INTRODUCTION

This tutorial is for beginner- to intermediate-level photographers wishing to boost the appearance of their portraits and polish their images of people with blemish removal, gentle skin smoothing and adjustments to contrast, brightness and colour.

It isn’t essential to use every single step laid out in the tutorial. You may wish to simply smooth skin or make contrast or colour adjustments – this is fine, and your use of editing tools should be tailored to each image you create.

The suggestions and instructions in this tutorial are not intended for full commercial, fashion or advertising-style image editing and do not include information about major face and body alteration, complex retouching or changing backgrounds in photographs.

The image editing software used in this tutorial is called Pixlr, a free online service which works in your web browser through your internet connection, meaning that you do not need to purchase or download any software. The steps described in the tutorial can be applied to most image editing software, including Photoshop and Paint.net, and the majority of tools and functions appear in other programmes too.

CONTENTS

• Starting Pixlr
• Blemish removal
• Skin smoothing
• Brightness and contrast alteration
• Colour alteration
• Cropping and resizing
• Saving your work

STARTING PIXLR

First of all, go to http://www.pixlr.com and click on the Open Photo Editor link.

Click on Open image from computer

Now select the image that you’d like to work on and it will appear in the Pixlr window.

When editing an image, it’s best to zoom in as close as you can so that you can see all the details and changes as you work. To do this, click on the Magnifying Glass icon and then click on the part of the image you’re going to work on.

You may want to enlarge the image on your screen to fit the entire Pixlr window. To do this, click on the square shown in the image above.

To zoom back out, simply hold down the Shift key and click the magnifying glass again on any part of the image (the magnifying glass cursor will now have a – in it instead of a +). You can shrink the image on your screen by clicking the square at the top right of the window again.

When making adjustments to an image, it is always worth creating a new layer to work on so that your original photograph is always untouched. To create a duplicate of the original photo in a new layer, simply right-click on Background in the Layers palette and then select Duplicate Layer.

BLEMISH REMOVAL

As our model has delightfully blemish-free skin, we’re going to remove her nose piercing. To do this, use the Clone Stamp tool.

Click on the Brush link at the top of the window and select a suitable size of brush. You can edit the Diamater (size) of the brush and the Hardness (lower hardness means softer edges) in the window that appears. Work with a large, soft brush for the most natural effect.

You may wish to lower the Opacity of the brush so that you can work gradually at covering blemishes, especially if you’re just starting out with image editing.

Now, choose an blemish- or obstruction-free area near to the part that you wish to correct and hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard to select this area to use as the Clone Stamp.

Simply ‘stamp’ over the thing you wish to remove until it vanishes.

SKIN SMOOTHING

To smooth the skin, make another Duplicate Layer (this time duplicate Background Copy), open the Filters menu and select Gaussian Blur.

Set your Gaussian Blur to 150. You can play with alternative levels as you work with new images – it makes perfect sense for different levels to work with different pictures, depending on the desired effect and the original image.

The Gaussian Blur will now be applied to the entire image and the effect will probably be too strong. The first thing to do now is to reduce the opacity of the layer that the Gaussian Blur is on. Click on the Toggle Layer Settings button in the Layers palette (ensuring that the correct layer is selected) and then set Opacity to 50%.

At this point, it might be helpful to name your layers according to what they are so it’ll be easier to work with them if you have to change their order. To do this, just double-click on the layer name and type a new one.

Now, grab your Background Copy layer (the one you did the blemish removal on) and drag into on top of the Gaussian Blur layer. Then click the Add Layer Mask button (the white rectangle with a grey circle in the middle) at the bottom of the Layers palette to add a Layer Mask to the Background Copy layer. You’ll see a Layer Mask symbol appear on the layer.

To remove the blur effect from the areas of the image that you wish to stay sharp (usually everything apart from the skin), use the Paint Brush tool and paint over the desired areas, keeping them sharp while the skin remains smooth. It’s best to work zoomed in with a small, soft brush to do this. Click on the Brush in the Tools Palette and change it’s shape and size as you did with the Clone Stamp.

You can adjust the size of the brush as necessary while you work – some areas will require a smaller brush and some will be easy to work on with a larger brush. You can also zoom into or out from your image to allow you to work on different areas.

Remember if you do something wrong, you can remove the action by clicking the step in the History palette. You’ll notice that the erroneous step(s) will be greyed out and will vanish as you get back to working on the image.

Once you’re satisfied with your image up to this point, you can Flatten it before beginning any more work. Flattening an image combines all the layers you’ve used. To do this, open the Layer menu and select Flatten Image.

BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST ALTERATION

First of all, duplicate your Background layer and call your new layer Brightness and Contrast. Then, to make changes to the brightness and contrast of your image, open the Adjustment menu and select Brightness & Contrast.

