How to find a fashion model.

Generally, when i am working with a model, she is registered at a fashion model agency. I tend to work with Elite, Next and LA Models in Los Angeles. I like working with these agencies as the girls are very professional and the agents know who I am. The agents at these agencies respect and like my work and are constantly sending new girls to meet me or work on various assignments.

I get emails daily from models from all around the world. It is generally pretty hard to work with these girls. Girls send me requests asking if I will be in their country or trying to find out if I would be interested in flying them to the US or Los Angeles. Outside of the obvious costs, even if the client had a budget that could afford it, I rarely “fly in” models that do not come highly recommended from an agency. On the rare times that I have disaster has struck. Once I was working on a job in Mexico. The client and I flew in a model from Miami. The model arrived at the airport with a really short bob of hair and a bad of extensions. Our team tried to put the extensions in as the client was looking for long hair and she looked like she was wearing a mullet. On another occasion we flew a model into the Bahamas for a job and she had gained a lot of weight. It was for a swimsuit calendar and she was not proportionate to the other models there. So, the client sent her home. Needless to say it can be very important to meet a model before actually shooting her – especially when it is for a job.

In the beginning, before you are a professional photographer, you may have to shoot friends and people that you see have the potential to be models. Ask friends or ask your friends if they know models. Social networking sites like myspace and facebook can also be a great source for finding models as are model releated sites. I am sure if you get on google and type in model sites you will come up with a plethora of talent. They may not want to work with you without strong images in your book but you have to start somewhere. At the start of my career I was booking work and finding models based upon six images in my portfolio. Forget quantity and go with quality. Put your very best foot forward and people will want to work with you.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Fashion Photography and i can’t.

Fashion photography and “i can’t” do not go hand-in-hand. You have to be an “i can” person to become a fashion photographer and even if your not you can become one. It’s all mind set and you have to dispel your negative beliefs if you have them.

Most people who are interested in fashion photography are at the very beginning stages. So what if you don’t know how to use a camera. A few short years ago i didn’t know how to use a camera. So what if you haven’t been to photography school? I taught myself. So what if you don’t understand photoshop techniques or if you don’t understand photographic lighting techniques! You can learn!

There are so many different ways of approaching this industry. For all of us we have to begin at the beginning. The great thing is that it doesn’t matter if your 18 or if your starting out later in life. As long as you have passion and drive and a yearning to succeed you can. Your engine (or drive) will take you exactly where you want to go in life if you just fuel it.

What if you don’t live in a major fashion market??? That’s ok too. I’ll address that.

The most important thing is to know that you can. To see that you can. To make it happen. You can do it. Oh and the second most important thing is that you get a camera and start taking pictures. ; )

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Photography Internships – Los Angeles – Robert Voltaire Photography

If you are interested in becoming a fashion photography intern with Robert Voltaire please email a letter to: robert@robertvoltaire.com

Photographers: How to land an agent
Fashion photography school: To go or no
My process of working with fashion models
Behind the scenes with Terry Richardson
The top 10 fashion poses of all time
Behind the scenes with Mario Testino
Get a modeling agent guerilla warfare style

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

How To Make Money With Your Camera.

How To Make Money With Your Camera.

With a little hard work and a creative eye, you can make money with your camera! Its time to get off your duff and get to work. Here are 5 tips for freelance photographers:

1. Get on the web. The world wide web and its many resources can provide a TON of exposure for fashion photographers. There are dozens of photography blogs that give tips on how you can become a successful fashion photographer. This is just one such blog. You must also set up your own dot com on the web to maximize your exposure. Having your own website will help you to brand your identity. In this competitive market exposure is key to your success. The more people who are aware of your work, the more successful you become. Its that simple. So, if your not on the web stop procrastinating and get with the program. Use social networking sites like myspace, facebook and linkedin to further maximize your net prescence. Before you know it hundreds of people will instantly recognize your work and clients will enlist your services.

2. Stock Photography Agencies. There are many stock photo agencies that will represent your images. Your job is to figure out what they are looking for. This is a great venue to make some cash. Be unique and fresh in your approach. Some agencies include: Shutterstock, Istockphoto, Dreamstime and Fotolia. Google “stock photo agencies” and look under photographer submissions to find out how to turn a profit.

3. School Sporting Events. Parents love their children and parents love pictures of their children. Try your hand at photographing school sporting events. Upload the pictures online to a web gallery and then make your pitch. Be sure to take photographs of individual players and then group them together as a team. Many parents will buy from you. When you add up the numbers this will translate into several hundred dollars and is also a great way of getting your feet wet if you plan on pursuing sports photography. Make sure you frequent state and championship events. Also try:

a. Cheerleading squads
b. Homecoming events
c. Soccer, swimming, wrestling
d. Prom
e. Graduations
f. School plays, concerts, talent shows
g. Baseball, basketball and track meets

4. Photograph Local Events. There is plenty of activity going on at local events. Grab your camera and business cards and get out there and photograph them. Provide a web gallery and paypal link for your potential customers to make easy purchases. Some events include:

a. Art and craft shows
b. County fairs
c. Parades
d. Birthday parties
e. Concerts
f. Car shows
g. Plays and outdoor theater

Check your community calendar and weekly newspapers so you can plan ahead. Be sure to make plenty of business cards to hand to your new clients.

