Watermelon Girl

Another show I was in was Plate and Platters held in conjunction with Fotoseptembre. Each piece for the show had to include a plate somehow that was left up to the imagination of each artist. Mine was shot in Austin with Thea Marie as my model and it went pretty well. It turned out to be a really classic piece with her demurely eating the melon. I had originally envisioned the model getting all messy’s with juice running down everywhere. In reality my model had things to do later and there were no facilities where she could clean up. So much for art imitating life!
That’s the thing to remember that the girls who get paid for the gig’s are paid for what you hire them to do. When working with a photographer for the art’s sake they get more of a say in what they’ll do. But it all works out for the best, sometimes you’re lucky to get an image that’s very classical in feel. So though you imagination runs wild with you it bumps up against the reality of things. Most time I’m working with models who’ll work for a percentage of the sales rather than get outright paid. Some agree to model for the sake of art and to get something different in their portfolios. Some do it for the sake of being in front of a camera and the feeling of adoration is worth the trouble. A growing number are professionals and bring a certain talent and skill set to the shoot and they are well worth the pay for that talent.
Which ever kind your lucky enough to get treat them right and they will do their best to see that you get the art you want. The wonderful thing about working with a professional is that you can get to the vision from the get go. No warm up time, no waiting for them to relax and get used to the camera and you. They have the talent and skills to begin working on the shoot you envisioned. You’re never wondering if and when they’ll show up or if they’ll be in the proper mood. They can draw on their experiences to enhance a pose or a movement. Funny how you’re shooting stills but the model’s movement is so important. A good model makes your life so easy but don’t fall into the trap of letting her do the work. Work with the model in realizing your vision and interpreting it. See what she brings to the shoot and then refine it into something that’s closer to your vision. Remember lack of vision can be as devastating to a photographer as to a president.