Now, adjust the brightness and contrast by moving the sliders in the window the appears, then click OK.

COLOUR ALTERATION

Duplicate your Brightness and Contrast layer and call it Colour. To edit the colours of your image, open the Adjustment menu and select Colour Balance.

Change the colours by moving the sliders. You can create quite striking effects using this tool, so work gradually and carefully, keeping in mind the result you want. Click OK when you’re finished to save your changes.

Now, flatten your image again.

CROPPING AND RESIZING

There is a lot to consider when cropping or resizing your work. If you want to print your picture, you’ll need to know what pixel dimensions are required for your print. If you aren’t sure about this, the website for the printing service you use should have a list of pixel dimensions for each print size. For the purpose of this tutorial, we’re going to resize our image for posting on the web.

First of all, click on the Crop tool in the Tools Palette.

Click on the Constraint drop-down and select Output size. Then type in the pixel dimensions for Width and Height. We’re going to use 500px x 750 px.

Now, drag the Crop area over the whole image to resize it, or your chosen part of it if you want to crop part of it out.

SAVING YOUR WORK

To save your finished image, open the File menu and select Save.

Type in a name for your image (use a different name from your original so you don’t save over it) and select your format (JPG is fine for posting pictures online and using online printing services).

For images that you plan to email or use online, a Quality setting of 80 is fine. It keeps the file size small without much loss of detail. For print, always ensure that you save your image at the highest setting possible. When you’re happy with your Save settings, click OK and follow the prompts to save the image on your computer.

The model is the lovely Deryck de Maine Beaumont wearing his stunning 20 inch corset – I think I held my breath in sympathy the whole way through the shoot! I adore taking photographs of men, especially men with such intriguing looks and style. It was really fun to step away from the studio, complex lighting, angles and set-ups to shoot a portrait which is truly a picture of the subject, not of the photographer

Buy a print of the bottom image at RedBubble.

The State Department constantly speaks out about internet censorship in other countries.
Pressure them to speak out about America’s new domestic censorship system.

ADD YOUR VOICE HERE.

The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, Edinburgh.

I love this place so much. The building is easily as beautiful as all the lovely things in it.

Add me and say hi! Anyone who shares one of my portfolio images from there on their own stream before the end of January will be entered into a draw to win something shiny for their wall. New pictures posted soon…

RockstarVanity Photographic Art has a sexy new fine art print shop at RedBubble!
Get many pretty things for your walls and fill your home with gorgeous art

Geneva Platinum watch for Lilies & Dreams.
I wanted to take this home with me.
I was a magpie in a past life.

[ WHAT YOU WON'T FIND HERE ]
Before I get started I’d like to make it clear that this tutorial does not deal with how to protect your work online (watermarks etc), whether or not you should post your work online or whether or not you should take steps to deal with copyright violations if the person committing them isn’t profiting from your work or claiming credit for having created it.

It also does not contain a response to people who say “You’re lucky your work is good enough to get ripped” although if it did, it would say something like “Don’t be so stupid, theft isn’t a compliment. If someone stole something from your shop you wouldn’t sit back and feel thankful that your stuff was good enough to steal”. But I’m not getting into that here.

[ WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE ]
This tutorial contains information about some websites where rips occur, how to contact these sites and what information you should provide to help your report be dealt with quickly and painlessly.

There’s a LOT of information available on the net dealing with copyright issues, and much of it is written in complex legal language or refers to taking legal action against people who infringe your copyright. This is great if you understand legalese and/or have a few thousand pounds/dollars/insert-currency-here kicking around for suing people with. It isn’t a huge amount of use if all you want to do is make sure that your pictures are removed from someone’s Photobucket account or MySpace page.

There is also plenty of information out there about protecting your work online but as many people have discovered, short of not displaying your work anywhere on the net ever, it’s pretty much impossible to find a fail-safe way to prevent rips.

[ A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ]
Ripping and Copyright Violation refer to the unauthorised use of a copyrighted work. For the purpose of this article, it will generally refer to visual artworks. A lot of the time people genuinely don’t realise that they’re doing anything wrong when they use a picture found on the net to prettify their MySpace profile or collect pictures they like from other sites in their Photobucket album. Because of this, you may choose to directly contact the person who is violating your copyright and try to explain the situation to them politely (if you’re going to do this always be polite!).

In my experience, this generally results in being blocked from the person’s page so you can’t see your photos on it or communicate with the person, or simply getting a reply full of bitching about how ‘selfish’ artists are or how everything on the internet is fair game. Because of this, I tend to by-pass contacting individuals and prefer to contact the website which the infringed material is being displayed on.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I am assuming that you too have reached the point where you wish to contact the website directly rather than communicating with the person who is ripping your work.

