Every shoot that I do, I learn more and more. I am constantly improving, and I think that I am improving extremely quickly. I am at the point in my photographic journey where I have the advantage of becoming more selective with whom I shoot. I am able to work with agency signed models as well as amateur models of my choosing, that are usually terrific. I can honestly say that I have never had an unsuccessful shoot. I am always upbeat and positive about the results that I get. I am very consistent in my output and level of quality in my work so I know that I will shoot the best possible images given the situation.
Sometimes this situation is not ideal. Sometimes the talent is not as talented as you would have hoped, or they just don't have the right look that you need. When this happens, I try to counteract it as much as possible. There is never a perfect situation so knowing how to adapt puts you at an advantage. There was a shoot recently where I did not receive even one useable image for my portfolio. This shoot was a trade shoot, meaning that I am trading my time for the images that we receive and the model and other talent are trading their time for the images that we create. This shoot is the only shoot that I have done, for trade, where I felt the images did not benefit me and were not up to par with others in my portfolio. This situation is not ideal and it bothered me a lot. If I am trading my time shooting, hours retouching, and general skill and knowledge for nothing then that is really disheartening. You are always risking this when doing trade shoots, which is why I am usually very selective with who I work with. I tried to love the images, I tried to adapt them in photoshop to render them useful, but nothing worked.
I really felt badly that there weren't any useable images, so I contacted the individual about a reshoot. I thought that I had some great ideas and gave her some tips on what we might be able to do to get some really nice shots that benefited both of us, tips that involved no escorts and other distractions. I don't know if I offended her by saying that I thought it would be best that there was no escort. At the first shoot, she did bring her boyfriend, and anyone that knows me knows that I do NOT like boyfriends/husbands/girlfriends etc. to be at shoots, period. I did make an exception because she was traveling such a long way to shoot with me. Her boyfriend was not overly distracting at all, but I thought that at a reshoot we should eliminate any possible distraction.
To me, that is only a minor detail to a successful shoot.
The response that I got back, is what floored me. I basically received a Thanks, but no thanks kind of response and that was it! I was so taken aback that I didn't even know how to respond. In those situations, I usually get at least a reason or a more lengthy response. This individual is just starting out, and has a lot to learn modeling wise. I thought that I could help her along by providing insight and tips, but I guess she does not feel that my work benefits her, which is a bit offensive. I know that not everyone will always like my work but we can always hope.
I am not heartbroken because I am afforded the opportunities to work with actual industry professionals where I will be guaranteed great images for my portfolio, but this story will always be in the back of my mind. I work with amateur models because I think that everyone deserves to have high quality images. If I have the time, I will shoot with anyone that I think has a great look. I see now that I definitely need to be more selective with people that I choose to work with.
Even with shoots like this where I received nothing, physically, for my efforts, I did learn something about myself, about working with models, and about photography in general...so nothing is a lost cause!
Off to bigger and better things...
The only word that I can think of when I think of Caitlin, is FABULOUS! Haha, inside shoot joke. This girl is amazing! She is talented, intelligent, creative, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous! She looks EXACTLY like Shannyn Sossamon, but with a Pin-Up flair. She is, naturally, such a beautiful woman. Even though she looks like a model and can pose like a model, she is more than that. Caitlin is full of energy and bursting with ideas! Definitely in my Top 5 when it comes to my most favorite people that I have ever shot! Plus the images that we created are some of my best images to date!
I contacted a Clothing Designer, Gypsy Love Fashions, about a possible shoot together. We set this shoot up a couple times but it didn't go through because of cancellations or whatnot. We finally set a good date and booked a reliable model, Ashlynn. At the last minute the makeup artist and hair stylist cancelled. Instead of canceling the shoot I got on You Tube, yeah I know, and started researching pin-up looks.
Haley is a gorgeous girl that I contacted from Model Mayhem. She is very new to modeling but you can't really tell. She is very relaxed and natural in front of the camera. I new from her very first modeling images that she would be amazing, I was right! I am sure that she will become very popular on Model Mayhem. She also has a daughter that is around the same age as my Lili, so that commonality gave us something to chat about.
Anna is a very understanding person with a heart of gold. Our shoot ended very abruptly because of certain circumstances and she was a trooper about the whole situation. She even texted me later to make sure everything was alright. She is a genuinely caring and lovely person to be around.
I shot with Bisi, a very talented Makeup Artist, once before and she did such a wonderful job that I wanted to set up more shoots with her. She came to me with an idea of doing a beauty shoot with a few models and doing one look each on them.
This model is not only an alternative model but she also has fashion model stats and look! Victoria Bell is the name she goes by on her fashion profile on Model Mayhem, and Ophelia Darkly is the name she goes by on her more alternative profile. 
"Velouria Adore" as she is called on Model Mayhem is one of the sweetest girls that I have ever worked with. You can tell that she enjoys modeling. She is a newer model but she takes direction well and is very easy to work with. She has a very unique look and is an accomplished Hair Stylist!
Jenny is a very outgoing and beautiful girl. She has a personality that is hard to come by. She is just one of those people that are hard to explain, but you adore them. She was very relaxed which is hard to come by when working with girls from Model Mayhem. She is not a new model and has vast experience which is where I lend the relaxed attitude to. 
Jeff contacted me from ModelMayhem and I decided to shoot with him. He had a lot of really great work in his portfolio which made me a little nervous. Shooting a male was really different. I felt like a fish out of water. I was very nervous, and awkward. I am not sure if I will be shooting anymore guys any time soon, but shooting with Jeff was definitely a great experience. He knows how to pose and has many expressions which is always nice. All I was hoping for was to get him a couple images that he actually liked. I think I succeeded but I still have a few more to edit.
I am definitely going to start working on more collaborations. A couple weeks ago I did a shoot with a great model, Lauren, and she proposed that we shoot with her friend that has a jewelry line. After that was set up, she contacted a makeup artist and I contacted a hair stylist. We had such a great time and everyone was so incredibly talented!
So, the shoot went well. Alanah was an awesome girl. She is very new to modeling so I kept it simple and only worked on getting her a great portrait for her portfolio. I think the results are great for her being so new to modeling. She was great to work with and hopefully we will shoot together again sometime. 
Beauty...
I know that being a photographer isn't going to be an easy thing to accomplish, but it is my greatest passion and what kind of shining example would I be if I didn't follow it?? I don't think I would be much of an example at all. 
