You’ve come a long way baby! (To borrow a catch phrase from an old 70’s advertising slogan.) Today’s scholarship pageants, talent expositions and conventions continue to promote beauty as one of the major theme elements, but nearly all now focus on the academic side, self-described platform issues and personal development seminars. At a recent modeling convention I attended, the theme was personal development and building self-confidence. Participants spent 4 days learning from industry insiders, working actors and models while participating in a competition for runway, swimsuit, evening gown, two-person scene, cold read, monologue, singing, dancing while being judged by industry professionals and agency owners. The contestants ranged in age from 4 years-old to 50+. The standouts were the indinviduals with enthusiasm and self-confidence. On the last day, participants were invited to one-on-one meetings with agents from Hollywood to New York, including several from Europe and Asia. Talent directors, agency owners and casting agents from across the country were present to observe, counsel and sign-up the standouts. I had lunch with several agents from L.A. who provided some interesting advice. Stay tuned for more observations in my next post!
Not for the faint of heart
Musical careers and maternity have one thing in common: they both push you out of your comfort zone. I caught up with indie musician Poeina Suddarth (say that three times fast) in between musical gigs. She needed some new shots to go with her new album. Here’s just a couple of shots that capture a bit of her identity.
Next, when motherhood beckons, it takes shape in many forms, all of which are beautiful, in my opinion. These next photos show a very relaxed, calm mother, enjoying the peace that comes before the baby–you could also call it the eye of the storm.
Posing 101
Some people sing a song in their head. Others use their mind to transport themselves to exotic locations. And a few even practice their dance moves. Whatever it takes to get you to relax in front of the camera will make the pictures turn out much better. A few other techniques to learn how to pose your body will accentuate your best features and avoid the stiff mannequin look. Your preparation begins before the shoot with the basics: get a good night sleep, eat breakfast, visit the restroom. It’s hard to stay focused when you’re tired, have to go to the loo or when you’re fasting. In addition, follow the steps I’ve outlined:
R=Roll your shoulders back. You don’t want to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame.
L=Look through the lens. Try to imagine looking through the camera into the photographer’s eyes.
A: Angle your body. Drop one shoulder, swivel your hips, put your hand behind your hip, lift that heel, bend the knee, tilt your head.
W=Weight on your toes. It straightens your back, causes you to lean forward slightly and shapes your legs.
S: Spontaneous. This could cause you to smile, laugh, be playful and take advantage of your location and props.
See how one pro does it:
Do you look like a celebrity?
Ever been told that you resemble a certain celebrity? Are you curious enough to match your face with a celebrity photo? It’s now possible through a cool Web site, www.myheritage.com. It’s easy. Register and then upload a personal photograph that clearly shows your face. Within seconds your face is matched with celebrities to see who you look like. It’s fun, free and entertaining. While you’re at it, what’s your opinion on the two photos below. Is there a resemblance?
Validation and Valentine’s
The next 16-minutes could change your outlook on life. I showed this video clip to my class at PSU and have shared it with several friends. It’s worth watching. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.
And, if you’re a fan of the Plain White T’s here’s a short song. (If you really like it, you can create a customized version to send to your Valentine.)
Avatars, Surrogates and Human Emotion
Should we clone humans? It’s a difficult question for some, and very clear cut for others. What technology has allowed us to do is explore this brave new world virtually, either through Avatars or Surrogates (two recent Hollywood films) which are simply replacements for real humans. Although computer technology has created very realistic copies on screen, they lack the complexity and emotion of real people. Robots lag even further behind in technology development. While I can see the benefits of both–replacement body parts in the case of cloning–or manufacturing work and production–in the case of robots, I think we’re still a long way off from replacing people, even on the TV screen. Even while I watch a movie and feel amazement at the magic of CGI, I still look into the eyes and faces of real people. It has been said that “the eyes are windows into the soul.” Perhaps that is what is missing with technology. (Editor’s Note: It doesn’t hurt if it’s the eyes of Clive Owen or Johnny Depp or for the men, Kate Beckinsale or Charlize Theron. They do tend to pull you in.)
Below: Two Photos from modeling photoshoots that show that elusive human intensity and emotion. Look at the eyes.
The end of TFP?
Probably never. That’s the easy answer. As long as cameras exist, photographers will shoot for free and people will want to mug for the camera. When it comes to professional photo shoots, even the old adage, “you get what you pay” for doesn’t really apply. To test this theory, I recently went through the process by acting as a “talent” in need of photos and posted a note to Craigslist. In less than a few hours I was inundated with free photoshoot requests. I took several of them up on their offer and over the course of two weeks was involved in multiple photoshoots. The results ranged from simple outdoor candids by amateurs to studio shots by pros. Most results were positive, but not all. I’ll post one example here. The bottom line is you are getting the sum total of the photographers experience and taking a chance on the opportunity to collaborate with their creativity. Call it chemistry, mood, humor, attitude emotion or whatever. I believe the best shoots are helped by all of these in addition to makeup, styling, wardrobe–but are best enhanced by a connection or kinship that you develop and share between the photographer and the subject. What do you think?
Spot Color
There’s a growing trend of photo manipulation. It’s relatively easy to change reality by adjusting the image through Adobe Photoshop, Apple Aperture or other photo editing software. It can make people look completely unrealistic or just make minor improvements. I’m not a huge fan of changing people so much that you wouldn’t recognize the same person if they stood in front of you. However, to remove blemishes, fix lighting and even changing colors is fascinating to me. I’ve included two images that were shot indoor, in color, with a color light filter, converted to black and white and then the outfit was brought back in color. I think they came out better than the original shot. Tell me what you think.
Spooky, scary, funny costumes
Halloween is a perfect excuse to dress up as your favorite character, alter-ego or simply invent some wacky costume. I once dressed up as a mummy using a few rolls of toilet paper. It actually was quite warm and not quite as drafty as the panty hose, bra and skirt I wore when I dressed as a cheerleader (but that’s another story). Anyway, I have to say it’s one of the best times of year for fun photography because everyone appears much more animated when they get to pretend to be someone else. They relax and enjoy themselves. With that in mind, I thought I’d show a little blast from the past with some archived footage from a video podcast I directed about three years ago about speaking pirate language. It seems fitting for Halloween.
What modeling/talent agency should I choose?
In nearly 2 and 1/2 years of shooting photography for professional models, performers and students, I am constantly asked this question. The short answer is: it depends on your career goals. Some agencies specialize in child actors. Others specialize in runway modeling. Agency representation is free since they make 20 percent from the jobs that they book for you. In other words, they make money when you do, so they have to be picky to deliver what the clients want. Since I have shot comp cards and portfolios for many working models & actors represented by many agencies in the Portland area, I usually ask each person about their experience. The comments are interesting. The modeling agencies that are the most well-liked include: Q6 and Sports Unlimited. Acting agencies include Ryan Artists, Actors in Action and Art House. There are a few that specialize in runway models such as Option Model Management and Merrick Talent. There are even a few that specialize in classes (so they necessarily charge a fee) such as John Casablancas and John Robert Powers. (The last two have scaled-back or closed their offices this year because of the economy.) There are several others I haven’t named and a few on my black list I would never recommend – so I’m interested in what you think about the local talent agencies.
Photo Theatrics 