Preparing for Your Shoot: The Finale – The Session is Completed; What Now?

You've completed the shoot and it's time to wrap up, so what do you do now, right?

If there's time ask the photographer to review your images and begin narrowing down your selections for later editing. Be sure to ask everyone for their feedback on your performance, specifically facial expressions, posing and body positioning. This will help you tremendously for subsequent shoots by giving you valuable tips to improve your craft.

If you haven't done so already be sure to sign a model release with granting you the ability to use the images for your own promotional purposes. Additionally, unless you are being paid or other arrangements have been made, the photographer should only be able to do the same – use the images to promote his/her work.

Get everyone's business card/contact information for future collaborations. Whether receiving a disc of images or a link to your images online confirm with the photographer when you will receive them; additionally confirm the date you will receive your edited images.

Note: As a professional courtesy DO NOT post unedited images even with the photographer's permission. I know you will be anxious to post your new images but resist the temptation. You want to post ONLY those images that represent you in a good light. Posting raw images may label you as unprofessional or in the very least inexperienced when it comes to selecting and posting quality images.

Preparing for Your Shoot Pt. 4 – The Model’s Bag

Regardless of the type of model you are its vital to have a well put together model bag for your photo sessions. Aside from keeping all your essential shoot items organized it shows you are a serious and prepared professional.

THE BAG/TOTE

For the bag itself I suggest a large duffel with wheels or other wheeled bag for convenience (your back and neck will thank you for it!). The bag should be no larger than 19"- 22"; basically, a standard airline carry-on. There are two reasons for this:

One, you won't be able to "over Pack" your bag if it's this size. Only what you really need will take priority over what you think you may need.

Two, a lot of studios and (especially during fashion shows) simply do not have a lot of space to play with so your bag needs to be able to fit under a chair or tucked away in a corner out of the way.

MAKEUP BAG

Sometimes there may not be a budget for a makeup artist or they simply are late (worse still, a no show!) and you will be forced to do your own makeup. While I suggest learning the difference between photo session makeup and "everyday" makeup you should still keep a small makeup bag with the following:

Makeup Brush Roll - a small bag containing all your makeup brushes

Compact with loose powder

Foundation in your skin tone (in case the artist doesn't have it)

Under eye concealer

High quality lip stick/gloss

Gel brush

Scarf (so you don't get any makeup on your clothing)

Makeup remover

Q-tips/Cotton Balls

Lotion

MUST HAVE ITEMS

Portfolio (A REAL one! Contact TRU Model Management if you need one; we can make suggestions for you.)

Vouchers (if you are with an agency)

Comp cards

Smartphone/PDA

Small shoe bag (6-8 pair capacity should suffice)

Moisturizer

CLEAR Antiperspirant (so as not to stain clothing)

Spanx or Spanx-like stocking

Small mirror

Straws

Nude colored bra & panty/thong

Pair of black-strappy heels (heel portion must be thin for photographs, no wedges or thick heels)

Pair of black pumps

Safety pins

Bobby Pins

Robe and/or sweats (for lounging in during makeup or between wardrobe changes)

Sandals (Again, lounge wear)

This is by NO means a comprehensive list. For more ideas on what to include in your model's bag take a look at the sites below.

http://tonnmodel.com/blog/2008/03/the_essential_models_bag.html

http://therunwaydivasays.blogspot.com/2008/11/whats-in-your-model-bag.html

In the final installment of Preparing for Your Shoot I will discuss what to do once the shoot has been completed. See you next time!

Preparing for Your Photo Shoot Pt. 3 – Get Ready!

You are well on your way to having a successful shoot! You've researched the industry and found a great photographer that meets your needs as well as some fabulous aesthetics professionals to complete your shoot team. That's a lot of work in and of itself so congrats on getting it done AND on budget (that's important too, right?!).

Below is a standard checklist of things you want to do several days prior to your shoot date:

• Wardrobe: If you haven't done so already you should begin compiling all the clothing and accessories you will need for your shoot. If you are using a designer/wardrobe stylist this element of the preparation phase should be a breeze as he/she will handle most of the details based on the type of shoot being conducted. If you can't afford a wardrobe stylist simply speak with your photographer and makeup artist to decide what would work best for the shoot. The color background being used as well as the makeup selection will be heavily influenced by what you wear so choose wisely.
  
• Hair & Skin: Make sure you do any waxing required 2-3 days before your shoot to allow any redness to subside. Areas of major concern are your lips, chin, legs, forearms and, if shooting swimwear or lingerie, your bikini area. As for your skin you want to exfoliate to remove any dead skin and use a moisturizer to soften your skin.
  
• Nails: Be sure to only use clear polish or a French manicure on your nails. Absolutely NO colored polish! Also, if you anticipate shooting barefoot make sure you get a pedicure and exfoliate your feet so they look their best and remember that you want both sets of nails to look the same; don't wear a French manicure and use clear polish on your feet!
  
