The Lifeblood of the Image

Light is the lifeblood of a photograph like blood is to our bodies, without either, we have nothing. As photographers, we rely on light to give us the ability to reproduce life in our subjects and images through the addition or subtraction of light.

We can manipulate this effect in many ways, including the selection of the proper light modifiers and for our light source to match our desired result. Ultimately it’s still-light that photographers control to produce lively, still photographs.

Still-light is about control, controlling how the subject appears through the control of light itself. This control can change the mood and story of the photograph instantly. As an example, utilizing a 7-inch reflector on a studio monolight with a 20-degree grid will direct light in a tight path, or swath, across the subject, thus creating a beam of light surrounded by dramatic shadows that brings life to the image.

This intermixing of lights and darks, also known as chiaroscuro, creates the illusion of a third dimension, or depth that helps set the mood or tone of the image instantly—hence why controlling the shadows and the highlights are so important when producing a photograph.

Some photographers control light through umbrellas, some through soft-boxes, others through grids, some through flags, scrims, gobos, black-cards, cutters and the list goes on, but ultimately it’s a photographer’s style that will dictate which light modifier(s) are chosen to create the desired image.

I personally prefer soft-boxes and often with grid fronts. Soft boxes are easier to control and represent a geometric rectangle of light and not the scattered pattern produced by a typical umbrella found free in most lighting kits. Add to that thought, the human form is a more rectangular, geometric shape than round when it comes to my subjects.

Take a Chimera large Super Pro Plus soft box. It’s roughly 4- by 6-foot in shape, similar to a window—window lighting is some of the best lighting and thus this box helps replicate that effect. Another great technique I enjoy is the Chimera Super Pro Plus strip boxes, especially the medium strips, combine them with the Lighttools 40-degree (egg crate) grids and you have a tight, rectangular swath of light that is excellent for subtracting light off the background—works superb for illuminating fine-art nudes too.

Ultimately, regardless what light modifier you choose, it should create the desired lighting effect. Here’s an example list on how I consider light modifiers when choosing the proper one (tool) for my images:

1. Soft Boxes—the larger the box and the closer it’s placed to a subject, the sweeter and most forgiving light source it becomes. Ultimately soft boxes are the best method for controlling light in portraits, glamour, beauty, nudes and more.

2. Umbrellas—Great for when it rains, however they provide bad luck indoors. Seriously, the problem with umbrellas is that they scatter light everywhere, though some of this scattered, uncontrollable light is eliminated when the studio flash is through the umbrella rather than bounced out of the umbrella. Still, umbrellas provide less control of light and are great for illuminating a background behind a subject, but not as effective when focusing light directly on the subject. They do however create great catch-lights, but this is also possible with the Chimera Octabank soft boxes too, while controlling light much easier.

3. Studio Head Reflectors—another favorite light modifier since they tend to provide the tightest light control short of louvers. Reflectors come in various sizes, including 7-, 9-, 12-inch and larger, though my favorite is the 7-inch which accommodates the standard metal, honeycomb grids. Rarely do I use these reflectors as a main light source, however, they provide accent, hair and rim lighting in an image, especially with grids placed inside the reflector itself. Every photographer needs at least one 7-inch metal reflector with a grid kit that includes a 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-degree grid.

4. Reflector Panels—my favorite reflector panels are the German-engineered California Sunbounce Pro and Mini reflectors. They are light-weight, built ruggedly and break down to a very compact travel size. Reflector panels normally come in silver, white, gold, zebra and even black.

Black is more for subtracting light while the others are used to manipulate reflected light. Silver is the more reflective surface which can provide for harsh and dramatic shadows. Gold is great for locations that have cool light, such as open-shade areas or during gloomy overcast days. White is the softest look and works great for fill while Zebra fabrics are a marriage of the affects afforded by gold and silver and provide harder but acceptable shadows while casting warmth from the gold overtones without being to overpowering.

Black works great as a flag, cutter or gobo, thus subtracting light for the most part. However, you can use black to add light, like when a model has platinum blonde hair and a darker skin tone. When black reflectors, or flags, are placed around the subject’s hair, it introduces detail into the hair as the panel will absorb most of the light while still reflecting black-toned light. Black often provides harmony between highlights, mid-tones and shadows.

While there are many other light modifiers and even the light modifiers mentioned above that are used in many different ways and scenarios, there are a few two things to keep in mind with all of them.

First, through the inverse square law the background of an image becomes brighter when the light modifier (light source) is moved farther away from the background while maintaining the same subject to background distance and the exposure is set for the subject. The overall contrast in the image increases and shadows become harder and more dramatic.

Second, through the same inverse square law, the background darkens when the light modifier is moved closer to the background while maintaining the same subject to background distance, with the exposure set for the subject. The overall contrast in the image is also decreased and shadows become softer and less dramatic.

Ultimately choosing the right light modifier for your light source is like choosing the right blood-type for a transfusion, choose the wrong one and you have nothing.

