Jason Christopher, LA Commercial & Fashion Photographer Bio

What do photographers expect from a model and what do models expect from a photographer during a shoot ?   I hear many arguments on this subject and after finally getting tired of hearing many photographers and  models give their opinion that THEY think is correct I decided to tell you all how it really is in hopes that I can provide a little less friction in this lovely world of the model and fashion photography industry.

Ok so this is how this discussion is broken down.

We have photographers and models who shoot test shoots, paid and non paid but aren’t at the level yet to shoot commercial paid assignments, editorials or advertising.

Then we have photographers who shoot commercial assignments like catalogs, advertising, editorials and look books.  These photographers also shoot test shoots and model portfolios.   I fall into this category.   I have had many girls come to me from all over the country who want to get into modeling and some girls that are already modeling and they just need to update their books. Like I said,  I also shoot advertisements, editorials and look books.

Now when I shoot an ad gig or a catalog I am expecting the model to already know what he or she is doing.   This is NOT  the time for modeling 101. I am not going to tell you how to pose, where to look, what angles you look better shooting.  That is the job and responsibility of the model.  She is being paid because she knows how to “model” and I am being paid to photograph her.  My job as the photographer, is to direct her on what kind of looks I need her to emote.  I will help her “give good face.”  I will also talk to the model and give encouragement and keep the set “alive.”  The model is expecting me to direct her like a director would direct an actress and I am expecting that the  model knows how to take direction and turn my direction into the emotion I am asking for.   But you know as sure as the sun is gonna rise that the director on a film is not going to start giving acting lessons just as I am not going to give modeling lessons.  We are both professionals and expected to give our client what they are asking us to give them.  Let me remind you that there is a make up artist for the shoot, a hair stylist and a wardrobe stylist.  So all I am expecting from the model is to show up on time and ready to pose and take direction.

The other kind of shoot I do is model portfolio shoots.  This is where a girl will pay me good money to start her portfolio for her.  I shoot five different looks, in studio and on location.  I have a make up artist there the whole time.  I tell the model what kinds of outfits to bring and I ask her to practice posing in the mirror so she has some kind of a head start.  I DO NOT expect her to know what she is doing at all.  She has never modeled before and she is coming to me because I am a professional and I know what modeling agencies are looking for.  So I WILL tell her how to pose.  I WILL tell her where to look.   I WILL help her know what her best angles are and of course I WILL direct her to emote and “give good face.”  I also give the model encouragement and constantly talk to her and give her accolades throughout the whole shoot.  I will also point out what she is doing wrong and show her how to do it the right way.   So in this case one could call this modeling 101.  That is fine with me.  I get paid good money for this and I like to help and educate.

There is another kind of shoot that happens where we have “wanna be” models and “wanna be” photographers who are building their books and they both think they know what their role is in this kind of shoot when in fact BOTH of them are wrong, at least from the stories that I hear.   PLEASE DO NOT TAKE OFFENSE TO ME USING THE TERM WANNA BE.  I am not discounting these models and photographers in any way.  They have not reached the professional status yet and earned the right to be paid for their services because they have not perfected their craft up to a level where a client can depend on them to deliver.  They “wanna be” professional.  I was there at one point as everyone is.   Someone going to medical school wants to be a doctor, however  they have not had enough experience and perfected their skills enough to be trusted with a real human life. Can you get the analogy ?  I hope so.

Ok so now that we got the politically correct bullshit out of the way let me go on.  So as an example we have a girl who has created a profile on one of these amateur  model sites.  We have a boy who has created a profile on this site as well.  Boy “photographer” meets girl “model” and they schedule a test / creative shoot that will hopefully benefit both their portfolios as well as the make up artists portfolio.   Now because these three creative souls  haven’t been exposed to the professional world of fashion photography and modeling maybe  because they live in a city somewhere in the middle of the Bible belt, the only expectations they have come from their own little world of these online amateur modeling / photographer sites.  They look in on the chat rooms, the forums and read what everyone else is quoting as the Gospel of the modeling industry in this little bubble world community  and bingo, instantly our “photographer” and “model” think they both know what is expected of them and what is not.  The problem we have here is that our “photographer” is reading what the other “photographers” are  griping about and our “model” is reading what the other “models” are griping about and both sides are not working as one.

