Whenever I plan a shoot I always ask my team to make the models feel as good as possible. After all, their faces are the ones showing in my photos and the camera does not lie: if they are uncomfortable, it will show. Besides, I strongly believe that when the team you work with is happy everyone will work better. I always try to mantain a calm and relaxed atmosphere on set, I have food and beverages for everyone and I try to give positive and constructive feedback all the time.
That is why it surprises me when the models that I work with tell me that they are very happy that I have food on the set or that they really like that I try to make them feel good all the time because other photographers they have worked with just do not care. To me this is common sense: I want this people to give me their best so I try to give them my best as well.
Think about it: most of these models are doing two or three shoots or castings a day so before they got to yours they probably already posed for someone else. And even if yours was the first shoot of the day, they spend all their time being the canvas on which us creatives work. Imagine how that can get pretty exhausting and it can also make you feel vulnerable and self-conscious because you are being judged all the time. And it’s true, it’s their job. But I think that it is also true that you as a photographer are the leader of a team and it’s your responsibility to make sure that your team is comfortable doing their job.
Of course, this does not only apply to models; the whole crew must be kept in mind. So the next time that you are working on a shoot remember to have refreshments and to make your team feel so good that they would do anything that you ask them to do. In the end, it’s not only about the person who is behind the camera: everyone’s role is crucial when it comes to getting that money shot.
Do you like what you just read? Subscribe to the weekly blog posts here!