What Models Can Learn from Reviewing Photographer Portfolios
This guide will help you through the process of reviewing a photographer’s portfolio and deciding whether you wish to shoot with them based on what you see. Of course there are many other factors in whether you choose to book a shoot, but a photographer’s portfolio can tell you quite a lot and is often the first thing I check when considering a shoot.
Note: While this guide is primarily designed with TF/trade shoots in mind, many of these factors could apply to shoots where you are paying or being paid as well.
Photographer: JLCappella; Model: Dekilah
The first step, of course, will be to look over the photographer’s portfolio and in order to do this you’ll need to find or request the link to it online. I often ask photographer’s for a portfolio if I’m not quite familiar with their work as a portfolio is generally a collection of a person’s best images in their eyes and also of the work they wish to show to represent themselves. As a model you probably know that not every shoot will make it into your portfolio and photographers are much the same way. Many of us take on fun side projects or shoot for other reasons, but our portfolio usually represents what we want to shoot most often so it’s often a nice indicator of our style, comfort levels, etc.
Now that we’ve got a portfolio to look at, let’s look at the things we can learn from it:
The very first thing I consider when looking at photographer’s portfolio is if I feel their style meshes with my style and my general rules is simply: “Do I wish I were the model in any/some/all of their photos?” or perhaps “Do I think if I were the model in any/some/all of their photos that it would benefit my portfolio?” If I can say yes, I keep looking, if not I probably decide the shoot isn’t for me.
Next I look more closely at their style and content and I ask myself questions like…
- What is their editing style (or lack of editing, in some cases) like?
You’re likely to find that many photographers are fairly consistent in their editing unless they’re experimenting so if most of their photos have an editing style you like, the photos you shoot with them are likely to as well. - What types of lighting and angles do they seem to prefer?
Lighting and angles can make a world of difference and even if you don’t know a lot about either one, you can usually pick up on the general feel. Some photographers like natural light, while others use studio lights. Some photographers light to shoot models more close in or detailed, others will crop just above the knee, and some will place the model more into a scene. Some will also do all three or it may vary, but if you see one of these is exclusively or very consistently included in their portfolio it’s fair to assume that they are likely to do the same for your shoot. - Do I like the quality of their images?
A common rule of thumb is to assume you’ll get photos of the same quality as the lowest quality photo in the person’s portfolio. I don’t always follow this rule, but I also never assume that my work with the photographers will automatically be as good as the best photos in their portfolio either. If the images are mostly in line with the quality that you want, then the photographer can likely reproduce images of the same quality for your shoot as well. Keep in mind, however, that the model is also part of quality of the image as well. - Do I recognize any of the models they have shot with?
I don’t worry too much about it if the answer is “no,” but if I do know or recognize any of the models it can tell me a lot and I’ll also have a reference I can contact if I want to. Looking at the models in their portfolio also gives me an idea of the “look” the photographer may prefer. - What is the level of nudity/exposure in their photos?
If I see a few photos beyond my limits, I’ll make sure I talk to the photographer about my limits and let them know which images would be outside of those limits. This is actually one of the things I hear about from photographers the most, they find that models don’t examine their portfolios and bring up what images are outside of their comfort range. Remember, you set your limits and you responsible for letting photographers know what they are.
Side Note: Should a photographer approach you with a concept not in their portfolio, they may send you example images or inspirational images and those can be viewed similar to images from a portfolio for #1, #2, and #5. I would still consider the quality of the photographer’s own photos for #3 in these cases.
I hope you’ll find these tips helpful and if you do I welcome you to share and link to this article.
Dekilah
Dekilah has been an art model since 2009. She has worked with over 100 photographers, ranging from the newest of the new to hobbyists and highly-skilled professionals. She is also very active online and in person reaching out to newer models and photographers to help them learn to communicate well and to avoid common issues in the modeling industry. Her website is www.dekilah.com
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September 08, 2018 at 4:16 pm, Andrew Greig said:
I take a different approach to my portfolio, rather than just showing my best work, I started out showing the progress of a shoot to benefit the models and also as a source of information for other photographers looking to hire models. From the time of starting with MM I have always used the Verified Credits process (VC) and I believe that it is a really powerful resource for models. The photographer can talk about the professionalism of the model, e.g. “arrived on/before time, was ready to shoot or was quickly ready to shoot in our first look, needed direction/no direction, easy to work with , cheerful, hi energy or calm individual. Was a great collaborator, caught the vision and brought it to life. Would love to work with her again (or say nothing about working together again, silence is golden).