[ SITES YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONTACT ]
There are some sites where image rips appear regularly due to being based on user-generated content (stuff that people who use the site upload themselves without needing approval from the powers-that-be first). Luckily most of them have awesome tools in place to help you report copyright violations. In my experience, the sites listed below have dealt with copyright violation reports quickly, politely and helpfully.

Flickr has a refreshingly simple form that you can fill in and submit online. You can find it here >> http://help.yahoo.com/l/uk/yahoo/copyright/general.html

Photobucket provides detailed information about what you need to send to them, along with an email address and postal address to send it to, on this page >> http://photobucket.com/copyright

MySpace has full details of how to report copyright violations here >> http://myspace2.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/748/kw/copyright

Windows Live Spaces also has an online form for you to fill in. It can be accessed and submitted from this page >> https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=wlspacesabuse&ct=eformts&scrx=1

Facebook has an information page here >> http://www.facebook.com/copyright.php which explains about copyright policy. There’s an email address that you can contact and also an automated form >> http://www.facebook.com/copyright.php#/copyright.php?notify=1

Bebo has a contact form here >> http://www.bebo.com/ContactUs.jspwhich you can use without being signed in, and also a Report Abuse link under the main photo on each member’s account. As far as I know, Bebo is like Facebook in that you must have an account and be signed in to view any of the content.

Multiply has a contact form here which anyone can fill in (you don’t have to sign up to the site) >> http://multiply.com/info/inquiry

Zedge has a contact form here >> http://www.zedge.net/contact/ with Copyright Issues as an option.

deviantART has their Copyright Policy here >> http://about.deviantart.com/policy/copyright/ and reports can be made from the Report Deviation link on the page that the offending artwork is shown.

[ WHAT TO SAY ]
If you’re reporting a rip on a site like Flickr which has a form with sections to fill in, your report will be quick and easy to file. If you’re contacting a site which only has an email or postal address provided, or an open form, you’ll need to give them the following information:

• Your full name

• Your phone number

• Your full postal address

I also include my business name and portfolio site URL as a form of validation of my identity, but this isn’t necessary.

A description of the copyrighted work including links to where it can be found on your own website or on sites where you have profiles/galleries. Bear in mind that certain sites (like dA and Flickr) place restrictions on the viewing of Mature Content material by people who aren’t logged in, so if possible provide a link to somewhere that you know the picture will definitely be visible. If your watermark is on the ripped image, it doesn’t do any harm to point this out.

A description of copyright infringement including links to where the ripped picture can be found in the gallery or on the profile of the person who is violating your copyright. I usually state that I don’t know the person and have never had any form of communication with them, and that they are displaying my copyrighted work without my consent or permission.

You must also include a Statement of Belief: I believe, good faith, that the disputed use is not authorised by the copyright or intellectual property owner, its agent, or the law.

And a statement of ownership: The above information in the notice is accurate and that I am the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorised to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner’s behalf.

Remember to be polite because no matter how annoyed you are, the copyright violation isn’t the fault of the person who will read your email and handle your case.

If you found this tutorial useful, feel free to tell people about it if you think it’ll help them. I’ve typed pretty much this entire thing a number of times to individuals who were dealing with rippers and figured I ought to make a tutorial out of it to save time. I hope that by reaching a wider audience, this tutorial can help people to have the confidence to deal with copyright violations with a minimum of drama and upset.

Hello Kitty…not waving but drowning?
Yes, I can take something innately adorable and give it sinister undertones.
That’s what I do

Buy a print on RedBubble.

Power tools, hard hats, balloons, champagne and a goldfish bowl full of green candy delights – all in a day’s work for Edinburgh-based Urban Display‘s new U-Crew events staff division!  A lovely night was spent in a huge studio with 18 shiny, happy models and lots of fabulous green props shooting a whole heap of pictures to promote U-Crew, an extension of Urban Display’s exhibition, portable display, bespoke build and event graphics business.

This tutorial is intended for people who are building their photography portfolio and taking their first steps into working with models, as a hobby and/or with the intention of working as a photographer in a professional capacity in the future. In the interests of ensuring that the information is accessible and understandable even for those at the start of their photography journey, some of the content may seem simplistic to more experienced photographers.

It is based on my own experiences, both in education and as a professional photographer. I am in no way claiming that it is the best way, the right way or the only way of doing anything. It is simply my way. No doubt there will be some subject matter or issues that I haven’t covered here and there will be points that you may disagree with. There are endless resources out there serving the same or a similar purpose as this one and I fully encourage you to cast your research net as widely as you possibly can and never forget that your own experience is as valuable as anyone else’s.