• Your Smile: VERY important! If you are a smoker or regularly drink coffee or other beverages/foods that stain your teeth you should take time and undergo a full cleaning so your smile is at its brightest. Also, when smiling, make sure you smile just wide enough to show your teeth but not so wide as to show your gum line. This may take some practice and now's as good a time as any to get in front of the mirror and perfect your winning smile!
  

By now you should have also mapped out how to get to the shoot location and relayed it your Aesthetics Team if they are unfamiliar with the photographer's studio site. Remember, you don't want to tarnish your reputation by being late so plan ahead to ensure you arrive in a timely manner. In Pt. 4 of this series on preparing for your shoot you will learn what to bring with you in your model's bag and why it's important to have one. Don't miss it!

Preparing for Your Photo Shoot Pt. 2 – The Aesthetics Team

OK! So you've locked in a photographer, discussed all the details for the shoot such as location (In Studio or Outdoors), deliverables (Quantity of images on CD, number of edits, delivery of the disc, etc.) as well as the model release form (click the link and scroll down for info on what a release is). So what's next?

In order for your images to have more a professional appeal and provided it's within your budget (be aware that some photographers will not shoot you without at least a makeup artist present) I highly recommend hiring an aesthetics team for your shoot. The team members would be comprised of a makeup artist/hairstylist (some makeup artists do both) and a wardrobe stylist.

Just as you did with while searching for your photographer perform your due diligence and check references to ensure you are hiring someone that is reliable and professional. TRIBE! has a diverse listing of such professionals available for you so that you can make an informed choice that's within your shoot budget. Simply submit an email to glam@whosinyours.net for a complete listing of these professionals.

Now that you have the entire shoot team assembled you van begin organizing what you'll need for your shoot which we'll cover in Pt. 3: Getting Ready!

Preparing for Your Photo Shoot Pt. 1 – The Research

A Model's images and book are the single most important tools in getting work. A strong book filled with images that show the model's ability and diversity is crucial to his or her success.

Eventually, you will need to seek out a professional photographer to begin or update your portfolio. Below are a few guidelines to effectively finding the right one to fit your needs.

• What Type of Modeling Do You Do/Aspire to Do? – This question is paramount to the selection process as it will "narrow the field" of choices and focus your search on only those photographers relevant to the type of images you will need based on your needs. For example, if you are interested in commercial print modeling you wouldn't want to include photographers that shoot in the fine art genre. Even if you're dream is to be a Victoria's Secret model you would want to confine your search to commercial print photographers with experience shooting catalog work for intimates/swimwear as opposed to say commercial print for couture/ready-to-wear fashion.
  
• Where to Look? – There are plenty of sites out there where you can connect with photographers in your area such as ModelMayhem.com or Musecube.com. You can also contact TRIBE!™ for a comprehensive listing of professionals in your area that have been verified as providing quality service. For more details send an email with Service Provider Listing in the subject line to myshoot@whosinyours.net to promptly receive a list of available providers. We can have a shoot set up for you in no time!
  
• Who to Choose? – If you make use of our Verified Service Provider Listing we can contact the photographer on your behalf and set up a shoot for you! If you use one of the online networking sites like those above I suggest you send a email or make a call stating your first name, the purpose of the email/call (to discuss the set up of a shoot), your budget for a shoot or request for TFP/TFCD (More on this in an upcoming post) and a request for at minimum three verifiable references to ensure the photographer is on the level.
  

Once you're set on the photographer you want and you've set a date it's time for Phase 2: the Support Staff which includes such people as the makeup artist, hair stylist and wardrobe stylist. We'll talk about how these people complete your photo shoot team and why you need them in Preparing for Your Shoot Pt. 2 – The Aesthetics Team!

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Actresses and Models Use Extreme IV DIE-YET for Weight Loss

It's a shame. It really is. I'm in total shock about this post over at Stylelist. I understand that as models you must maintain a certain level of "thinness" to remain competitive in the industry but I draw the line when it comes to starving yourself just to get work! According to the blog, actresses and models are using an IV drip dubbed a "bannana bag" (because of the color of the liquid) filled with essential nutrients for WEEKS at a time to lose weight and be skinner than their competitors. WTH!!! I don't know what's worse - the industry that demands that women risk their lives for the sake of fattening their pockets or the women that WILLING troture themselves and sometimes DIE just to be in the limelight.

It's one thing to want to lose a little weight to slim down because designers want you to loose an INCH or two to fit their garments but I cannot and will not agree to a model losing a drastic amount of weigh in an abnormal timeframe using ridiculous methods such as this. I don't normally request comments but I'd really like to know your thoughts on this. I don't want to just hear from the models I want to hear from ANYONE with an opinion on this - whether you agree or disagree with this IV DIE-YET!