Brainstorming ideas and keeping sketchbooks is a really big thing for me but I also know many photographers who just shoot what they are currently thinking. So the question is, is it better to be organized or to be spontaneous.
When coming into a shoot and an agency send you a model, a new face. Great look, long legs perfect but her expressions are lifeless and her movements are stiff, now what do you do. You have two hours to deliver these beautiful fashion images to the designer. Start with this, go onto google images before the shoot and download a sheet of happy faces with expressions and what the expressions are written underneath it. Print this out and have it available for the model in the beginning of the shoot. Start with talking to the model and talking about all the different expressions. Tell her to go over the expressions and with every expression think of something, for example: this expression is happy, what’s something that makes you happy?
This will give more depth to the models expressions
Another thing to make the model more comfortable would be to put some music on, ask the model what type of music he/she enjoys.
To get the model more comfortable with posing you can do some funny poses first, tell her to do the craziest pose she can imagine and that these photos are just for fun and give you over exaggerated expressions. This should loosen the model up a little and get her/him in the groove.
Fashion. Every little piece of the shoot has a different meaning. From the ring which was sent in from India to the necklace which was made in Dubai. Every designer has a different vision and as a photographer you get to help put this vision and make it a story readable by all. Choosing the set for a clothing brand is setting the mood, choosing the model is to choose the muse, choosing the makeup artist is to set the direction, every little piece making the story what it is.
Sometimes it’s a struggle to figure out whether you should be shooting something strange and creative to get the media attention you desire to get free advertisement or just shoot a strong book of stuff that sells. This is always a struggle in my mind. I have hundreds of ideas of different movements I would like to shoot but when I do, then I have to direct my photography in two directions that I feel doesn’t focuses me enough on my specialty and spreads me too thin which I see a lot of photographers do, become a jack of all trades. To me the most important thing is a strong focus in one direction at a time, maybe set aside a month a year to do my specialty projects. Otherwise I shoot the style I love fashion. What I love about fashion though it can be a little strange if the clothing calls for it which makes it fun! And European fashion is my favorite when it comes to being creative, no jcpenney catalogs setting the trend here.
Jade Hannah Photography Blog 