MORE THAN JUST YOUR CAMERA AND EDITING
As a travel/landscape photographer, stepping into portrait photography is a completely different world. One of the biggest difference between the two is, you have to work with at least another individual. With landscape photography, you're dealing with the outdoors, you can't direct how mother nature looks for your shots whereas with portrait photography, you can! Having the ability to tell your subject how to look and what to do is a huge advantage for making an epic portrait, which is sometimes overlooked by the many!
1) BUILD RAPPORT BEFORE THE SHOOT
A lot of the shoots you'll be doing are most likely going to be your first time meeting them, at least for most of my shoots. You want to genuinely connect at some level so that you are cohesive when you are shooting. The more connected and comfortable you are with each other, the more likely you're going to produce amazing shots.
2) DON'T BE AWKWARD
This is the number one complain I hear when I ask models what made or break the shoot for them in the past. You need to maintain a level of professionalism in your shoots. One of the main sources of awkwardness is by not speaking in your sessions, if you do not have a type a personality, try to talk about the weather or any current events. Keep the conversation going throughout the entire shoot if possible.
3) SIT AND POSE
If you've done everything up to this point, if you've build rapport and if you are trying to not make things awkward by connecting with your model on another level, then maybe it's not you! Maybe your model has the jitters and just needs to loosen up. Getting your model to sit down and then posing will let them calm down and relax a bit. This works out for me so give it a try! It will definitely make them lower their guard down and be more at ease.
4) THE 'GOOD' SIDE
A lot of people have a preferred side of their face. You want to ask your model if they have a preference on which side of the face they want to be shot. You want them to feel as confident as possible when you're shooting so you can consistently produce amazing results throughout your session. You also want to ask about angles, many models don't like being shot from the bottom as it is not as "flattering". You need to capture sides and angles that will boost your models confidence. You want them to feel as confident as possible and to feel good during your session so you can bring out the best in them when you're capturing photos.
5) PLAY MUSIC
Music sets the tone and the vibe in your shoots. This will help maintain the energy and keep the creative flow going throughout the session. It will help the both of you loosen up and staying inspired to creating awesome shots.
6) HAVE A VISION AND DIRECT
Whether you're working with an experienced model or someone who is just starting out in the business, you need to have a vision. You are the person behind the lens and the creativity must come from you. You can expect the model to do all the work for you, you need to direct them so that whatever vision you had in mind, comes to life.
7) COMMUNICATION
Giving feedback to your model will give them a better idea of what to do with their look or how they pose etc. This actually goes both ways. I like to show my models my shots and go through it with them right on the spot. Having another set of eyes and working with your model as a team will help you create better shots.
I hope you guys learned something and use these tips next time you go out and shoot! If you noticed, the biggest take away from working your model is to just speak! Do this consistently throughout your sessions. With the creativity, your own flare, and the knowledge you have, all of this mixed up will surely produce epic portrait shots!