From the model’s side, and this is the point of the article, if a photographer has VCs then he/she should read them. If the photographer shoots nudes, that may be a cause for concern, but that may not be all that is shot, what is the non-nude work like in the photographers portfolio? The models’ comments can be key to understanding, the images in the photographers’s port will speak to skill and style, but is the photographer considerate, respectful of the model’s space (especially her dressing area) ? Does the photographer respect the models limits? This respect is best demonstrated when a photographer avoids discussion of expressed limits, and does not attempt to dilute the model’s values.
I was once shooting a non-nude session with a model, the daughter of a minister, and at the end of the shoot she said, “you did not ask me to shoot nude, why do you shoot nudes” . My answer to her was “It says in your profile that you do not shoot nudes, so we didn’t. The reason I did not raise the subject is because it was not my place to do so. This is not the place for me to open the discussion, if I had wanted a model for a nude shoot I would have hired a nude model. And if I had wanted to work with you beyond your expressed limits, the place to ask is in an email, before we met, so that you would have the opportunity to consider it or just decline the shoot. But just the attempt to dilute your values would have changed the dynamic of this shoot which was fantastic.”
I have over thirty VCs and the overwhelming view of the models responding is that my studio is a safe place and that I am a considerate, respectful, and professional photographer. I guard that reputation.
September 08, 2018 at 10:25 am, Eric Overton said:
Two of the best things any model can do as far as selecting a photographer are:
1) Get out to galleries and look at serious work by people who actively practice the craft of photography
and
2) Learn as much as possible about photography — and specifically film photography.
As somebody who’s spent nearly half a century behind the camera, I’m struck by how little people in general know about the art. And to be fair, when somebody is 18-25 years old and trying to do a little modeling, odds are he or she simply hasn’t had the time to be immersed in the art. But there’s a lot you can do to remedy this, and the more you know about how the masters worked, the more you’ll be able to spot talent and discipline in the shooting of people who are coming up the curve. And most of the people you’ll work with are coming up the steeper parts of it.
Take any opportunity to see photos by folks like Ed Weston, Morley Baer, Bruce Barnbaum, Jock Sturges, and Gordon Hutchings in person, exhibited in proper lighting when you get the chance. Many of these guys’ works travel to museums, and there’s a huge difference between seeing an image in a coffee-table book and seeing an original print.
Then learn a bit about basic photographic processes (zone system, development technique, etc.) and optics. With that, you’ll start to see lighting technique far more clearly when you examine an image.
That bit of self-education will enable you to judge where on the learning curve a photographer is. There’s nothing wrong with working with people of limited experience, but you have to be aware going in. And you also have to be able to judge how serious somebody is about improving his own mastery of the craft. In the end, I think as a model you’ll find it a much more satisfying to work with even somebody who’s just starting out but is dedicated to improving steadily over decades than to work with somebody who’s been churning out the same gimmicky junk for years because he had no desire to get any better.
September 08, 2018 at 10:19 am, Tim Dolan said:
The only thing I would add to this article is to remember that a photographer’s styles may change over time. So look at the more recent photos over older ones if possible.
I cite myself as example.
Some of my lighting styles have changed with equipment, from early pair of hot lights (none left in my online portfolios), to 5 strobes, to 3 strobes, and now 2 strobes and 2 LED panels (when doing studio work). Each of those styles lasted 3-4 years.
Similar with editing styles and experimentation.
Although for me composition tends to be similar over the years, I did come in a bit on the advice of a class instructor about a decade ago. Otherwise depends on what I am shooting for Product, Model, or just Art, but within those my compositions tend to be similar.