Finding Models for a Retail Photoshoot?

[The_Bag_Supplier_Ltd]

Not that it is particularly contribution worthy but printers and cameras both transfer images to media.. that is one thing they have in common I guess.

 

[The_Bag_Supplier_Ltd]

Here is a good take on the issue at hand ...

 

[MikeJ]

I'd take a look around here....

http://www.modelmayhem.com/

You'll see a good range of models in a specific area, and find out what they charge. Some will do TFP (Time for prints - they do it for free in exchange for a copy of the finished pics for them to add to their portfolio), but they tend to be the ones starting out.

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[The Byre]

A few quick questions for personal interest... How did once amateur photographers become Professionals? What are the mechanics of the process? When did the step from Amateur to Professional occur?

I ask because the argument here appears to be one of difference and I assume, like most industries, someone did not just declare themselves a Professional but, rather, had an initial Amateur talent that was developed and then was recognised and sought after.

Who are tomorrow's Professionals if it is not the Amateurs of today? It seems a strange concept to me that Amateurs be denied the chance to become professionals via lack of opportunity if their talent is strong.

I would assume, unless I am reasonably advised differently, that talent is talent, whether Professional or Amateur, and that talent decides the fate of the photographer, that the distinction between who is deemed as Professional and who deemed an Amateur is not a matter for the photographer to decide but one for the end user.

I may be wrong and would be pleased if someone advised me differently, I am neither a photographer nor a purchaser of photography but I do appreciate art in all its forms and have been somewhat perplexed by some of the answers in this thread. Enlighten me please.

An interesting question!

There are of course talented amateurs in all the creative industries, film, music, art, photography, etc., but in the main, the bread-and-butter creative person has studied the subject, or studied something very close to that subject.

Some amateurs do take the time and trouble to learn the basics, but most do not, so the talented amateur composer will not have studies orchestration over a period of years and, if he/she fails to fill that lack of knowledge, their compositions will suffer accordingly. The same goes for photography. The nuts-and-bolts of how to take a particular type of photograph usually eludes the amateur.

For example, how do you take a deep-shadow picture during the day and in daylight? There are simple ways of doing this that the professional will know, because he/she will have covered it a thousand times at college. It has nothing to do with Photoshop, Lightroom, or any other magic software, but with technical expertise.

There is of course nothing to stop the amateur from knuckling down and learning how to use flash, fill-ins, reflectors and light meters and all the basics of visual composition and how that ties in with catalogue layouts. There is nothing stopping anyone from buying the c.a. £50k worth of kit required for a basic set-up. But the OP has to be clear that a fashion shoot means a fairly large studio, large enough to take an infinity wall and with good lights, the usual filters and reflectors and above all, very, very good cameras and lenses.

The problems that amateur equipment create come a long time after the shoot. Because the amateur is unlikely to use a room full of high quality flashes, when you later decide to blow-up just one aspect of the picture, it often looks fuzzy. That fuzziness comes from using inappropriate lighting.

There is much silly talk here about Photoshop - let's be quite clear about this, you are going to shoot, say 100 pieces of clothing and each piece will take some ten or more shots. Is anyone seriously contemplating touching up one thousand pictures?

Even if we boil it down to the 'keepers,' one hundred pictures having to be retouched because the photographer and/or the model was below par is both madness and very expensive. Remember that a turd is still a turd even after it has been polished and rolled in glitter!

And how many amateurs do you know who are prepared to pay nearly £50 a month for Adobe's CS?

On a practical note, Berlin is an excellent place to find good models and cheap and very good photographers. London is also good, but very expensive.

 

[deniser]

You don't need to be hiring models from the top agencies. I would recommend you try one of the children's agencies which has an adults department.

For example http://www.bonnieandbetty.com/adults/

 

[GeorgeDavidHodgson]

I'd take a look around here....



You'll see a good range of models in a specific area, and find out what they charge. Some will do TFP (Time for prints - they do it for free in exchange for a copy of the finished pics for them to add to their portfolio), but they tend to be the ones starting out.

.

Thanks. I will have a look around and see what I can find. I have a lot of links I can now look at!