Tips from a professional photographer

I was speaking to a professional photographer earlier in the week called Darren House (www.darrenhouse.co.uk) and asked him a few questions on how to become a model and also tips for already established models. Here's the first two questions I asked him and what he had to say.

1. How should a model best prepare for a photo shoot?

Ensure they have different sets of clothing all of which they feel comfortable in.
When picking outfits for the shoot think about props that may enhance the effect you are trying to achieve, you can always leave them out if you change your mind later. However, if you are trying to build a portfolio, props and jewelry or similar can sometimes detract from the focus of the image. In portfolio photography you are trying to sell yourself not your lovely necklace!
Try to practice posing in front of a mirror prior to a shoot and remember things that sometimes look a bit over the top in a mirror don’t always come out that way in the still shot that a photographer is trying to achieve. Learn how your face feels with a perfect smile - no gums, eyes open but not squinting
If doing their own make up they need to understand that the lighting being used will naturally ‘wash’ them out so the photographer may request that you apply more then normal to combat this.

2. As an experienced model photographer what tips could you give to a first timer in front of the camera?
Let the photographer know if you are not sure what to do with yours hands or feet, they can change a ‘good’ photo into an ‘average’ photo.
Listen to the photographer and let them give you direction in your posing. Body parts can be obscured by the angle of a camera that you wouldn’t expect.
Remember not many people can stand in front of the camera and not feel self-conscious at the start of a shoot, but as much as possible try to relax so that this doesn’t show through in all of your pictures

More to come tomorrow...