FOLLOW-UP CONTACT
After a shoot, I often send an email (or leave a Facebook comment, ModelMayhem tag etc) to the model saying that I enjoyed the shoot and had a great time working together. This isn’t essential, especially if the model is someone you know well and see all the time, but it is nice if the shoot you’re referring to is the first time you’ve met and/or worked with the model.

SENDING OUT THE PHOTOS
I usually upload zip files of the finished photos to my own webspace and email the model with a link to download the zips. If the shoot yielded a massive amount of images and it would take forever to upload and download them, I’ll upload the web-res versions and send the model a link, and then post a CD of the print-res photos.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
If I’m working with a new or inexperienced model, I wait until they have seen the photos before I post them online. Although I’m aware that I have the legal right to display and distribute the photos, I have no desire to hurt or upset a model. If someone I’ve worked with emails me to tell me that they aren’t completely happy with a couple of the photos from the shoot, I won’t display those ones online. I always incorporate this option of choice into documentation for paid shoots.

TALKING OF PAID SHOOTS…
I’m not getting into massive detail relating to paid shoots here because that would be a whole other series of tutorials (which I may or may not write in the future), but one issue that is useful to consider at any stage of your career is payment-related etiquette. Even if you’re just starting out, you could still get a paid commission and when this happens, you should be prepared to deal with it!

HOW MUCH?
As with everything else I’ve talked about here, I suggest that you should be up-front and honest about how much you charge and what your payment terms are. A lot of photographers don’t have their prices on their website. I do. I charge based on the job, not the person hiring me. If you receive an enquiry about a paid commission and don’t have a clue what to charge, DO NOT admit this to the person who wants to hire you! Ask a photographer you know how much they think you should charge and how much they charge, then get Googling for other photographers and have a look at their prices. dA is an awesome place to access experienced photographers who will be able to help you, or at least point you in the right direction.

WHEN?
Should you get paid in advance? At the time of the shoot? After the shoot? When proofs of the images are sent to the client? When the finished images are received and approved by the client?

I charge a non-refundable booking fee which MUST be paid up-front to book the shoot and then take payment for the rest of the fee on the day of the shoot. VERY occasionally the process is altered for certain jobs, like clients who hire me at very short notice or commercial clients who aren’t physically at the shoot. But in general, a booking fee is charged and the rest is paid on the day.

Your payment terms are YOUR payment terms. You may wish to talk to other photographers about this and the way they work may be relevant to you but the most important thing is that you avoid any awkward moments by being open about your payment terms as soon as possible.

WHERE TO NEXT?
If you’re interested in learning about photography in a structured way, you can study it at college or university, at an evening class or a local camera club. If you’d rather not go that route, there is a wealth of information out there, waiting for you to find it and learn from it. Read books and websites, read camera manuals, read tutorials, talk to photographers at your own level, talk to more experienced photographers, force yourself to shoot subject matter than doesn’t instantly interest you (this is an important challenge!), basically absorb as much information as you possibly can and put it into use at every available opportunity.

If you want to learn more about photography as a career and gain some practical experience, investigate getting a job as an assistant in a studio or with a working photographer. If there isn’t any paid work going, contact a local photographer or photography studio and ask if you could spend some time with them while they work. Bear in mind though, if you email a working photographer telling them that you shoot in a similar style and live in close proximity to them, they may not jump at the chance to train you to be the competition, so please be respectful of their choice.

NO RELEVANT EXPERIENCE?
Being a photographer of people requires people skills. Obviously. But these skills needn’t be the result of photography-related work. ANY job that involves working with people – communication, training, helping, calming, informing people – will give you valuable experience when it comes to creating a rapport with the people you point your camera at. And that, coupled with your creativity, will set you on a wonderful path.

This tutorial is intended for people who are building their photography portfolio and taking their first steps into working with models, as a hobby and/or with the intention of working as a photographer in a professional capacity in the future. In the interests of ensuring that the information is accessible and understandable even for those at the start of their photography journey, some of the content may seem simplistic to more experienced photographers.

It is based on my own experiences, both in education and as a professional photographer. I am in no way claiming that it is the best way, the right way or the only way of doing anything. It is simply my way. No doubt there will be some subject matter or issues that I haven’t covered here and there will be points that you may disagree with. There are endless resources out there serving the same or a similar purpose as this one and I fully encourage you to cast your research net as widely as you possibly can and never forget that your own experience is as valuable as anyone else’s.

AT EASE, SOLDIER!
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that a shoot goes smoothly and everyone stays happy is to go out of your way to help your model feel comfortable. I find that a cup of tea and a chat goes a long way. Before make-up or props come out, before the lens cap comes off, spend at least a few minutes chatting with the model. This is especially important if you haven’t worked together, or met, before.

