Making a Model - Beth Patten
Ever dreamed of being a model? There is more to it than meets the eye, but first we will need a portfolio....
There is a lot to learn on the path to becoming a model, poses, facial expressions etc but like everything else in life, nearly anything is possible if you are willing to put the effort in. I was approached last month by young Beth, a good friend of mine and hair stylist at my preferred salon. She was looking to get into modelling and wanted some help putting together her portfolio.
We loaded up and headed to the local studio hosted by Matt Straples Photography and got to work. To have the best chance of success we decided that variety was key so we were sure to make use of as many different backdrops, outfits and moods as time would allow! Like most trainee models Beth doesn't automatically know which poses look best, ("what do I do with my hands??") These things come in time, as her career goes on she will get to know how she looks in front of the camera and the best way to move herself, for now though, I can give her all the direction she needs!
It's always a good idea to bring a friend with you, she brought along 'little Tom from the salon' to keep an eye on her hair and work out any kinks or stray hairs to make the whole day move along much smoother. It's always good fun to get together with someone else and work on something creative, after much coffee and laughter we came away from the day happy with the results, Phew!
Oh but we weren't done yet, we went through the images and after picking our favourites decided that as a whole, we are missing something, location shots! We needed some more outfits and natural lighting, preferably without being rained on too hard of course. This time heading to the park on a cold afternoon with some props and my partner Tom playing lighting assistant. This time clothing all together more.... fluffy....
So, the portfolio is looking more complete and we are all excited to hear how Beth gets on with the agencies, fingers crossed eh? Big thanks to Beth for getting me involved in this little project, we all wish her the very best!
If you are a photographer and haven't already done so I highly recommend checking out the local studios for hire. They can really make a difference to your images and the owners are usually more than happy to show you around the equipment.
I will be writing again about stepping in front of the camera and modelling so watch this space!