So on the test shoot our photographer is expecting our model to know how to pose, give good face and know all her good angles and our model is expecting our photographer to tell her how to pose, give good face and help her know all her good angles.  Well, well, well.  Can you see the train wreck about to happen ?  Not a pretty scene.  They start to argue, it gets uncomfortable and the shots end up looking like crap because NO ONE worked as a TEAM and COLLABORATED !    So listen up !  On shoots like these neither the photographer nor the model has enough experience to handle the shoot all on their own.  Therefore the solution is to help each other and if the model is not posing the way you want her to pose, Mr. Photographer,  then simply tell her and show her what you want.  I’ve actually struck a pose to show the “model” what I want.  Talk to her through the whole shoot.  Don’t just sit there like a dummy waiting for someone to pull the string on your back for your mouth to move.  And ….MOVE AROUND.  Look for good angles.  Don’t site in one place capturing one point of view.

Miss Model ?  If the photographer is not directing you and you need help, then tell him.  Your job as a model is to come to the shoot as prepared as you can be.  Don’t expect the photographer to give you every single pose.  If you want to become a professional model then do your homework and study !   Study magazines, fashion books, watch Americas Next Top Model. Some of that show is totally ridiculous  I know , but much of it is actually insightful.  Bring nice clothes for shooting.   You AND the photographer and the make up artist should all be involved with selecting the outfits for the shoot.  Have a theme and shoot at least four images with a different outfit and tell a story.

So in conclusion, professional models and photographers both know their roles and what is expected of them.  Amateur models and photographers don’t have enough experience and knowledge to know what to expect from each other.  So help each other out and do your homework so that each of you can bring some level of professionalism to the shoot  and everyone wins and leaves the shoot with a smile on their face rather than a frown.

Ok now it’s time to beat me up, praise me or both !  LOL   I would like to hear your sides and happenings.  And as always if you think this is an interesting article, retweet and Share and Enjoy down below.

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When I am shooting a  fashion assignment I am disciplined to the point where I only shoot the amount of images I feel I need to capture my vision or the client’s vision.  There is absolutely no reason to shoot until you fill a card, which these days could mean 400 or more images per card.  I’ve heard of some photographers who will shoot a thousand images for a portfolio shoot!  That is pathetic!  You know what that translates to?  A VERY insecure photographer who has no idea what he or she is doing and has no vision.   The photographer doesn’t have a plan, can’t see his vision unless he shoots it.  Doesn’t know his technical skills or communication skills.  It could be any of these or all of them that is causing this long drawn out shoot as a result from over shooting.

I used to work in the movie industry behind the camera.  On episodes where we had an inexperienced director we knew the days were going to go in to overtime which was good in a way because more often than not we would go into triple over time……..big paychecks.  But for the production company that meant over budget and the main reason was because the director would over shoot by thousands and thousands of feet of film, which also led to the obvious major over time for the crew !  It’s no different for a still photo shoot.

Many photographers are shocked when I tell them the size of my CF card I use most often is 2 GB.  That’s because with my 5DMark 2 shooting at 100ISO I get about 72 – 76 frames which gives me two different clothing changes.   When I was shooting 35mm film we got 36 frames per roll. At the end of that roll you had to reload.  Now let me also say that if I am shooting an editorial or an ad campaign I use the same small cards and also have much larger ones on hand just in case the client wants to see more.

For this post I will use a portfolio shoot as the main example.  So a model would come to me and back then we charged per roll.  And one roll equaled one look.  After the first look / 36 frames we moved to the second look and so on.  If you as a photographer couldn’t capture that great one shot the model needed in 36 frames you had to use another roll at your own expense!  You couldn’t tell the model she had to pay extra because she was paying per roll and it was just expected that you got the shot after one roll.  Everyone worked that way.  All photographers worked this way.  If she bought a 3-roll shoot that meant we shot 3 looks and no more.  If at the end she wanted an extra look she had to pay my fee for an extra roll.  It was that simple!  So someone please tell me why it should be any different now that we are shooting digital.  Just because we have the technology to shoot a thousand frames for a portfolio shoot does not mean we should. Who wants to sit at the computer all day and night editing out the bad shots? I sure don’t. My place is behind the camera, NOT in front of a computer. Sure there are certain little things I need to do in the computer, however, I wanna be shooting more of the time than sitting at the computer.

I personally feel that many many many photographers of this new generation have not only lost discipline, they haven’t even learned it!   If the shot doesn’t look right then don’t hit the shutter button!  Simple!   If the model isn’t giving you what you want, then you stop, pull her aside and have a short heart to heart just like a catcher does with his pitcher in a baseball game.  The catcher doesn’t let his pitcher just keep throwing pitch after pitch with the same or worse results.  Do you see the comparison?  You don’t just keep shooting and hoping for the model to read your mind as she gets more tired and frustrated.  You use your people skills that you are supposed to possess and constantly fine tune just as you are constantly fine-tuning your photography skills.

