THP Tip #3: Portrait Photography

Hey,                                                                                                                                
So my first tip, THP Tip #1, was on Bokeh and my second tip, THP Tip #2, was on making your model/subject/client comfortable.                                                                                             
Here is my third THP Tip on portrait photography which will be on communication.                              
Communication:                                                                                                                                                   
So my last two tips have been simple however there are so many different ways communication plays a vital role into a shoot.  For this reason I will make more of a novel than a post.  I will break it into sections of a shoot since I don't usually communicate with my landscapes or flowers often.  Also I know most, in my opinion, on portraiture than my other types of photography of people(events etc).  I hope this helps!                                                                                                                 
First, I would say the most important communication when you are contacting a subject/model or replying to someone's request for you to photograph them.  You don't want to sound unprofessional since you probably won't get anyones attention that way.  You want to be friendly and easy going however still give off the impression you are serious.  You want to be confident however not cocky.  Your confidence can rub off on your client and if you are doing a shoot together.  This might boost their confidence in the shoot which is never bad.  Also, I personally explain everything about the shoot to the client when contacting them.  I do this maybe too much however I want to be as transparent as possible asking someone to model for me.  I will usually tell them what photography I do, why I like it, what I want to do, and then I ask them if they would be interested in doing what it was I was planning.  This might be intricate for some things however I will use the extreme example, in my mind.  If you want to ask someone to do fine-art nudes, you definitely want to cross your t's and dot your i's.  I am actually getting into that genre of photography now that I have the confidence in my own abilities not to mess a fine-art nude shoot up.  So I used this train of thought when asking people if they were interested and I found people were very receptive.  If you just say "Hey, I want to photograph you." Then you can get things like "why?" or people just saying no because it is too blunt.  Also be very clear and upfront about what you want to do in the shoot so there are no surprises for you or the model/subject.  If in your mind you want to do nudes, don't let the model know that once you/they arrive to the shoot.  Also you want to be clear on the theme(s)/idea(s) of the shoot so they don't show up wearing or thinking of doing something that you don't want to photograph.  So to sum that up and include everything else that might need to be said here is be transparent as possible and communicate everything... and then some.  Additionally you want to respond professionally if the client contacts you since it is your first impression on the client as a person instead of your personality in your photos (assuming they have seen your work before).  You make take the most stunning photos, however if you can't interact with people professionally, it will definitely slow your photography opportunities down.  Another thing is be prompt with your responses.  Shows interest and that you devoted to your photography.  The last main point of this section, that I saved for last so hopefully it sinks in the most, is the model release.  Say that you will ask them to sign one so that everything is kosher (legal and protects you (and sometimes them)).  That isn't something you want to surprise someone with at the start of a shoot.  This can let you outline how many photos you plan to give them, what they can and cannot do with your photos.  This is very important since I have see people want to edit your photos after which is a huge no.  I did a shoot where a model wanted the unedited photos for educational reasons (so they know what looks good/bad).  This was a justified reason however I stipulated in the model release that they cannot edit or post them just incase.  All these agreements are best to get done and in the contract/agreement before you take the photos so everyone knows what to expect after the shoot and that it's in writing.  Also a disagreement right before a shoot might spoil the shoot.
After the initial communication before the shoot is vital.  This includes if you have to cancel a shoot, or if there is a change in timing or anything like that.  You want to be prompt and professional with this.  I once had a cancelation because a model was ill.  Unfortunately I found out later that the subject cancelled because they were too hungover that morning.  Being professional might be THP Tip #4 haha.  You want to double check the ideas/times/location so that everyone is on the same page.                                                                                                                 
Next section I would say is at the start of the shoot.  Get the client to sign the model release or contract.  But before you do that, go over it.  This is very important, I think, since if you just hand them a legal paper and pen (or iPad with a app) it will most likely be a little scary.  I know my release is all fancy dancy law lingo which can be confusing however is needed to cover all the bases.  So explain it all since each paragraph of my release I made can be explained in a sentence usually.  Also make the model comfortable which kind of overlaps with my second tip.  Ask them if they need anything, don't bother them if they are getting ready.  I usually go over the shoot ideas before the shoot myself so I can easily communicate what I want since it is fresh in my mind.  I have made small talk pre-shoot before which was nice.  This is sometimes a good idea but depends on time and if you/client are on the clock.  Getting to know your subject or model is a get idea if you have the time.  Also that will set them more at ease hopefully if you don't know each other.  However I guess that depends on how good of a conversationalist you are.  If you create a "bond" with the person, or in other words, build a rapport or break the ice, the shoot will go smoother in my experience.                                                                                                                 
