Category Archives: Information

113 – Model Hollis Ireland

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(26:38) Redhead traveling model Hollis Ireland joins Ron and Shawna this week and reveals the secrets of the globetrotting model. Recorded from Hollis’s front seat as she travelled for an authentic feel.

Turns out those models who travel around shooting have secret lists. Ron found out he wasn’t on the good one. Luckily he wasn’t on the creep list either.

Hollis also talks about how she schedules shoots and picks where to go. Want to talk on the phone? That could be an issue.

As always you find out what a model looks for in a photographer, and specifically how that is different for a model making her living from it verses one that is looking for TFP.

Keeping it real, Ron gets on to Hollis for one of his pet peeves in her portfolio.

The banter talks audiobooks and Ron gives a tip for using them to keep yourself awake.

Hollis’ Model Mayhem
Hollis’ Model Mayhem Fetish
Hollis’ Tumbler

Mentions

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting

Bob Warren
Model Angela Ryan
Photographer Corwin Prescott

How-To Build a Cyclorama Photo Studio

I’ve always called a cyclorama an infinity wall. It is a white background that curves as the bottom so you can’t see where the floor ends and the wall begins. There is no line there.

Here’s a great video on how to build one. This is no simple project. They really build not only the curve, but also the floor.

Oh and the video itself is really well made and fits how we do things at my studio. Though photographer and model does not endorse the use of power tools while only wearing lingerie for safety reasons.

Hat tip to Chase Jarvis for pointing out the video.

Ep 75 – Photographer James Wiseman



If you think organizing and executing a photo shoot in a studio is tough, try shooting underwater. Do not confuse that weightless feeling with ease! In this episode, James Wiseman tells us what it takes to get your feet wet in underwater photography, the special requirements for models and MUA’s, and how you light and backdrop the briny deep (well, chlorinated deep more like it) for a fashion shoot.

James’ Website

James on Model Mayhem

Mentions

Wet Pixel

Mermaid Image

Wedding Dress Image

300 Inspired Image

Makeup Artist Sara Eudy

Makeup Artist Jen Marine

Model Belladonna Dea

Model Liz Ashley

Model Mars Ayane

Richard Tallent

Photographer Clayton Addison
Download MP3

Ep 63 – Photographer Corwin Prescott

(14:15)
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Photographer Corwin Prescott likes his models to be foxy. At least, that is what the appearance of a taxidermy fox in his photos might suggest. In this episode he tells us why models need to be just as much personality as “model”, how to interact with models when they are “more than nude” in photos, and all about a controversial work involving a prominent Philadelphia building and a nude model.

Corwin’s Website

Mentions

Ep 60 – Model Daniela Kenzie

Ep 23 – Model Cyan Banister

Model Alysha Nett

Model PXE

Photographer Chase Lisbon

Photographer Collin J Rae

Photographer Aaron Hawks

Download MP3

Exercise In Frustration

I’ve been shooting models now for 5 years and still am frustrated with trying to select models. Tonight is one of those times.

Next month I’m teaching a glamour photography workshop. I have one lovely but new model that will be working the already sold out practice session. I want an experienced glamour model to anchor the workshop. But I also need a model new to our workshops. Right now we don’t have many on call, so I have to go to Model Mayhem and OMP and look for models.

My frustration is you don’t always know if what you see is what you are going to get. DSCF9314-Edit

First, since I’ve never shot with them I don’t know if they are a good model, or that they will even show up. Can they pose well on their own? Since it is a workshop the photographers will not be super great at telling them what to do, so they need to be able to handle it themselves.

Second, glamour models have a lot of Photoshop in their images. For some every image has total skin smoothing. To me this is a red flag they have bad skin. But they look good and they have shot with some good photographers. Do ask them even if heavily Photoshoped?

Third, I’d like a model comfortable with nudity, though I’d accept one willing to only do lingerie. But that is sometimes hard to tell in their profiles and even harder when MM is not displaying all profiles.

