It can be scary to put yourself out there to meet strangers to photograph you. I’d like to believe that most photographers who reach out to models are professionals who are serious about their craft. I know, unfortunately, that is not always the case ,though. I have photographed many models that I consider to be great friends that I would never want to see in a difficult situation with a scummy and suspicious “photographer”. So, I wanted to create this small list of best practices, because I want all models to feel safe and secure with their choices in meeting new photographers.
So, here is it:
Best Practices When Meeting A New Photographer
Check Website/ Portfolio
First things first, do they have a website? Is it up to date? Do you like what they have in their portfolio?
Having a website that is up to date is a good indicator that the photographer is serious about their work. Not all photographers do have a website though and not having a website doesn’t automatically create a red flag, but if they do have one you’ll want to check to see that it is legit, up to date, and make sure you enjoy their work. Most Photographers do trade shoots with models to build their portfolio, so think about whether or not you would be happy knowing your photos could end up on their website amongst everything that is already being displayed.
If they don’t have a website then they must have some form of social media in which they share their images, which leads into my next tip:
Investigate Social Media
When reached out to by a new photographer, check their socials!
Again, see if their pages are up to date and make sure you like how they portray their images and the people in those images to the public. If you’re still not sure about them based off of their profiles, see if other models or clients have ever had any negative experiences by asking around.
It never hurts to check all avenues when it comes to being safe and feeling comfortable.
Ask To Bring A Plus One
Now that you’ve snooped the photographer out a little bit, you’ve decided to see about a shoot with them. This is when you talk concepts, locations, wardrobe, etc. During this conversation ask about bringing a plus one to the shoot; not as an extra model, just a friend for moral support. Even if you don’t want to or plan to actually bring a plus one, ALWAYS ASK. How the photographer answers is EVERYTHING.
If the photographer expresses in any way that they do not want you to bring a plus one, ABORT! That is not a good sign. No real photographer would ever say no to this question. Friends are a great hype man and they make people feel 100 times more comfortable and at ease, what more could a photographer ask for? Plus ones can be a great addition to a shoot where the model is either new to modeling or maybe just uncomfortable meeting new people.
Meet In A Public Place
After doing all the above you’ve checked their website, their socials, you’ve asked about a plus one, and now you’ve agreed to meet up and do a shoot. At this point, after all previous tests passed, it’s easy to assume the photographer is legit. Still. I’ll always recommend to never meet the photographer at a private location for the first meeting, at least. Once you’ve shot with someone in a public place, and they have your trust, you liked the photos they delivered to you, then sure!
Not all photographers have studio space or money to rent studio space, so they rig up a small set up in their home. The images that come out of home setups are no less in quality, if the photographer knows what they’re doing it looks just as amazing as a real studio setup, so don’t fear! Once you trust a specific photographer you don’t have to always demand a public setting!
Tell Your Loved Ones The Details
No matter if you did all your snooping and you’re meeting in a public place, etc. Always tell someone the details of your shoot. Tell them the photographer’s name, where you’ll be shooting, what day, and from what time to what time you expect to be gone.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you can never be too safe!
Always Sign A Model Release Contract
Somewhere in your correspondence with the photographer, before you take any photos, you want to make sure you either read and sign a model release contract or ask if they have one for you to read and sign.
Model releases protect both the model and the photographer. It often states how and where the images of you will be used and that the photographer must ask your permission to use your images in anything that is not for their personal portfolio/website/ advertising. This ensures the photographer wont make millions of dollars off of a photo of you by selling it to a company while you don’t get a dime. It also protects the photographer in the same way, making sure you do not make money off of their image without compensation. That is just one example of it’s benefits; you want to make sure you actually read what they have laid out in the contract and ask questions if you have any.
If the photographer doesn’t have a model release, create your own. If they refuse to sign it for whatever reason, do not shoot with them.