me  Apr 17 14 01:53 pm Link Erlinda wrote: Communication is always key Apr 17 14 01:59 pm Link Browse > Search > Beijing & Female Photographers = 7 Hong Kong = 44 Number seems low to me. Could it be cultural? Apr 17 14 02:07 pm Link Another Italian Guy wrote: sexist... Apr 17 14 06:04 pm Link Fen Lingling wrote: female photogs take less "crap" Apr 17 14 06:07 pm Link When I shoot weddings, part of introducing myself to the bridesmaids while they are getting ready is that "On wedding days, I'm just one of the girls". At one wedding, I pulled a pack of bobby pins out of my camera bag when one of the bridesmaids needed some and her response was "You really ARE one of the girls"! Apr 17 14 06:13 pm Link All Yours Photography wrote:
Apr 17 14 06:17 pm Link OP: This is just an observation, but there are not too many female photographers out there that I have encountered that want to shoot glam/swimwear/lingerie..etc. Most want to focus on fashion, landscapes, or documentary work it seems. With that said though, there are some amazing female photographers out there also in addition to some amazing male photographers. Personally I think that every human brings something different to a shoot rather than breaking it down by sex/gender. The reason being is because we are all imprinted by the experiences that we have gone through in our lives. Not everyone has the same ideal of what photography means to them. Sure, if you shoot with guys that only do glam, their idea will be that of edgy provocative imagery, but there are guys out there that do other things too and approach shoots differently. I think that we all simply have to open our eyes to the human approach to realize the subtleties that make each shoot different. Sometimes for me for example whether I am photographing guys or girls, there is just different energy from different people. The best images are made though when connection with subject, photographer, and team, meets art and technical. When you can make someone feel something in an image, it is a very powerful thing. What that feeling is depends on the dynamic of those creating it no matter who they are. You should definitely get out there and shoot with as many folks of all genders as possible though. I would not look at it as genders though, I would look at it as shooting with another human being with a different insight. just my .02 cents. good luck Apr 17 14 06:37 pm Link Another Italian Guy wrote: No they "shoot with their clit" Apr 17 14 06:59 pm Link Fen Lingling wrote: Hello, Apr 17 14 09:15 pm Link Art Silva wrote: Bwahaha! Apr 17 14 09:29 pm Link I don't think there is a difference. maybe women are more social by nature. I'm friendly but i'm not your friend . I'm not looking to get involved in anybody's personal life, but I will give my opinion time to time if asked . without sounding sexist imo men can stay focused on task at hand , women as social beings will carry the conversation too long and be distracted . just my opinion in most situations I've observed imo lol Apr 17 14 09:56 pm Link I've only shot with 2 female photographers. The first made me want to rip her throat out and hand it to her, the second was pretty fun to shoot with. I don't mind female photographers, but I'm highly uncomfortable around ANY female. Apr 17 14 10:48 pm Link Danielle Reid wrote: That's kind of weird. Apr 17 14 11:16 pm Link KungPaoChic wrote: I don't find it weird, then again I'm not you and you're not me. You didn't grow up like I did, or had the experiences that I've experienced, and I don't expect you to ever understand. I'm uncomfortable around women, let's leave it at that. At least I'm honest about it Apr 17 14 11:23 pm Link I have shot with both. And the first and very apparent difference in approach is that Males tend to look at the whole picture but will not notice small details in regards to the Model. Hence little things like flyaway hair, collar out of place etc tend to go unnoticed. I also find makes will make comments about my looks. All complimentary, but I am not interested. Female photographers I have worked with have all been Models and they all take a much more empathetic approach. They take more time making sure I look right and therefore I perform way better and my guard is down. In terms of successful images that my agencies use and the ones that get me work; the female ones are the photographs used and the male ones that are the best are nods done by a Gay couple who work just like the female ones I have shot with. Apr 17 14 11:42 pm Link I only model occasionally. Only one experience with a female model and that was when I was in my early 50's which I'm sure colored my impressions since it was also one of my very few nude or near-nude shoots. From that limited perspective, I wouldn't say that the experience was significantly different from shooting with male photographers. If anything, I may have felt a bit more comfortable with her than with some of the men I've shot with. Possibly because she took great pains to make me comfortable. But then again I tend to be more comfortable with women than with men generally. All IMHO as always, of course. Apr 18 14 07:12 am Link Female photographer here! I find that models feel a lot more relaxed and comfortable around me because i'm female. I still ask permission to touch them or pose them, simply because I think it would be rude not too. However, the atmosphere on shoots is always chilled out and we have a few laughs and chatter. I get to know the people I work with on a really personal level. Apr 18 14 09:31 am Link Personally, I've found every single one of my photoshoots to be different in some way, irregaurdless of gender. After working with many different photographers of all backgrounds and levels, I have found that patterns are present. After shooting for a few years, well eleven to be exact, most of the male photographers I've worked with in one way or another have disrespected the relationship I hope to form with ANY photographer. Which is a completely professional, creative alliance where we can create dynamic and beautiful photographs. About a quarter of the photographers I've worked with more than one time, and a couple of that bunch more than a dozen times. One male, one female and both were completely professional and yet polar opposites of each other. I have found that sometimes the first shoot everything seems hunky-dory but by the next shoot their true colors start to show. Everybody perceives and approaches things differently. On a basic level men and women are wired differently, we connect differently. Personally I prefer to work with a photographer who is a woman. I've worked with about 18 female photographers (about 13%) and only one of them has disrespected our working relationship. In all except that one particular case, female photographers have always made me feel respected, beautiful and comfortable. Why does it feel like there are so few of them? Maybe on Model Mayhem, but I think there are plenty of amazing female photographers out there. Apr 18 14 10:28 am Link JESSICA CLAIRE wrote: Wow! - you may want to take a look at the common denominator here and it may very well not be male vs. female photographer. Apr 18 14 10:31 am Link R Emary wrote: I look at your work and can see how you make the model the focus of the shoot. The surrounding is there to compliment the Subject. I have found my images from females to do this. My photographs by men tend to have little details that bug me because an aspect of myself is not looked at. Your work is gorgeous BTW. Apr 18 14 10:39 am Link Eros Fine Art Photo wrote: I agree. Apr 18 14 10:40 am Link Paul Best wrote: My day job is as a nurse...I personally do not want to spiral into girl talk all afternoon when there is a goal and task at hand. Apr 18 14 10:44 am Link |