Fourth, some models have excellent ports, but their profiles are so obnoxious or crazy I’m put off and don’t want to deal with them.

All of this is frustrating.

What I’ve decided is I want to shoot with a model before the workshop, but that doesn’t give us much time and I don’t intend to pay the model for this. I’m a little hesitant to contact a model and tell her she needs to “try out” with a test shoot before the 7th of next month.

In the end I’m waiting for a response from one of Houston’s best models, which we may not be able to afford. If I get a no then I’ll have to decide what to do next.

I thought I’d share this with y’all because it isn’t just the new guys that run into frustration when trying to recruit models. It happens to all of us.

Model Posing Tip

Here’s a video I ran across today with a Ford model talking about how to pose. It is a little disjointed, but the first pose she shows is one I always tell new models to do.

Posing is something most new models have problems with and they look to photographers to give them direction.

My Goth Swimsuit Calendar

I mentioned last week when talking about creating interesting work that I had done a Goth Swimsuit calendar. It was shot during the summer of 2006 and was for the year 2007. Since then the website for that calendar has gone away and there really isn’t anywhere you can see the images. So I decided to post all of the images from the calendar here on Glamour Apprentice and give you some of the background behind each one.

First we start with the cover.

Goth Swimsuit Calendar Cover Image

The cover was not shot first. It was almost last. For the calendar a few models come in from out of town. There were two that were considered “headliners” for the calendar, Angela Ryan, the redhead, and Athena Fatale, the bad ass. The weekend they were going to be in town I contacted the guy who provided January’s hearse and he brought a buddy with another hearse for a “hearse car wash”. The carwash being a staple of swimsuit calendars and hearse’s being a staple of goth. Then I contacted a number of the local models to come down and shot them with the hearses. Getting the cover.

The Models from left to right:
Ankha, Ms. March,
Ivory, Ms December,
Angela Ryan, Ms. July,
Scarlett St. Vitus, Ms October,
Athena Fatale, Ms August, and
Spleen, Ms May.

The Photographer And Model Podcast Manifesto

UPDATE: On Sept 1, 2009 the podcast’s name was changed to the Photographer and Model Podcast.

Everything must serve the Art first.

What this show is about:

Art – The podcast is a three way discussion between the hosts, the interviewees, and the audience on how to do the art of model photography.  

Relationship – What makes a good model photography team? How do they work together? What do they look for in each other? 

Creative Process – The nuts and bolts of creating your portfolio. How do you find people to shoot with? How do you plan and arrange shoots? What are the struggles, obstacles, rewards, and glamour of the process?

Creativity – How do we as artists continue to create now a better work? What is our ultimate goal and ambition?

Diversity – There is something to be learned from all forms of people photography. We won’t shy away from a photographer or a model because they do nudes, or fetish, or religious photography.

Experience - All levels of experience. We aren’t just looking at the big time models and photograpers, but artists from every level. There will be interviews of models who’ve only had one shoot, to models who have been shooting for years. Same for photographers. We want to understand everyone’s experience.

What it is NOT about:

Gear - There will only be discussions of gear the context of how they serve the art. You can talk about how using lens X gave you super DOF which made and image really cool. But we won’t talk about newly released camera or have a gear pick. We won’t ask if guests shoot Nikon or Canon.

Bread and Butter Photography – Weddings, family portraits, senior portraits. They can learn from us, but they aren’t the focus of this podcast.

The Shooting Beauty Model Photography Podcast

UPDATE: On Sept 1, 2009 the podcast changed its name to the Photographer and Model Podcast.

The new podcast’s official name is “The Shooting Beauty Model Photography Podcast”. Shooting Beauty for short.

I finally reconciled my artistic desire for a cool name with my SEO considerations. I get my keywords – Model and Photography – and I get a popular name “Shooting Beauty”.

Shawna liked Shooting Beauty the best as well.

I mentioned before that I didn’t want this to be just like other podcasts, so tomorrow I’m going to publish what I’m calling the Shooting Beauty Manifesto. My declaration of principles the show will go by.