5. Take pictures of property. Real estate agents need quality pictures of properties in order to sell them successfully. Call them up and let them know your services are avail. Don’t forget to get in touch with builders, contractors and architects. Hone your skills and the money will flow in.

Those are just a few tips to help you on your way. For more info on how to make money with fashion photography please read my blog:
How To Become A Successful Fashion Photographer
Photographers: How to land an agent
Fashion photography school: To go or no
My process of working with fashion models
Behind the scenes with Terry Richardson
The top 10 fashion poses of all time
Behind the scenes with Mario Testino
Get a modeling agent guerilla warfare style

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Fashion Photography Team – photography tips.

Its great to have a team of people you regularly work with. In fashion photography it is wonderful when you have a team of people who know what you want and whom you trust implicitly. I have a small handful of makeup artists, assistants and stylists whom i can call at a moments notice to work with on a domestic or international job. These people know exactly what I want based on our past work together. Some of my closest friends are the people I work with in this industry and it is great to have a strong relationship with people you can count on.

From time to time I do test new fashion stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists and assistants as I am always looking for new and fresh talent to work with on various projects. Its exciting to meet new people. The most important thing I look for outside talent is reliability. I remember about three years ago a Los Angeles fashion stylist who called me and was very excited to work with me. We were to shoot a Sports Illustrated model in a desert setting. About two days before the shoot the stylist emailed me and said he would not be able to work with me on the shoot (he did not offer a replacement stylist or an explanation) but he said he would love to work with me in the future. In this business reliability is key. Do you think I ever contacted him again. Absolutely not. I think that he “forgot” the incident as he contacts me occasionally offering his services.

I am not saying I am perfect. I have made my share of mistakes. Just remember, memories are long in this business and reputations can be easily tarnished.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Art Fashion Photography

Art fashion photography is one of the more difficult categories to make money in when selling images. Magazines do buy art photographs but not nearly as much as they buy fashion photography. European magazines tend to be much more open when purchasing art photographs and it is a great showcase venue for both models and photographers. There are lots of opportunities to get tearsheets there. It is much easier in the beginning of a photographers career to pursue art photography seriously but not as a sole means of income. I have also noticed when comparing styles of different photographers that clean images tend to lean more toward commercial work than erotic photography images. That is not to suggest that erotic photography is not a way of making money as I know of a few photographers who have acheived worldwide acclaim for shooting these images. But, from my experience, art photography takes time to make money at. Once your career is on the rise it can be extremely lucrative.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Catalogue Photography – photography tips

Businesses need catalogues and fashion photographers. Most department stores have catalogues. Why? So you, the consumer, will buy their products. Millions of businesses also have web catalogues for the same reason. They need a marketplace for consumers to look at the goods they have to offer. This is where a fashion photographer has excellent opportunity to develop a relationship with fashion designers, department stores and numerous other vendors.

If it is an individual designer you are shooting for you will be photographing clothes, handbags, shoes pertaining to that particular line. If you are shooting for a department store or retail outlet you may be shooting many different product lines. Sometimes this work can be a little repetitive as you may be using a white seamless paper and keeping things very simple. Sometimes the client may allow you to use a little more creativity. Either way you shoot catalogue photography is a good venue to build samples for your book and to earn money as a fashion photographer.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Portrait Photography tips.

Portrait photography can be very rewarding. With model portraits it gives the fashion photographer a great opportunity to work with new and established models. Living in Los Angeles I have been given the opportunity to work with many different Los Angeles models and Los Angeles model agencies. New models need portraits in their portfolios to book work. My work is on the front of dozens of models zed cards in the Los Angeles, New York and international model markets. The feedback I get from the models and agents is terrific. Models have gone on to book jobs that have made them tens of thousands of dollars based on a single portrait.

There are many different types of portraits a photographer can shoot. Photographers take commercial portraits for corporate clients, family portraits, wedding portraits, celebrity portraits and fashion portraits and actor headshots.

Celebrity portraits can also be a great source of income. When these images are syndicated a photographer can make money on residual sales each time a magazine or publisher purchases the image.

When you are first starting out taking model portraits to develop your fashion photography book it is a good idea to phone up your local model agencies and ask if they have any models available for you to shoot. Provide them a link to your website or be prepared to show your model portfolio with a few samples of your best work. Keep in mind that in this industry you do not have to show them everything. Just a few samples will do. Show your best. During my first two years of photography I had only five or six images in my book but they were strong enough to keep booking work. Less is more in my opinion. Put your best foot forward. As your reputation begins to build so will your bookings.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog