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.

“Get my new updates weekly by signing up for my email newsletter in the top right in the box that says “subscribe”

Your email will never be shared or sold.  That is a promise from me directly.

Recently I shot a catalog or sometimes called a look book. A designer will call me asking me to shoot their new creations.  Normally if everything on the designer end goes smoothly, I will shoot two seasons ahead.  So this shoot which is for Simply Mimi,  we shot this in August of 2010.  The collection is Spring 2011.  The time table isn’t always exact but everyone does their best to get the designs manufactured in time for the shoot.  This will give the designer enough time to design the catalog / look book, send it out to her buyers and ship her orders to the various stores in time for the season they were meant for.  Trust me, it NEVER runs that smooth and on time lol.

So this is a small sample of what I shot.  Now let me explain something to you guys.  You might be saying to yourselves that it looks really boring.   Well, it is  !  Shooting look books is boring UNLESS it is a look book for Gucci etc.  You get my drift I’m sure.  However, the bare bones fact is that I would rather be shooting than sitting in a cubicle all day answering a phone or working the drive through window.  ” Welcome to Kentucky Fried Chicken may I take your order please?” as I spit my gum out that I’ve had in my mouth for the past 8 hours !

Catalog / look book shooting is easy, quick and you make a pretty penny for a days work or two.  Do I put all my catalog work up on my site ?  Heeeelllllll no !

I show my artistic side and creative side on my site.  IF the look book is cool enough then I will put it up on my site.

So what is involved in shooting a catalog / look book ?  As you can see the lighting is all the same.  You MUST bring out the texture of the clothes and show them well.  This is not about being fancy and artistic with your lighting with dark shadows and moods.  These look books are for buyers of major department stores and they want to see the garments they are investing in.  Sometimes I will also shoot a lifestyle shot or two or three etc. to go along with the look book if the client asks.

So there ya go.  One of my recent catalog / look books.  Hit me up with any questions you have.  Trust me, I haven’t included every detail in this post because I am trying to get you all to think about what else is involved and ask me questions so we can get some interaction going 

Here we have from left to right; fashion model, designer, Jason Christopher- photographer and a fashion model.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a new jewelry line by Flori Manning.  The designer herself called me from Chicago where she lives, we talked over the concepts, budget etc. and the next thing you know she is on a plane to  Los Angeles to shoot her look book with lil ol me.

We had a great model and some beautiful jewelry as well as great make up and hair.  One of my make up artists Lori Young did a great job with the make up and hair.

As for the lighting, I used my typical beauty lighting set up. One small white satin umbrella above the model and in front of her and silver reflector on a stand below to fill in any shadows and light up that jewelry.  We shot 9 different looks.  Here we see two of them.

When prepping for a photo shoot with a client who is based out of town you have got to be very thorough and write everything down from every phone call.  Ask your client to email you samples of the look they are going for.  The more specifics you get from your client the easier the shoot will flow.  Because there is no initial in office meeting, everything must be done via email and phone.  It’s not as easy as an in person meeting but it can be done effectively.

A bit more info on the technical side of a shoot like this must be mentioned.  In the first shot you see the model is wearing a necklace AND earrings.  In this situation I needed to set a very tight f stop to make everything sharp from the necklace all the way back to the earrings.  I set it to f/13, so my strobes were popping !  lol   In the second shot we don’t have earrings in the shot, however, the necklace must be sharp from the closest edge to camera all the way back to where it rests on the back of her neck.

Any questions or comments are welcome !

Ok so you’ve got a great idea for a fashion shoot and now all you need is a great location.  Or your client and you develop a concept for  the ad campaign or look book and you need a great location.  Easy enough right ?  Well if you hire a producer all you do as the photographer is sit back and let your producer find you a location.  However, when you are first starting out you aren’t getting gigs with budgets big enough to hire a producer.  So what to do ?  You get in your car and drive !

Every time I get in my car and go somewhere I am always looking around where ever I go.  Remember when I said photographers have eyes in the back of their heads ?  It’s true !  I carry a little point and shoot camera with me and if I see a place that I think is cool I snap a few pics and keep them in a folder on my computer titled “locations.”

Ok so that is the easy part. Now you have to get permission to shoot on the property.  When I say property I don’t exactly mean a house or a hotel or someplace recognizable, most of the time I am talking about a piece of land in the middle of no where!  Nowadays there isn’t one piece of empty land that isn’t owned by someone or some entity.  It sucks if you ask me.

This ever popular photo was shot in Palm Desert.   I made a few calls and found out the location is actually Riverside County.  So I called the office of Riverside and the kind woman faxed me the papers to obtain a permit.  I faxed those to my client and he took care of the rest.  The permit cost $400.  The price of permits vary from county to county.  The price also varies depending on how many people in your crew, if you are going to use an RV, if your are going to use a generator , if you are going to use fire…. blah blah blah. Now of course the permit is paid by your client NOT by you.  You MUST put that in your contract.

Another popular photo was shot at Sycamore Beach in Ventura County.  Now listen to this.  You’re gonna laugh.  The permit to shoot on the beach during the day is $65.  It goes up much more if you are shooting your look book or ad campaign at night.  A park ranger MUST be there at all times, so that is an extra cost.  The model was in at least ankle deep water so we had to hire a lifeguard !!!!!  HA HA HA !  California is in so much debt at this time, you will get charged for EVERY little thing.  We had a really large RV so that added to the cost.  So the total cost of the permit came to $1,200 !!!!!! WTF ? !!!!  Now obviously I don’t have to pay for this but that affects my fee, and everyone else involved with the shoot.  The client has a fit and suddenly everyone’s fee is questioned.  The solution ?  Get to know someone who lives on the beach so you don’t have to mess with all the bullshit.  That ranger and lifeguard had the easiest job that night they will ever have.  We started hair and make up at 7pm and started shooting at 8:30 and ended at 3:30am.  Ya fun friggin night.  Really glamourous, uh huh………

A photographer friend of mine recently came to me very frustrated.  He is very good at shooting lifestyle, commercial, weddings and let’s call it commercial fashion.  On his website he had all these sections up.  He asked for my advice and opinion on what I thought.  I told him to narrow down to two – three categories of photography that you really love.  Don’t think about how much they pay, or how much they don’t pay, just shoot what you love.

I told him this is something we all go through in the beginning of our careers.  He was concerned and insecure because he doesn’t know what he loves the most.  Eventually I told him you will know what you love the most.  It took me three years to finally know in my heart that I love shooting fashion and beauty.  But not just fashion and beauty, fashion and beauty advertising.  It all works out.  When we first start shooting, we literally have to get to know ourselves again, but this time we have to get to know ourselves as a creative.  We go through growing pains, emotional let downs, the highs and the lows.  Trust me, every single photographer out there who is working has gone through this process.  It’s a friggin roller coaster and you know what ?  It sucks !  It really does.  I mean come on, can you really say in your heart that you loved your teen years as a kid ?  Hell no ! But eventually we grow up, well MOST of us do lol.  And we find our way.  The path opens up right before our inner eyes and heart.  Sometimes it takes a road trip all by yourself and just shoot.  Shoot whatever you think is cool, beautiful, weird or whatever !  Just shoot !  Take at least three days and just drive.  No destination in mind, no preconceived notions.  Just drive and stop when you want to and shoot.  If it’s a stupid cactus or a stupid wood fence and you think they look cool, shoot them !  Take your digital camera but also take a film camera.  Yes that’s right a film camera.  It’s time to grow up !  I can guarantee that when you return from your little trip, you will feel totally different.  Will you have found yourself ? I don’t know.  But if you don’t, take another road trip.

The voyage of self discovery is something that every creative goes through and listen to this, you will go through ANOTHER voyage of self discovery again in your career and probably another time too !  That’s ok though.  As creatives we don’t ever want to get stuck in a rut.  We feel stale and useless.  I will mention my very good close friend and celebrity fashion photographer Jerry Avenaim who coined the phrase voyage of self discovery.  He had his own voyage of self discovery early in his photography career.   To this day he still goes through discoveries here and there.  I do, my other colleagues do, actors do, you name it.  If you are a creative you will always continue to develop.

The reason I am talking about this is that as photographers you MUST shoot what you love.  If through your own voyage of self discovery you find that you have changed, then go with it.  Never forget this though; clients will hire you because they love your style.  It could be your lighting style, the way you pose your models, the emotion you evoke from your models or it could be that they don’t even know.  All they do know is that when they look at your portfolio, it grabs them and never lets go !  And that is the photographer they want to shoot their next campaign, look book, catalog or whatever.  Your passion for what you shoot does show in the photo.  The photo that you produce is in some way an extension of you !  Yes !  It’s true !

So as I leave you with these words of wisdom, don’t make growing up complicated.  Trust your own gut.  I will be 41 Dec. 6th and I can tell you that my guy has NEVER ONCE been wrong, NEVER !

I want to know your thoughts on this.  I want to hear all your voyages of self discovery.

This photo by the way was one of my first photos I ever shot with a real model.  It isn’t really fashion but it is by far the most popular photo I have ever taken.  It is a photo that gets me very much work because you FEEL when you look at it !

Beautiful Ballerina

I thought I would share these with you guys.  There aren’t many shots of me in front of the lens.  This was a shoot for a lingerie company.  We shot at the Bissell house in Pasadena.  The former owners were the Bissell’s of the vacum cleaner company !  It is now a bed and breakfast.

thinking about the shot

setting up the shot

Shooting on a ladder

And this would be one of the final images used in the campaign.

Fashion lingerie campaign by Jason Christopher of Los Angeles