By the way this is also good practice for when you do shoot that ad campaign and HOPEFULLY the client, art director, creative director are not all sitting around getting bored, frustrated and wishing they hadn’t hired you because they’ve realized that each image they saw in your portfolio came about from shoots like this where you had to shoot thousands of images to get a few usable ones!   Portfolio shoots and creative tests are great for training your eye and fine tuning your skills for that day when you do get that big ad campaign and you run your set like a five star general with confidence pouring out of your ears and you are directing your model or models and shooting efficiently, shooting only the amount of images you need because you KNOW when you have gotten that shot you need to satisfy your client.

I had a model friend who told me that for a large ad campaign he was shot by Horst P Horst.  All the lighting was done, set dressing, make up etc.  it was time to shoot.  The model gets on his mark, strikes a pose, Horst shoots two frames and says  “That’s a wrap!”    And everyone started to wrap as usual thinking nothing more.  That’s because Horst was confident, the client knew it and trusted him.  If Horst says he got it, then he got it.  In the end no one knows how many or how few shots it took to get that campaign shot.  In the end what matters is if you kept your shoot on budget, didn’t stress the model, pleased the client and have a fun relaxed shoot.  This can only happen when you are a disciplined photographer, who does not over shoot, spray and pray and lose control.

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Recently I had the opportunity to go to Nashville and shoot an up and coming country singer  named Hannah Bethel.   I got the call and was thrilled !  I LOVE Nashville !   The people are friendly and the state is just beautiful.  I also love country music.  Now I have been to Nashville several times but never in the middle of the summer. Well living in Southern California my whole life I’m used to heat , but dry heat.  It was sooooo hot and humid in Nashville that I couldn’t keep the sweat out of my eyes while I was shooting lol.

So the next step to this project was talking to Hannah herself  and throwing around ideas for her EP cover, back of the EP  as well as press kit shots.   Even though I had been to Nashville before, I still don’t know the surrounding areas and locations like I know the locations here.  So that meant obtaining some location shots and having them emailed to me.  Once we decided on the concepts Hannah had someone go out and just take some shots with a point and shoot.  So I get the shots and the locations are beautiful.  We got some nice green field locations, a really cool flowing stream, a straight long road lined with wild flowers etc.  My imagination started over flowing with ideas.  The only problem was that even though I knew what time of day the shots were taken, the shoot was still about a month away which means the location of the sun in relation to those photos was going to be different.  But that’s ok, that is something you work out when it’s time for the shoot.

I also had to use my imagination to visualize where Hannah would be placed in the shot.  This is where I want to stress how important it is that what makes a good photographer is not just his or her lighting skills but that they have that sixth sense of being able to “SEE” the shot before you shoot it.  That cannot be taught. Having an inner eye is a God given talent and you better be able to tap into it if you are going to be successful. But I had no idea what time each different shot would be taken and where the sun would be at that specific time.   It’s not like I could just call Hannah on the phone and say I’ll be right over to do some test shots so we can figure out how we want each shot to look.  So that made this whole process a bit more difficult.  But again, that’s ok because I knew I was flying into Nashville a few days early so I would use those days to go with Hannah and check out each location and note where the sun is, how the sun affected her, where the shadows would fall etc.

But before going out to Music City there was much to be done.   Hannah sent me photos of the clothes her stylist got for her.   I needed those photos so I could put the whole scene together in my mind and also make sure that the shots were designed around her music and her personality.  How did I get to her personality ?  I talked to her on the phone alot of course, looked at her Facebook page that had just regular photos of her in her daily life and I spoke with her manager.  I also listened to some rough cuts of the songs.

So now I arrive in Nashville and am slapped in the face with hot, sticky air lol.  We started our location scouting and to my shock the locations in the photos that WERE nice and plush with green were now brown and dried out.  The beautiful flowing stream was pretty much dried up and the wildflowers were pretty much non existent.   Alllll the planning of the shots, all my ideas and excitement went right out the window.  Well as you can imagine I was just lovin the situation at this point lol.  So I did what a photographer can only do in that situation.  I changed gears and scouted more.  I planned my ideas based on other locations that I liked better that even though were dried out, they had other characteristics that I could use.  For instance, an old abandoned barn, a long dirt road, etc.  I just changed the whole theme of the shoot and adapted as best I could.

