Working with Established Models vs New Faces
New Face, Nora LaCasse’s frist shoot
I received feedback on my portfolio recently, which I always greatly appreciate! The feedback was that my portfolio needed to have higher-end professional models. I understand that high-end clients want to see high-end everything to book you, but from my side of the lens, it takes far more skill to work with new faces.
An established model will float on to set, skillfully and deliberately move every time they hear the shutter, ask if you are getting what you need and then waltz off when you get the shot rather quickly. When you get a new model in front of you, they don’t understand what it is to work the camera; they typically stand there, sweating a little, with wide eyes and the customary pouty look*. The photographer has to instruct every movement and every expression and because they are new, they don’t understand that feedback is part of the process and typically get a little overwhelmed, which then shows up in their expression and more sweat. This is a HECK of a lot more work for the photographer, they must work to make the new model feel comfortable and safe enough to move to emote and to act a little weird to get a great image. The photographer has to be an interpersonal wizard in order to come CLOSE to making the photograph work.
New Face, Addy First Shoot
Starting in the 2010s, there was a shift to see more diversity throughout all photography, and different body shapes, sizes, and colours were beginning to show up on the runway. Now, a lot of commercial advertisements feature “every day” looking people, but now AI has entered the ring where EVERYTHING is perfect, which has really shaken up the photography industry (and I thought the digital shift was the only mega movement I was going to see in my career). On one side you have the unobtainable (often weird-eyed) perfection because it is generated by a machine. These AI images mimic the over-photoshopped, extraordinarily symmetrical content we have seen in photography for the past two decades, and AI is getting so good that even to the trained eye, it can be hard to decipher apart from the eyes. On the other side of the spectrum, we have been seeing more “analog” film photography with light leaks, grain and a beautiful collection of different types of people, most of which are not so polished. As a long-time photographer and art lover, I am far more interested in seeing the images created by humans for humans, but I understand that I too, have to adapt to these new technologies.
I greatly appreciate the feedback and will be adding more high-end content to my portfolio because, well, I LOVE TO WORK! However, I also think that one of my greatest strengths as a photographer is that I can get a great image from almost any person, regardless of their experience in front of the camera.
* where does this idea that all models must have the standard pout/duck face please email me if you have the answer info@stephanietrattner.com
