By Rick Trottier – Light Works Studio-RJT Images
When I was developed this article, the thrust of the content was to be about “How to Hire a Model”. While there is no question that the basic principles of this examination can be of the greatest service in assisting any photographer or promotional company in the proper method of acquiring the talents of just the right model, but there is so much more to it than that. Establishing thoughtful, comfortable, genial and efficient communication with a model is a dance that requires diplomacy, skill, composure and well-cultivated manners. It is simply amazing how many people approach models using ALL the wrong tactics and strategies, and then wonder why it is that they can’t close the deal. How do I know all this? A fair number of young ladies attached to my studio used to and still do run their mail through me to get my input. And it is when I read the entreaties of these so-called “professionals”; I am absolutely appalled by communication skills that run the gamut from untutored, rough-hewn, arrogant and even grossly immature. For those of us old enough to remember the days when our parents sat us down and drilled etiquette into us (phone, table, letter-writing, etc.), it is time to revisit those long-lost arts and shed light on a vanished methodology that should be the greatest of assistance to those who need to find a model for a project that is close to their hearts. Just as learning the fox-trot is a step by step process; learning to communicate with a model has some essential “steps” you’ll need to consider.
Step 1 –The Mechanism
Before you even think about what you say, or how you say it, you need to be aware of the right technique of delivering your message to a model. In past articles for Modelsmania and even Glam Modelz Magazines, I have delivered this admonition/wise saying often. “While texting has become the communication method of choice and talking on the phone is still simplest, the most professional manner of exchanging ideas is through email. Detailed correspondence that can be easily preserved and revisited, carefully considered and reconsidered and serves as a written contract of terms is the best method of preparing for a shoot.” I know I am likely to use the word “amazed” and all its synonyms to the point of redundancy in this article, but I am astonished how many photographers EXPECT a model to give out her phone number immediately and sadly, I am equally shocked how many models FOOLISHLY give out that information too early in the dance.
You can read more of this article in our Nov/Dec 2023 issue of ModelsMania