Let’s move on….. I went to each location at different times of the day over the course of a couple days.  Now we get to the shoot day.  Living in Los Angeles the weather never changes in the summer. It’s just hot with no clouds.  Well as I was about to experience, Tennessee is not at all like that.

Big puffy white clouds roll by covering the sun every 5, 10, 15 min etc.  So I set up my first shot while Hannah was in make up and hair, the one with Hannah standing in the middle of the dirt road and everything looks great.  Hannah comes out of make up, I inspect every detail on her face making sure all the lines are clean and eyelashes don’t have any dried clumps of mascara ( my BIGGEST pet peeve) and tell everyone it’s time to shoot !

As I am shooting sweat is pouring down my face as I wipe it away every couple of minutes.  I’m drinking water like crazy.  Now the clouds begin to do their thing and cover the sun almost as if they are playing a trick on me.  Covering the sun, I wait for them to roll by.  They roll by I get off one frame and here they come again.  This went back and forth and I just had to succumb to the fact that the clouds ruled in this part of the country lol.  So eventually I made it through that shot.  I got some great images.

One thing to remember is not only do I have to be aware of the clouds, the sun etc., but also I have to consider and not forget that I have a subject / Hannah in front of me that is wearing make up and is hot and needs direction.  Remember, she is not a model or an actress so I am also directing her through all of this.  Not easy but….. fun !

We move on to the next shots and finish the day in the studio.  So this was a different kind of shoot in many ways.

1. I was shooting in another state.  I had to plan everything without actually being there.

2. I was shooting a singer, not a model or actress as I am so used to shooting.

3. I was working out in the elements of a totally different kind of weather pattern.

4. The locations I had chosen and planned to use totally changed and I had to choose different locations and re plan everything.

The major point is that as professional photographers we must be able to adapt to ANYTHING.  And in order to be able to adapt we must know our craft like the way we breathe.  This only comes from years of practice and patience.

Below are some behind the scenes shots and finals.  In all we shot five different looks.

Had another great private photography workshop last weekend with a super nice guy who came allllllll the way out from Ottawa Canada !  He also signed up for three days not just the two days !

The first day of the workshop I went over portfolio set up, size of prints, how they should be organized etc.  I say “they” because you should have a portfolio for each one of your specialties.  Dave has only been shooting for 4 months and he is very good.  Aside from being creatively talented you must also know the business and how it works.  I explained contracts and what should be included.  We talked about how to get real models to shoot for your portfolio, how to direct them etc.  I also covered tax write offs and most important I taught him about usage !  USAGE USAGE USAGE !    Dave had no idea he should be charging usage fees.  So I really covered many areas on the business side that will increase his business sales.  I then prepped him for the shoot with the model on the second day.

Most photographers these days when they are just starting out will build an in home photography studio which is a great idea.  But many really don’t know how to go about it to make it practical and useful for everyone on the team, make up artist etc.  So instead of renting a studio we shot in my home studio.  We started the day with showing Dave how to direct a make up artist, what looks good with certain outfits.  My make up artist explained about the different foundations etc.  Dave gained a wealth of information seeing how I have set up my studio and how I have made it work for me.  So I shot the model first.  It was a great way for Dave to observe how I direct the model, what I say to the model, and basically how I conduct a fashion shoot.

So now you can see my in home studio.  Obviously for large commercial shoots I rent a very large photography studio in LA, but for workshops, head shots etc. you’re in home studio will work perfectly !

You can see that we used a two light set up.  That light that is facing Dave is for the flare.  And here is the final shot not retouched btw.  Dave did a great job and absorbed everything I taught him.  Stay tuned for the third day !

➢ The closer your light modifier is to your model, the broader/softer your light will be. The farther away, the more direct/harsher your light will be. An umbrella will yield more contrast than a soft box.

Ok so TIP # 2 ➢    Talk to your model before the shoot as he or she is getting their make up and hair done.  Joke around, get to know them, be approachable and friendly.  This is the perfect time to establish some kind of bond.   Even if you can only spend 10 minutes with them, it’s better than nothing.  So how do you start off the conversation ?  Hi my name is Jason and I’m your photographer today.   Or for you guys who have already spoken to the model to set up the shoot but haven’t really spent much time talking, then walk in the make up room and just say hi and tell her how great she looks or how good he looks if it is a male model and then the conversation will just develop on it’s own.

beauty model

PRIVATE FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

• Two day  private workshop one on one with Jason Christopher.
• Learn at your own pace.  I will tailor your workshop to your needs.
• Each day will include a model and make up artist.
• You will learn MY lighting techniques and styles that apply to fashion advertising photography and  editorial photography.
• You will learn how to direct a model and take control of  YOUR shoot.
• One day in studio lighting and one day outdoor location lighting.
• Hands on experience by actually shooting the model and you take home hi res images on a DVD !
• Learn how to get models from agencies, marketing yourself and business tips such as usage for your images, how to use contracts and negotiate.

