Proud Photography Blog

There are numerous situations where you may need to hire a model.  When you are hiring a model for your own projects or for a client it’s very important to test.  A photography test shoot means that you call the model in to see if they are able to give you the shots you need. Sometimes a model may not deliver what you need or maybe their look is not suitable.  It can be hard to evaluate this without a test shoot.

If you have quite a big job for a client or a very specific image you want for a portfolio image then you must test your models.

One of the best ways to see if you model has a natural flare for modeling is to call them in and choose a simple background or location. Make them wear something simple, like jeans and a white t-shirt and ask them to give you as many different looks as possible.

An inexperienced model may not be able to give you many variations and poses.  They may be nervous or do the same thing over and over again without much variation or shapes.  A good model will understand that this is a challenge and move around, holding different shapes with their body and change facial expressions.

Look out for creative models –these are the ones who my use props, such as a chair and may try and shake things up a little but doing things like change their hair style (tie it up or let it down).  These are the people who will give you lots of fresh ideas in a shoot.

If things are going well you can also do a mock shoot using the model to see how well they translate on film.  Remember that a model can be extremely pretty and attractive but can do nothing once they are on camera!

You may also get a client sending in a stream of models that they like for test shoots In this case try to be consistent and treat each model the same so you can see who really shines through.  In this kind of situation you will need to give each model a limited amount of time and ask them to dress the same (or similar) – same for the hair and make-up.
The best place to look for a professional model is with a casting agency.  These models aren’t cheap but they have been briefed by their agency as to how to act and behave with a client.  They will have dealt with professional photographers before.

If you are on a budget but you still want models with some experience try sites like www.modelmayhem.com.  There’s a variety of models there that work independently but have experience.  You can also vet your models before arranging to meet them this way.