INTRODUCTIONS
A warm hello and a hand-shake followed by a few easy-going questions is a great way to get started. How are you? or Did you find the place easily enough? are non-threatening talking points. In my opinion, it’s completely alright to admit to being a littler nervous. Chances are you’ll be working with a model who has a similar level of experience as you so maybe you’ll both be feeling a little apprehensive at the start. Be honest and be genuine. Don’t fall into fake bravado mode.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Once you’re both feeling relaxed, ask the model if (s)he has any body parts, angles or expressions that (s)he isn’t 100% confident about. The point of asking is to avoid these areas during the shoot, not to try and convince the model to change their mind! It is also worth going over the concept again before getting started so that everyone is on the same page before shooting begins.

INTERESTING DECOR AND BIZARRE PROPS
My studio walls have framed prints of some of my photos on them. This is partly because I happened to have a bunch of framed prints after an exhibition with nowhere to put them at home and partly because it provides a talking point. I also have some strange props lying around which spark discussion (and often laughter). My favourite giggle-inducing tool is a life-size fake mummified corpse with a Dolly Parton wig and a sparkly top hat. Visitors and clients seem to like him!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Every point above this section enables you to gain a valuable insight into a model’s personality. Never assume that all models are totally confident with explosively high self-esteem. Inexperienced models and models-who-aren’t-models (I’m talking here about your boyfriend, best friend, cousin etc who you’ve talked into posing for you) are often nervous and apprehensive, so a little positivity and a lot of patience will go a long way.

While you don’t want to come across as fake, it doesn’t hurt to remind someone why you’re glad to be working with them. I don’t mean “You are SO HOT and your boobs are huge!”. I mean “I’m really happy to be doing this shoot with you cause the photos in your portfolio are so expressive and you have exactly the look I had in mind when I came up with this concept”.

CHANGING ROOMS AND ROOM TO CHANGE
ALWAYS give a model the opportunity to get changed in private, especially if you’re working with a model of the opposite gender. More experienced models, or those who are accustomed to posing nude, may be happy to strip down to nothing without anything to hide behind but it is still polite to give them the option of going into a different room. If your location doesn’t allow for this, offer to leave the room while the model is getting changed. This can be a potentially awkward and embarrassing situation if you aren’t up-front about it!

CHOOSE A DIRECTION FOR YOUR DIRECTING
I prefer to direct emotion and moods. For example, rather than saying “Squeeze your eyes shut, open your mouth wide and raise your hands in front of your body, keeping your fingers spread wide and tense”, I would say “Express panic, fear, extreme anxiety, focusing on the face and upper body”. I find that most models respond to this style of direction quickly and easily, although if the model seems to need more detailed direction I go with mood first and then physical detail.

Sometimes, I demonstrate what I would like the model to do. Not only is this a good way to get my message across without having to find the right words, it’s also a great way to lighten the mood. I dread to think how silly I’ve looked standing on a step-ladder in bare feet, jeans and a sweater demonstrating high fashion poses to a model in lingerie and heels. It has resulted in some good laughs.

I find that working with primarily mood-based direction backed up with physical pointers and demonstration encourages natural poses as the model will be responding to emotional cues rather than waiting for you to tell her exactly how high to raise her left arm and what angle to hold her chin at. NEVER be bossy. Speak with comfortable authority but don’t shout at, insult or be impatient with the model. This is counter-productive. Make sure you give positive feedback in large amounts and feel free to smile if you’re happy and be openly excited about the images.

IF THE MAGIC ISN’T HAPPENING
Sometimes, no matter how hard you and the model try to relax and ease into the shoot, it can take a little longer than anticipated to achieve the desired level of familiarity. Keep the conversation light and if all else fails, make a minor alteration to the set-up or lighting and shoot a few frames to ‘check the light’, allowing the model time to get into the swing of things.

TO SHOW OR NOT TO SHOW
Some photographers are completely against showing the model the photos on the back of the camera during the shoot (obviously assuming that you’re shooting digital, or this won’t be an issue). I’m not. I show the model (and make-up artist, stylist or whoever else is involved) the pictures as they happen, explaining that they are looking at unprocessed and very small versions of the images to allow them to get an idea of how certain poses and expressions look so they know what to replicate and what to avoid. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but I would advise letting the model know in advance whether or not you are comfortable with showing them the unprocessed images.

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
It can be perceived as unprofessional if you curse and swear during a shoot. Obviously. If you’re a naturally sweary person (as I am), do your best to keep a lid on it when you’re working with people you don’t know well! If you tend to talk to yourself or your equipment while you’re working (I do this too), it’s a good idea to warn the model of this before you start shooting.

