Giving Photographers Something to Shoot: A Lesson in How Not to be a Still Life

You have a test shoot coming up and you want your agent to flip over the pics. I understand. Your last test left you looking a little like a dead fish. You had no expression and the photographer just kept saying "Okay… Do something else. This isn't working." So before wasting any more money for mediocre photos, why not figure out how to work what you have? It will make you easier to shoot, you will inspire those around you, and your book and bookers will thank you!

First things first. I want you to watch movies. I don't mean Scarface or a cheesy Lohan flick. I am talking about a real classic something with substance and grace. The actresses in vintage films are elegant. They are refined and beautiful. They communicate style and beauty down to their little lace gloves and peep-toe pumps. You need to watch the way they approach an object, they way they approach a man and the way they move their faces in the light. Great movies to watch are Sabrina (of course!!), Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady. The women and men in these flick exemplify how one is supposed to be at ease and comfortable with your body and its placement.

Another idea for finding your ease is by taking a dance class.
Ballerinas are beautiful and fluid with their movements. They know where their body is at all times and what a movement is supposed to feel like. Ballroom dancing is another great avenue to try. Plus, if you can learn some hot Latin dances in the process, that can only add to your resume. Hip-Hop and breaking are nice to know how to do, but it will not help you out quite as much. But if it helps you know your body and how to move it, then go for it!

Next, I want you to go to the bookstore and start shopping. You will be buying foreign magazines. The best mags to pick are those like French Vogue, W, British Harper's, and photography and fashion-based magazines like Zink, Clear, and Paper. You will find amazing editorials. The models will be posed in interesting ways. It might not be a pretty shot that daddy would like, but it would be a shot that Steven Meisel would love. If you don't know who that is, quit reading and back silently away from the computer. You should probably purchase these publications because I want you to rip them apart. If you like the way a model is positioned or the way they are moving or jumping or spinning or stretching, then pull it out. Tear out the photo if you like the way they are screaming or crying, or how they look sad, hopeful, angry, annoyed, demure, uptight, or peaceful. The point is that something about that photo has made you stop and look at it. You want to be able to convey the same range of emotions in your book so that when you are at a casting, the client stops and really looks at your work.

Take all of these tearsheets home. It is time to practice. Go in your room and lock the door. Grab a chair and lay the tears out in front of you. Now try and mimic each one. If the model is laughing, see if you can do the same while not pulling your head back. Keep your chin down to avoid the double chin and make sure that your eyes do not close up too much.
Keep doing this until you know what your face feels like when you are doing it right. Do the same thing for every tear you pulled out. Now, do the same thing with your body for every shot that you pulled. If she is spinning or laid out, jumping, or hunched over, see how it looks and feels for you to do the same. Always keep your neck stretched out for editorial. Pull out all of your motions and make them as dramatic as possible. Lift your tongue onto the roof of your mouth. It will make your neck appear slimmer in a profile or headshot.
Drop your shoulders and push them slightly forward to make your collar bone stick out a little. Those two tricks alone can make you look pounds thinner. You will need to keep practicing to really know your angles and your lines.

Commercial work is not that difficult. Just know how to smile, smirk, and look peaceful and you should be set. Know how to show off the clothes and position yourself so that you are showing off the garment.
If the outfit has pockets, use them! Just remember to keep your hands flat in the pockets and do not push your hands down into them. This can cause the garment to hang funny and make your hands look like big tennis balls in the coat. If you are resting your head on your hand, be sure not to really apply pressure to your hand. Just pretend to prop your head up or else you will pull your face in one direction with your hand. Not attractive!

Last, be nice! Be professional to everyone that you come into contact with on a shoot. If you have to hold an uncomfortable position or outfit, or you are cold, or hot, or if someone is hard to work with on a shoot .. suck it up. You can still get a great shot that will generate more work later on. No one wants to work with a whiner.
Also, be ready for the shoot. Have moisturizer on, be shaved, have clear nails and toes, fresh hair color and cut, and no tan lines.
And before doing beauty or headshots, put a little Visene in your eyes and glycerin on your lips (helps remove lines and plum them).

Now that you have all of my little secrets, I am sure that your next test or job will be a success. Just be comfortable with yourself and go with the flow. Let them think that you are naturally graceful and aware of your body and remember to model down to your toes!

Ciao Bella!
Sabrina Sikora