Book your two day workshop now for $2,000.00 For your convenience you can use Pay Pal to reserve your workshop for $250.00

PH: 818-889-9559 EMAIL: jason@jasonchristopher.com  Please call with any questions or email me direct.

beauty photo lighting set up

Beauty photo from photography workshop

UPDATE: My private photography workshops are going strong !   A wonderful woman Sofia, came all the way up from Mexico.  She is more of a portrait photographer but also wanted to learn a little bit of fashion so we shot in studio and outdoors.  I took her to the Peter Strauss Ranch in Agoura Hills.  Instead of lugging a bunch of lighting gear out there she wanted to learn how to use an on camera flash.  When we first start out we don’t always have the resources of getting an assistant.  So for this shot we mounted her flash on a light stand.  I also mounted a 3 foot by 2 foot white board to the stand and bounced the flash into the board. So we ended up with a nice soft light that didn’t look like harsh on camera flash.  The stand was about 4 feet away off camera left and about 4 feet away from the model. This photo has NOT been edited, it is right out of the camera.

fashion model for photography workshops

This next photo is of Sofia shooting Olga the fashion model.  Sofia was shooting with Nikon gear and her on camera flash with a Stofen cover on the flash head.  We all had a great time and Sofia learned many new techniques that she will implement into her shooting without having to spend a fortune on gear and also Sofia learned that shooting alone without an assistant is VERY possible.

UPDATE : !   Had another great private photography workshop last weekend with a super nice guy who came allllllll the way out from Ottawa Canada !  He also signed up for three days not just the two days !

The first day of the workshop I went over portfolio set up, size of prints, how they should be organized etc.  I say “they” because you should have a portfolio for each one of your specialties.  Dave has only been shooting for 4 months and he is very good.  Aside from being creatively talented you must also know the business and how it works.  I explained contracts and what should be included.  We talked about how to get real models to shoot for your portfolio, how to direct them etc.  I also covered tax write offs and most important I taught him about usage !  USAGE USAGE USAGE !    Dave had no idea he should be charging usage fees.  So I really covered many areas on the business side that will increase his business sales.  I then prepped him for the shoot with the model on the second day.

Most photographers these days when they are just starting out will build an in home photography studio which is a great idea.  But many really don’t know how to go about it to make it practical and useful for everyone on the team, make up artist etc.  So instead of renting a studio we shot in my home studio.  We started the day with showing Dave how to direct a make up artist, what looks good with certain outfits.  My make up artist explained about the different foundations etc.  Dave gained a wealth of information seeing how I have set up my studio and how I have made it work for me.  So I shot the model first.  It was a great way for Dave to observe how I direct the model, what I say to the model, and basically how I conduct a fashion shoot.

So now you can see my in home studio.  Obviously for large commercial shoots I rent a very large photography studio in LA, but for workshops, head shots etc. you’re in home studio will work perfectly !

You can see that we used a two light set up.  That light that is facing Dave is for the flare.

And here is the final shot not retouched btw.  Dave did a great job and absorbed everything I taught him.  Stay tuned for the third day !

The third day of our fashion photography workshop involved learning how to light on location mixing the sun with your off camera flash and really using it off camera instead of mounting it on your camera.  One of the really cool things we did was mounted Dave’s Canon flash on a c-stand bounced into a Photoflex umbrella !   One of the benefits of mounting the flash to a c stand with the arm is that you can boom it out at any angle you want and of course you don’t end up with a photo that looks like you used harsh on camera flash.

We spent the whole day experimenting and just shooting, shooting and shooting.  I would observe Dave as he photographed the model and suggest different things to say to the model as he was shooting.  We had a nice lunch and ended up with great photos.  Dave is a great guy and learned so much.  Dave gave his testimonial however if there is something specific you would like to ask him about his three day workshop please don’t hesitate to email him.  His email is dave@daveclee.com and as always I encourage you to email or call me if you would like more information.