ANYTHING ELSE?
When you feel that you have all the images you want from the shoot, let the model know this and then ask if (s)he has any further poses, angles or expressions that (s)he would like to capture. Have a short ‘debriefing’ session when the shoot is finished and ensure that you let the model know when and how (s)he will be receiving the images from you. I generally say that the model will receive print- and web-resolution images within 2 weeks of the shoot. And I generally get the photos processed and sent out within a couple of days. Be realistic and don’t make false promises or guarantees that you’re not positive you can adhere to.

I interrupt the tutorials to bring you something fun to celebrate the start of Winter, my favourite season.

Lip colour by…
- Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Peace-
- Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Distortion
- L’Oreal Glam Shine 6 Hours lip gloss in 103 Forever Nude

Kisses!

This tutorial is intended for people who are building their photography portfolio and taking their first steps into working with models, as a hobby and/or with the intention of working as a photographer in a professional capacity in the future. In the interests of ensuring that the information is accessible and understandable even for those at the start of their photography journey, some of the content may seem simplistic to more experienced photographers.

It is based on my own experiences, both in education and as a professional photographer. I am in no way claiming that it is the best way, the right way or the only way of doing anything. It is simply my way. No doubt there will be some subject matter or issues that I haven’t covered here and there will be points that you may disagree with. There are endless resources out there serving the same or a similar purpose as this one and I fully encourage you to cast your research net as widely as you possibly can and never forget that your own experience is as valuable as anyone else’s.

LAY IT ALL OUT!
It is ALWAYS a good idea to be completely honest, up-front and open about the nature of the shoot that you’re planning. If you’re looking for a model who is willing to strip off and jump in a bath of fake blood with another naked girl or two, say that. While some models will be happy to do character work and won’t object to being photographed in an unflattering manner in the name of art, others will prefer to/insist on looking attractive in photos. It is obviously preferential to discuss this issue well in advance of making any plans! Also, ask the model if (s)he has any allergies to make-up, detergents, effects products, food or materials that (s)he may come into contact with during the shoot.

NO SURPRISES
NEVER assume that it’ll be alright to spring a surprise on a model on the day of the shoot and NEVER EVER intentionally mislead someone who you’re going to be working with. At best, this would be manipulative and at worst you could end up with the model walking out of the shoot and sharing their negative experiences in a very public way. You do not want to have a reputation of being dishonest, threatening or dangerous!

WHAT WILL THE IMAGES BE USED FOR?
It is also important that you let the model know in advance what you want to do with the images resulting from the shoot and what you’re willing to have them do with the images. If you just want some pictures to put in your printed portfolio to take to a job interview, say that. If you want to submit the pictures to global stock libraries under a royalty free license, say that. It is always a good idea to have an easily accessible online presence, whether it’s a portfolio site, a deviantART page or Facebook profile, where you can link to other places where your work can be found and have a list of people you’ve worked with/for (known as credits). The more information you can provide in advance, the most trustworthy you will be seen to be.

For unpaid/TFP/recreational art shoots I provide the model (and make-up artist etc) with print-resolution versions of the images for use in their portfolio and web-resolution images for online promotional use. The web-res photos have a watermark and this MUST be left intact. As well as being straight-up about what you intend to use the images for, it is important that you ask the other people involved in the shoot what their intentions are so that any potential problems can be ironed out in advance.

HAVE A CHAT
If you’re just starting out and don’t have a list of credits and references or a body of work, it’s a good idea to be prepared to talk on the phone and/or in person with a potential model. Keep this casual and don’t make shooting together a condition of meeting up – you AND the model should be free to decide against working together after you meet. While this can be frustrating and can result in wasted time, it’s always best to err on the side of caution.

PLANNING THE SHOOT
A shoot will often involve more than just you and a model. With all the resources available to help with finding collaborative partners, you may decide to have a make-up artist and a stylist involved, or you may choose to work with a clothing or accessory designer who provides you with cool things for your shoot in return for use of the photos to promote their work. I find it helpful to send collective emails to introduce everyone to each other. Reminding everyone to hit the Reply To All button ensures that all involved will be kept in the loop.

Shoots often over-run. They do. No matter how carefully you make arrangements, there is always a chance that you may end up working for longer than planned. When you’re booking the date and location for your shoot, bear this in mind and try not to have anything hugely important to get to afterwards. Also, don’t forget that your work doesn’t end with the last frame you shoot. Your work continues through to processing the photos and making sure that they get sent out to all the people involved.

There’s more about what happens with the finished photos in Part 4, coming soon.

