As a busy North East commercial photographer as well as specialising in weddings and portraits, my clients
often ask me if I can find suitable models for photography shoots.
It works by portraying real-life
situations in a very natural way, as if the photographer just happens to have casually
caught the split second moment that sums up what a brand is all about, and
encourages people to see themselves in that place or situation.
But behind the scenes, relaxed,
natural-looking photography takes a lot of skill to produce. After 25 years as
a photographer and with an ex-press photographer background it’s second nature
for me to automatically get the lighting, angles and colours right so the
pictures appeal straight to the target audience and the client’s brand is well
represented.
I’m always on the lookout
for people of all ages, looks, sizes and abilities to take part in photo
sessions. I might want people who can ride a bike, or who are happy to fly a
kite on the beach, kick a football around or just stroll round a shopping
centre.
I work on photography commercial shoots all over the North East, from Middlesbrough and Stockton across to North Yorkshire, through Newcastle, Gateshead and up to Northumberland so I need people in all
areas. The models I use in my
advertising photography depend on the look and feel the client wants from their
photos, so I need people from grandparents and small children to mid-life
adults and teenagers.
For instance a housebuilder
might want shots of a young family having lunch in the dining room, or children
playing in the garden, a retirement home might need photos of older people
taking part in activities, while a national cycling organisation like Sustrans
might need photos of people enjoying a bike ride through town or countryside.
Some of my recent North East photography jobs included a session capturing people visiting the beautiful
York Minster in North Yorkshire; some street shots at Middlesbrough’s TKMaxx to
show off its current clothing range; and a job photographing the opening of the
new Play Factory soft play area at Skelton, near Saltburn on Teesside.
If I had used professional
models the photos wouldn’t have had the informal, real-life feel the client
wanted – I’m sure we can all tell when a family is not really a family, and the
photographer has had to work extra hard to make it look as if they are.
I did a shoot for Gateshead
College’s Walk to Work campaign recently, and used a real mum, dad and toddler
all wrapped up warm and walking out, and you can tell by the photos they are
all very easy and comfortable with each other. Have a look at some of the
photos on the commercial pages of my website and you’ll see what I mean.
For some jobs it is
essential to use professionals. I
did a recent fashion photography session for a Teesside marketing agency that
needed a series of unique fashion images to promote Middlesbrough Fashion Week’s‘Fashion Rules’ events. Working with experienced model Katherine Lees of TyneTees Models resulted in a great range of high impact fashion photos that were
used in the marketing and promotions here.
I hate stuffy photography
and like to make my sessions fun, and many of my models tell me what a great
time they’ve had, and how the time has flown by. You needn‘t worry about being
self-conscious either, I don’t always want my subjects to be looking at the
camera - in fact that’s often the last thing I want. If my models bring kids along I like to
get them involved too so it’s a fun family photography session, and get them to
hold the light reflectors or take photos of their parents, which relaxes
everyone. I just have to be
careful they don’t take better photos than me!
Because many of my shots are
used in marketing campaigns including brochures and flyers, on the web or even
on giant billboards it can be exciting for the models opening a magazine and
seeing themselves in a shot, or even going past on the side of a bus.
Professional models and
agents provide a great service in my experience, but the trend for aspirational
lifestyle photography, plus a squeeze on budgets have both driven the demand
for non-professional models. And without sounding
disrespectful, us ‘real’ people are not too shiny are we? After all we’re not all Kate Moss or Tyson Ballou - that’s what makes the photos reach out and
tell a natural story.
Why not come along and have
a go, it will be fun!
