Dear (new’ish) Model,

My name is Other Model. I have spent the last couple of years finding out a few things that I wish I’d known from the start. Please don’t think I’m patronising as I mean this only in goodwill, as there is absolutely no gain for me by sharing these cheats. Not all of my points will be valid for you as posing varies in each genre. Just take what you can and ignore the rest. If only one suggestion helps your future career then my time has been well spent…

- Rule one, the mirror is your BFF. Stand there, perfect your poses and learn how your body shapes. The mirror is a perfect tool to show you what the camera can see – try to imagine it behind your photographers head when shooting and always consider what can be seen from that angle. For example, if your foot is closest to the lens, it is worth remembering that your foot is going to the largest thing in the picture….and nobody wants to be remembered as Bigfoot…

- Create separation between your limbs from your body. Not only does it prevent the arm/leg from being squashed against you spreading out any fat, it is also an optical illusion for a slimmer appearance in terms of overall width. A basic cheat that makes a massive difference.

Fat arm to thin arm:

Body width shrunk by optical illusion: 

- Have a basic understanding of light. For example, if you raise an arm to the light, it could be a whole F-stop brighter in camera than your face (being the object closest to the source of light according to the inverse square law). It will also cast a shadow across you. You can counteract this by using your other arm (!)…or, move your arm a fraction backwards, away from the direct beam of light. Learning how lighting falls is invaluable. Ask which is your key light and then work towards it.

- Be aware of ‘mothing’. If the light has been metered to an exact spot, try to stick to it, or at least notice when you’ve crept closer to the light so you can rectify it if required.

A Bug’s Life: “No harry, don’t fly into the light!”…”I can’t help it, it’s so beeeeautiful…” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTUQyEr-sg0 

- Recognise when your eyes are over-rotating. It is always advisable to follow the line of your nose to keep your sight central. This stops you from looking bog eyed from too much white of the eye showing.

- Know how far you can turn your head before your nose ‘breaks your cheek’. Go back to the mirror to see what angle becomes too far. This is perhaps a dying rule, but one that many competition judges still take into account so worth being aware of.

- Elongate your neck to simulate height and poise. Possibly one of the hardest things to remember because it genuinely feels unnatural. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself…stand normally, then roll your shoulders back allowing your face to come forward…notice the difference in the width of your neck? An instant slimming trick.

- Go one step further by popping your jaw towards camera if you want a strong line created by the shadow.

- If the photographer is at a 12 o’clock angle, then standing angled at 1:30 rather than 3 o’clock will lose inches to your overall width.  When you do, make sure it is shadow you are turning into and not the light. Always one rule: hide what you don’t want seen in shadow. Forget Weight Watchers, it’s all about tactical posing!

- If you want to appear slimmer you can create a ‘false waist’. You can do this by positioning yourself to camera, then creating the waist you want seen with the positioning of your hands on your ‘hips’. See…crafty huh :)

- If you’re like me and you don’t have natural curves, then fake them! And I don’t mean plastic surgery. As shown above, learning how to pop your hip is not something everyone can do but can be a big advantage if you can for great shape. Allowing your knees to cross slightly will emphasise that ‘S’ figure with it.

- Keep your hands loose and fluid. The term ‘ballet hands’ is often thrown around…but if you’re like me and the only dancing you do well is the truffle shuffle, then keep your index finger lower than the others whilst relaxing them with a slight curve. Don’t clump your fingers together and avoid showing the back of your hand. Why? Because backs of hands are big and ugly…sides of hands are small and dainty. This was drilled into me from the start of my career by friend and photographer Gary Hill.

See how much longer and larger my hands look when left straight:

- Play with what is available. If you are wearing a flowing dress, play with it by tossing it into the air or working the movement in the bottom. Remember if you are wearing trousers then your legs don’t need to be so clamped together.

Putting theory into practice in Paris, photograph by Andrew Appleton (MUA Donna Graham & assistant Vicki Head):

- You should have knowledge of what you are wearing and why. If you have been hired to sell a specific product, make sure you are pulling poses that are commercially complimentary and not hiding the product.

- Own a ‘modelling kit’ and take it on all shoots. These are the things you will need, but may not be directly mentioned in pre-shoot communications. They are; outdoor/studio shoes, nude/black underwear, face wipes, moisturiser/oil for your legs, a plain vest top, safety pins/clamps, a straw for drinks (as not to ruin your lipstick), your own water with a sugary snack to keep you going (your shoot location may be far away from shops), spare stockings for lingerie shoots….and also hairspray, a top up lipstick, hair grips, brush and eyelash glue (in case the MUA can’t stay). If you have been booked for a specific job such as bridal, it is also well received if you bring appropriate accessories i.e. a pretend wedding ring.

- Please be honest about your size and measurements. Nobody minds how tall or small, big or slim you are…but they do need to know in advance for obvious reasons. You may be sent home unpaid if you have exaggerated the truth and wasted time by not fitting the casting criteria. Save yourself and others the embarrassment.

- Talk to other models, check references and don’t ever assume anything. Despite many people thinking models are the bitchy ones, it’s actually very untrue most of the time. We look after each other and the best out there are very supportive. I was terrified to talk to the people I admired, but then I realised they’re only human, we are all the same…and they’re pretty damn awesome guys and girls when it comes to helping you out.

- Most of all be fun, easy going and willing to go that extra mile! If you are genuinely a delight to be around, you are 100% more likely to be rebooked. You are part of a team so pull your weight, diva’s are so 2010.

