forum > Photography
Working with a model
Forgiss:
we have some video of us working with models on our podcast site: http://forgiss.libsyn.com
As a general rule:
Communicate beforehand what you want to achieve
Stay within your brief
Never touch a model!
Always have an assistant in the room with you (really... at all times!)
No alcohol or other substances in the studio
(one reason is legal, the other is what it does to skin and post production editing... same for cigarettes)
dolgachov:
how different we really are.
indeed,
1. i'm always co-operating with model in destroying all the briefs and look where fantasy will possibly lead us.
2. i do touch models as much as i need to. i lectured practical psychology though, so it's easy for me to see if we are on the same "wave" with model, and she/he never get any touches she/he might have some objection for. and touch mean touch. not something intimate one could possibly think. the way fitness instructors or doctors touch you. ot your mother/brother/sister. natural, professional and friendly.
3. when my assistance sees model needs more privacy to act free, my assistaint always leaves me and model alone, going to other room.
4. i use cigarettes, cigars, water, oil, chocolate, dirt, paint, joghurt, wine, whiskey, champagne, fruits and vegetables, shampoo, soap bubbles - whatever it takes to shoot the things i want.
considering alcohol: i never allow models to drink nowadays unless i'm shooting drinking model, but if i do - model drinks, no problem. once it took half a bottle of whiskey to shoot this one for example:
it was ages ago, something like more than year ago i believe. picture is not so good. but as an example. ;]
Forgiss:
My concerns about Touch, Alcohol and Assistants come from Legal problems which may arise...
realdealphoto:
Working with models is just like working with other people in any other situation. It all boils down to communication and respect. If those things are present in the working relationship it will all come together.
There are lots of variables in how to handle individual situations that may arise but in the end if you are respectfully communicating with your model you will find the working environment agreeable to both of you.
Personally I am with Forgiss in the way I choose to work in the studio. I have a strict no touch policy. I only touch a model after asking for permission, unless of course the model is someone I have worked with before and I already have the permission for simple pose, hair, wardrobe adjustments that might require me to touch her. I prefer to have a female assistant or make up artist on the set with me and have her make the adjustments in most cases. Having the 3rd party in the room also disallows any possibility of the he said / she said situation should a dispute arise from the session.
I will allow a model of legal age to have a drink if she desires one but only one if she is driving herself and never will I allow a model to become intoxicated in the studio. I do not allow smoking in the studio unless it is a key element in a commercial shot.
Above all else I maintain the control in the shoot while in the studio. After all the model is there to work for me so I maintain the relationship on an employee / employee basis and find that this helps a great deal.
dolgachov:
so touch and assistants are about rape and harrassment stuff?
as long as i never shoot for money and i only work with those desperately wanting to work with me and are ready to wait for a few months to get my time it's not a real issue for me.
ok i can IMAGINE some crazy model would possibly want to hurt me, contact me, do all the things i'll ask het to do to get here, wait for a few months, then wait until assistaint leaves us alone then wait until i'll touch her then what? scream? ok, i'll call assistaint and police first. and second, if she wants to hurt me anyway, she'll not need me to touch her. she'll wait untill assistant goes out to toilet for examlpe then screams. so what's the difference? i believe your assistaint leaves you with model alone for a minute sometimes. we are all humans so assistaints eat and sh$t too.
so entire situation is let's say as possible as woman coming to your house asking for water or phone call then scream.
as long as you don't touch anybody bad or offensive way i don't think there's any REAL risk present. i would not advice anyone to touch anybody as long as some idiot decides it's ok, would act stupid and touch somebody the way he shouldn't, still i don't think "never touch" rule has something to do with trust and creative co-operation with model. it's all personal though. me, in person, will deny working with model if i would know she/he has a problems with me touching her/him professional and friendly way. i only shoot those who do the things i say and i ask to the way i want. no exceptions.
considering alcohol - what legal problems can alcohol cause if you shoot legal age ones? i repeat, i only allow alcohol in case i need it IN FRAME. (applies to smoke and food. model smokes or eats only if i need it IN FRAME). i never allow alcohol anymore to get model relaxed - it's wrong. instead of relaxed you always get one who can't really make a work. but as long as i need to shoot something about alcohol - i don't see any problems it can possibly cause. unless you get some crazy model again who drinks then starts to scream or crash everything. chances are, but some chances to something always are. we're not sitting at home at barocameras like Michael Jackson anyway. so chances always are. we can get killed, raped, get poor, go to jail and have a problem with some model. chanses always are and one must weight them on for himself to see what's real dangerous and what's more of paranoia for his particular work. any work with people is a possible risk.
it's all personal, again. i just mentioned how different we are. what one considers rule, it thing other considers "no-no" and vice versa. ;]
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