Now communication during the shoot is paramount and can make or break your shoot regardless of every other factor involved.  A lot of this comes back to the comfort level of the subject.  So first, I talk as much as I can (unless I sense the model wants silence) since usually it is the best bet.  Silences can be awkward and this can be for many reasons.  The main one, in my opinion, is communicating how they are doing and posing.  If you just take 300 photos and tell the model nothing about them or show the photos, they won't have a clue if they are doing is what you want/what they want.  This only hurts both of you.  If you don't tell them they are doing well, they won't know.  This might make them feel more self-conscious which could lead to them being awkward without you feedback.  If they are not doing well, not telling them only fills up your camera with images that could be better.  Lose lose.  However, don't be harsh or bark too many orders at the subject.  Also use you discretion on what to comment on.  Obviously don't comment on things they can't change.  And if you see they have a bad habit or bad tendencies, it can sometimes be hard to say something.  Personally I have shot a subject once who did something highly awkward with a facial thing.  I won't go into specifics however it was something that was in at least 60% of the photos and because of this I kept my mouth shut since it was obvious that was something they were trying to do.  Personally I thought it looked not as good as the other 40% but it is something this subjects still does.  So that means they wanted that look and a good thing I kept my mouth shut.  If you are going to comment, be positive and explain why you are saying what you are saying.  For example, if they raise their arm that is on the same side as your flash up by their face/head and it blocks the light hitting their face, then just politely say "hey, I am just going to ask you to raise your ___ arm instead of your ___ arm because it is blocking the flash's light."  I do this as I show them the photo because you as the photographer can see the photos, the model cannot.  Then I sometimes show the photo with their other arm up just to show the difference so they understand why you asked them to switch arms.  This increases the chance that they remember your guidance since they remember why the did what they did instead of just what they did.  During the shoot communication, as I said, is very important which is why this tip is getting quite lengthy.  So to continue, during shoots I also explain all my actions.  I don't want my model wondering what I am doing or why I am doing it.  So if I am changing my flash powers, I say so.  If I  stand on a stool for a higher angle, I say so.  If I am cranking my aperture wide open I say why so that they know what I am doing and what the photos will look like.  If I switch lenses I let them know why.  Why do I do this?  Well first, if I stand there tinkering with my flash powers, the model usually is just waiting silently and patiently.  So I talk while I do all these things so the awkward silence doesn't make it seem like it taking longer than it is.  Also if I swap my 35mm for my 105mm, I let them know since I am then usually doing head shots or have to move much further back.  If I just switched lenses and then started walking away from them, they might not know whats going on.  And personally I always want my model/subject on the same page as me for a shoot.  Also if I am doing head shots I tell the model so that they know they don't have to focus on what the rest of their body is doing.  This takes some pressure off since some people really focus on hand position and posing.  If they don't have to anymore, let them know since there's no point for them to pose their body if it isn't in the photo.  I am sure there are other tips I could give here however there are other sections so I will move on.  Just remember to always fill silences unless if you feel they are awkward, and to keep the model on the same page as you with what you are doing and why.  I just find things go better that way.                                                                                                                 
After the shoot, go over any agreements you made pre-shoot.  For example, reiterate how many photos they are getting and how.  Things like this are good to state again because people forget.  I find that it is better to have your client thinking "yup, I remembered that" instead of "oh, I thought you were sending me more photos" after you sent them their photos.  Good communication avoids some situations you don't want to get in.                                                                                                                 
I keep my models/subjects posted on my editing process and when they should expect the photos.  I read a sneaky trick somewhere, where the photographer(s) purposely stated a longer amount of time than they needed to edit the photos.  This was so that they could always deliver sooner than expected to make clients happy.   This is almost what I do, however I usually just work harder than I planned and get the photos out sooner.  Both work however my way I know is not as perfected.                                                                                                                 
After you deliver the photos try to keep in contact someway or another with your client.  I like to show that it was more than just a simple business transaction.  Once you hand over the photos or whatever, that shouldn't be the end of your communication.  This, I think, will give you a better chance that the client will want to work with you again.  I know wedding photographers always recommend sending cards on christmas and such.  It's a personal touch that for some photography businesses is the difference between a photography business just getting by and one that has to turn people away due to having too many bookings.  Personally I usually keep the model posted for a while on the response of their photos with my usual suspects who follow my work.  This includes saying if a photo has a lot of views on my Flickr, or if my friends and other clients really like the photo and why.  I also usually share the links where they can find their photos on my various sites incase they want to see the number of views increase on their photos on Flickr or share the link with their friends and family.  It is probably cool to show friends and family photos of yourself on a nice looking site.  Personally I don't know cause I don't model however I love to see my photos credited on other sites or my links on peoples blogs etc.                                                                                                                 
So with that, I think, that is a good addition/start/different perspective for you on communication for your photography.  It might have turned into a novel but oh well.  I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope it helps!  If there isn't something in there for you then I hope my first two tips helped if not there is more coming so stay posted.  Also if you want me to share my thoughts on anything or if you have any questions for me, please don't hesitate to ask me at tomhoustonphotography@gmail.com.  Lastly I know you all want to see my lovely new website for my photography at www.tomhoustonphotography.ca.                                                                                                                 
Also I would like to thank all of you who read my blog.  Recently the number of views has increased as well as the number of different countries from which you have viewed my blog.  Very happy to see this since it means you might actually care about what I have to say so for that I would like to thank you.