Fun times to get the shot despite being in the cold rain, creating ‘I bleed colours’ from my personal Dreamcatcher Project with Richard Powazynski, Lauri Laukkanen and Donna Graham: 

I hope this letter has been of some use to you and that you can take something from it. As I said, not all of this will work for you, it’s just tricks I wish I’d known when I began modelling. But then again look at Kate Moss, she breaks all of the ‘rules’…and still looks amazing – that’s fashion darling.

The day you stop enjoying your job is the day you need a new one. Work hard and love your life!

Kindest regards,

Other Model.

x x x

*** Please like my page at www.facebook.com/jenbrookmodelling and follow me on Twitter @Jen_Brook_Model ***

(NOTE: all pose examples are unedited for a true representation – taken by Jon atwww.benthamimaging.co.uk )

The post Dear Model, Kindest Regards, Other Model appeared first on Free Photography Tips Tutorials Reviews and Wordpress Themes.

YouTube user Brad Josephs had this to say about his footage and the experience:

“When using a GoPro to capture unusually close footage of grizzly bears for the Great Bear Stakeout for BBC, I had a young bear actually chew on the camera. Amazingly there was no damage to the camera!”

You can check out the video here, or via the embed below. If this inspires you to go out and grab a GoPro you can get a good deal here.

[via CBS]

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“Jes, John, and I are really trying to further the discussion of how we as a culture perceive beauty and size. I love being involved with photoshoots where there is an opportunity to really talk about social and political issues, and open up the floor to how we as a society can grow and change.” ~ Liora K

Hey Mike

“The only thing you’ve done through your comments (about thin being beautiful and only offering XL and XXL in your stores for men) is reinforce the unoriginal concept that fat women are social failures, valueless, and undesirable.

Well, actually, that’s not all you have done. You have also created an incredible opportunity for social change.

Never in our culture do we see sexy photo shoots that pair short, fat, unconventional models with not short, not fat, professional models. To put it in your words: ‘unpopular kids’ with ‘cool kids.’

The juxtaposition of uncommonly paired bodies is visually jarring, and, even though I wish it didn’t, it causes viewers to feel uncomfortable.

This is largely attributed to companies like yours that perpetuate the thought that fat women are not beautiful. This is inaccurate, but if someone were to look through your infamous catalog, they wouldn’t believe me.

I’ve enclosed some images for your consideration. Please let me know what you think.

I was inspired by the opportunity to show that I am secure in my skin and to flaunt this by using the controversial platform that you created.

Not only do I know that I’m sexy, but I also have the confidence to pose nude in ways you don’t dare.

My hope is that the combination of these contrasting bodies will someday be as ubiquitous as the socially accepted ideal.

P.S. If you would like to offer me a ‘substantial amount’ to stop wearing your brand so my association won’t ‘cause significant damage to your image,’ don’t hesitate to email me.

P.P.S. You should know your Large t-shirt comfortably fits a size 22. You might want to work on that.”

First Instagram, then Abercrombie & Fitch, and now Flickr.

Can someone please send these CEOs back to school to take a basic marketing class – because apparently they think alienating their customers is good business.

To read the original letter, click here.

Until Next Time . . .

Stay Inspired ~ Jules

Credits:
Photography: Liora K. Photography
Models: John C. Shay & Jess (aka The Militant Baker)

Photographs by Liora K. Photography have been used with permission for SLR Lounge. Do not copy, modify or re-post this article or images without express permission from SLR Lounge and the artist.

The post Abercrombie & Fitch Becomes Attractive & Fat | An Open Letter to Mike Jeffries appeared first on Free Photography Tips Tutorials Reviews and Wordpress Themes.

In this hilarious new video, we get a glimpse of our future! Will we see people standing completely still looking at the same object for a timelapse? Will we have uncomfortably close third-wheel dance partners while we’re trying to share romantic moments? And will people crawl under our armpits while we’re playing the piano? I guess only time will tell. Enjoy the Video! Comment Below!

Credit: The Daily Grovo Presents, a division of Grovo.com, produced this video. Grovo is an online education platform to learn about and stay up to date on the most popular sites, apps, and online tools.

The post The Google Glass Photographer | Is This Our Future? appeared first on Free Photography Tips Tutorials Reviews and Wordpress Themes.

Collecting bacteria samples from his own mouth using a cotton swab, Raitanen began experimenting with photograms–where objects are placed on film while it’s exposed to light. He cultivated his bacteria on photographic film and, after a lot of trial and error, he produced a fascinating series of images which he calls “Bacteriograms”.

Raitenan explains:

“I assumed it would be possible to spur a microbiological culture using photographic film as a growth medium. So it was just a matter of figuring out how to actually do it and how to achieve aesthetically pleasing results at the same time. The process is pretty much the traditional microbiological culture process, but instead of agar on petri dishes I used the gelatin on the film.”

The “Bacteriograms” aren’t actually images of the bacteria themselves, but rather the effects of the microbes on the negative. Stripping away the layers of color within the color negative, the cultures create the forms and patterns we see in the finished products.

Raitenan’s “Bacteriograms” break away from the meticulousness photographers often exert over their work by embracing this freer and more spontaneous process.

“I wanted to have as little control over the end results as possible. It was quite liberating just to let the process take its course.”

Excited by the scientific process, Raitanen describes his images as going back to the roots of photography, a time when science was a central aspect of photography.

“I was excited about experimenting with the biological, chemical and physical properties of photography, and in a sense I was going back to the roots of photography — to a time of Niepce, Daguerre and Fox Talbot, when photography was seen as science rather than art.”

To see the whole series click here.

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