CHAPERONES, FRIENDS AND PARENTS
Some models, especially those who don’t have very much experience (or who have had negative experiences in the past) will prefer to have a chaperone present during the shoot. Be honest about whether or not this is acceptable for you. If it isn’t, remember to be respectful and polite – don’t try to change the model’s mind! Simply thank them for their interest in working with you, wish them well and focus your energy on meeting someone who’s work preferences are more in line with your own.

RELEASE FORMS
Always always always have the model sign two copies of your release form – one for your records and one for theirs. Release forms come in all shapes and sizes, and a quick Google search will turn up lots of results for you to look at and learn from. Some are available for use under a Creative Commons license, but please ensure that you ARE allowed to use a release form before you start printing it off and having models sign it.

Even if a friend is modeling for you, it’s worth having them sign a release form. Having someone throw a random hissy fit two years after you’ve taken photos of them is never pleasant, but having a signed release form will protect your right to display your work which they modeled in (if you still want to). While in most countries the law is on the side of the photographer, it is always better to be safe than sorry (and to avoid tantrums!).

Read WORKING WITH MODELS #1: Finding models online and offline, here

This tutorial is intended for people who are building their photography portfolio and taking their first steps into working with models, as a hobby and/or with the intention of working as a photographer in a professional capacity in the future. In the interests of ensuring that the information is accessible and understandable even for those at the start of their photography journey, some of the content may seem simplistic to more experienced photographers.

It is based on my own experiences, both in education and as a professional photographer. I am in no way claiming that it is the best way, the right way or the only way of doing anything. It is simply my way. No doubt there will be some subject matter or issues that I haven’t covered here and there will be points that you may disagree with. There are endless resources out there serving the same or a similar purpose as this one and I fully encourage you to cast your research net as widely as you possibly can and never forget that your own experience is as valuable as anyone else’s.

INTRODUCTION
This, the first part of the Working With Models series, suggests how to find models to work with. When I refer to models, I’m not referring specifically to mainstream fashion models, the tall slender ethereal looking young women who float down the catwalks or the tanned and shiny guys showing off their tighty whities on billboards. When I say model I’m talking about any person who features in a photograph.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A MODEL?
This is an important question to ask yourself before you venture out into the world (wide web) to find a person to point your camera at. If you have a detailed concept in mind already, you’ll probably want to target your search for people with a specific look and/or experience working with the subject matter that you’re into. For example, if you’re desperate to shoot some gory violent-looking photos it makes sense to work with a model who shares your interest in horror. If you don’t have a firm concept in mind and are open to artistic input, you’ll most likely want to find a model who is up for more in-depth involvement in a collaboration.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVERS
The obvious place to start your search for a model is your family and social group. Working with a friend (or a partner, if your significant other is interested in modeling) has the obvious benefit of knowing each other’s personality, insecurities and aspirations, as well as removing any awkward ‘getting to know you’ stuff. The downside is that people tend to be much more emotionally and verbally expressive (and not always in a good way!) when working with close friends and family. If you’ve ever tried to teach a lover, friend or relative to drive you’ll have experienced this first-hand! If you do decide to work with someone who you’re emotionally close to, remember that you should treat each other with the consideration and respect that you would treat a customer or work colleague with.

INDUSTRY NETWORKING SITES
Websites like ModelMayhem.com and PureStorm.com are awesome places to meet people to work with. You can find models, stylists, accessory and clothing designers, make-up artists and even publications through sites like these. They also have the advantage that everyone is there for the same reason, or at least a similar reason. You can see people’s portfolios and find out plenty of information about them before even making contact, and most industry networking sites allow you to post a casting call or forum thread through which to find collaborators. I have only mentioned sites that I’ve used, but there are a lot out there. Some charge to register, so if you’re just getting started and are a little strapped for cash it may be wise to avoid spending money on something that you can get a similar service to for free.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Yes, really. Sites like Facebook can generate potential artistic relationships. You can post a blog entry or bulletin explaining that you’re looking for people to work with on unpaid photoshoots (ALWAYS be up-front about the fact that a shoot is unpaid!) or you can contact people directly. Remember that if you’re contacting someone directly there’s a chance that they just won’t reply. Don’t ever harass someone who doesn’t reply or doesn’t want to work with you. Just accept their stance and move on. Also, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to set up a profile, page or group for your work. Be honest about the stage you’re at in your career and choose your best photos to show to potential collaborators.

LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS SITES
Unlike industry and social networking sites, I haven’t actively used local classifieds sites (like Gumtree or VivaStreet) to find people to collaborate with on shoots, but I have seen adverts placed by photographers seeking models or offering free shoots to gain experience and build a portfolio. I’ve also seen adverts placed by people wanting to build a modeling portfolio, so it works both ways. The upside to sites like this is that you know you’re communicating with people who live near you, so travel expenses won’t be an issue!

SAFETY FIRST
As with any real-world meeting with someone you’ve only spoken to online, it is important to be careful. When I first started building my portfolio, I would meet any prospective model in person somewhere public for a chat before working together. I still prefer to have a chat on the phone or at least send detailed emails back and forth prior to collaborating with a new model.

Remember there IS a difference between paid work booked online and an unpaid artistic collaboration arranged online. When a shoot is unpaid, or TFP (Time For Photos), there is no guarantee that the person you are meeting or working with has an education, experience or professional grounding in photography or modeling. There is no guarantee that they are who they say they are and while, in my experience, the worst thing that happens is that the model simply doesn’t bother showing up, it is important to remember that there are some very unpleasant people out there and it’s a good idea to avoid them.

SORRY GUYS, BUT IT MAY BE TOUGHER FOR YOU
Being female, I am lucky to avoid being tarred with the same brush as the GWCs (Guys With Camera, a term for men who have more of an interest in naked girls than in creating art). People don’t tend to assume that a young female photographer is a pervert or a rapist. Unfortunately some people DO often make those assumptions about men, especially those who are a little older than the models that they work with. So guys, make sure that you’re honest, straight-up and open to questions, and that you’re willing to provide contact details for people who can give a reference to any potential models.

It is a shame that some of you will have negative experiences with people making unfounded assumptions about you based on your gender or age, but the more professional you are in your actions, the more you will paint yourself and others like you in a positive light.

THE AGE ISSUE
Because all the places I display my work online have a certain amount of fetish, art nude and horror content, I do not work with models who aren’t legally adults. While I will happily shoot commissioned work for a minor providing that a parent or guardian signs the terms of service and image release, and is present at the shoot, I never EVER shoot TFP work for someone who is under 18. I also NEVER shoot nude, implied nude, semi/partial nude, fetish, glamour or horror-style images with a model who is under 18, even for a paid shoot.

I have seen some nude and fetish images of non-adult models, generally shot by people with a noticeable lack of artistic intent who will fight tooth and nail to defend their right to take pictures of naked 16 year olds. The law is different in every country. If you’re unsure at all, insist on working only with models who are legally adults.

If you, the photographer, are under 18 you should still veer away from shooting images of a sexual or suggestive nature involving a model who is considered to be legally underage, even if you are also a minor (and even if you are also the model!). Teenagers are being charged with distributing indecent images of…themselves. Seriously. Don’t take any chances with this because you do not want to end up with a criminal record and your name on a sex offenders register!

The small print
This resource is presented for informational purposes only and the author accepts no responsibility for the actions of any individual or group carried out during or after observation of the resource. While anyone may read or make use of this material in the course of their individual or personal research, it is still copyrighted material. If you would like to display or reproduce it in any form, digitally or otherwise, online or offline, or use it in a tutorial capacity or as a reference stated in an educational context, publicly or privately, you MUST seek and obtain my permission to do so and credit the author fully: Copyright 2009-2011, Tanya Simpson (RockstarVanity Photography) RockstarVanity.com

Never mind pumpkins and ghosts, this blog is celebrating with sexy! Thanks to the beautiful lady in the picture, a client who was kind enough to let me share one of her pictures here. It was part of a set we shot for her boyfriend as an anniversary gift. He loved it.

Luxurious, my latest photo set with model Umeko, is now live on Zivity. If you’re not a member of Zivity and would like to have a look around, drop me an email and I’ll send you a free 30 day trial invite.

Originally posted on deviantART, I thought this little bit of reference material might come in handy for any photographers taking their art in a darker, more gory, direction for Hallowe’en.

Samhuinn is the Celtic New Year, the time when Summer dies and Winter rages into dominance. The festival is celebrated on 31st October and Edinburgh witnesses a spectacular procession through the Old Town, where Pagans and non-Pagans alike gather together to watch a dramatic battle between the Summer King and Winter King. The Goddess manifests in her Cailleach phase, the queen kissing her old love goodbye and welcoming her new love to sit beside her through the dark season.

The Cailleach (top), played by Laura in the Beltane Fire Society’s Samhuinn procession, represents she whom the winds fear, the moth queen, the shadow in her own eye.

The Summer King (middle), played by Zander in the Beltane Fire Society’s Samhuinn 2011 procession, represents the lion of the sun, the lord of all desire, he who is adored.

The Winter King (bottom), played by Ross in the Beltane Fire Society’s Samhuinn processions, represents the wolf at the door, the warrior of frost, bleak resolve.

For more information, go to Beltane.org

The wonderful make-up in these pictures was created by Edinburgh-based make-up artist, Elisabeth Brown.

My latest shoot with the lovely Umeko (and her epic tattoos!) is now live on Zivity.