No Need for Racial Slurs by Photo Industry CEO

It’s no secret that I’m not impressed with Alien Bees or White-Lighting marketing hype or the quality of their products–simply put, the owner and CEO of the company, Paul C. Buff, knows my biggest beef is about their use of the word “effective” when describing watt-seconds of their products. I’ve more than once have asked Buff to join me on the Glamour1.com photography forums for an open discussion on this and other topics related to his products, he’s refused and countered back with false statements and libelous claims.

So far I’ve ignored his unprofessional actions, but was rather disturbed when he posted a racial slur about me on DPReview.com (in reference to another poster’s photo) and I quote,

“Now if he’d used Rolando’s body grease you would see more. But maybe he didn’t want greasy bodies”?

Describing a Latino’s body as greasy is not a smart move by any corporate CEO when Latinos are more than 40-million strong in the United States alone—many are photographers too. Being of Latin descent I take the latter remarks by Buff very personal and find it a rather off-color remark—but Buff doesn’t stop with just this Latino, he slaps our Europeans friends and family too!

On DPReview, Buff (click thumbnail to view screen capture) states:

I suppose us Americans are different than you Europeans - let’s see “your-o-peein” is that the correct way to pronouce the word. Is than derived from the common practice of dogs peeing on your $3000 packs?
Here we don’t generally have that problem nor need strong French perfume to keep our equipment odor free.
Indeed, lots of valuable info on this thread.

Paul

According to Buff, he’s now banned from DPReview. I can see why with those types of statements.

I just returned from a three-country tour of Europe for Calumet and California Sunbounce and I can assure you, the European people received me with open arms and are some of the best people on this planet. I once lived in Europe for three years, not to mention my own ancestors are from Europe—the photographers there are phenomenal and like the people of Europe themselves, great people.

Has Buff forgot where photography was invented?

Buff’s statements are, as one editor of a popular photography magazine (not associated with Rangefinder) put it, “Unbelievable, disgusting….”

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Buff statements not only show his true colors, but Buff also demonstrates his integrity when he makes false statements and totally-untrue claims, by stating that I was banned from the “Rangefinder Organization,” and banned from “Rangfinder and WPPI.” I guess Buff doesn’t remember I was the cover story for the Rangefinder (Sept. 06) magazine when the topic was, “Mysteries of Lighting Revealed.”

Obviously Buff’s statements concerned me, so I went to the President of Rangefinder and WPPI, Skip Cohen, along with the editor, Bill Hurter to see if there was truth in Buff’s statements. Both Cohen and Hurter, assured me they knew nothing of it and the claims by Buff were inappropriate and totally false. Cohen, himself a former CEO (Hasselblad) personally called me and assured me that Buff’s claims were totally false and unacceptable.

Buff obviously owes an apology to a lot of people and needs to be reminded that the United States is in fact a country of immigrants. Even the U.S. military is filled with people from other countries and people with different ethnicities, I know, I served proudly for almost nine years, active-duty in the U.S. Army to protect and defend our country—Mr. Buff, don’t forget the men and women who ensure you the conditions to speak freely, many are of European descent.

Whether it be one European, one Latino or one person of any race, anything with race-implied slurs and making fun of an entire continent is not smart, especially when it comes from the CEO of a company—Perhaps Buff needs to have a talk with Don Imus and ask him how “effective” it was when CBS fired Imus over his racial slurs of the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

Thanks, rg sends!

Posing, the Body Language of a Photograph

Over the past six years I’ve taught almost 200 glamour, beauty and nude photography workshops, seminars and lectures from Maui to the Virgin Islands, in Europe, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United states and one of the most recurring questions is, “How do you pose a model?” Normally I’ll answer that question with a demonstration on how I pose the body in three pieces, from the hips to the feet, the torso and from the neck to the head—and of course everything of the body in those pieces.

As simple as that sounds, it would take a book to focus on the posing fundamentals, concepts and principles for successful photographs of models. This book should illustrate how the proper lighting, clothing and image direction help the scene and pose form a powerful photograph. There should be at least one chapter on correct communication to achieve the proper pose along with another chapter on how proper composition, cropping and compression within the image help justify the pose.

Since we’re in an Internet blog format here and I currently have no plans to publish an e-book, today I’ll just share my general thoughts when it comes to posing.

While there are many “internet guides” and even posing flashcards, rarely do they tell you how to get there, they normally are mere samples of previous sketches or pictures—or as I like to tell people, go photograph a model in a 1,000 poses, whatever they may be, then call it a guide and someone will buy it—no credentials needed. While those cards and guides might have a few great poses because the model being photographed knew what she was doing, ultimately they are a simple schematic of the human form with no clear direction. Not to mention, most of those guides and flashcards rarely incorporate the proper lighting required nor the scene—foreground or background—what if your client wants a properly posed photograph in front of their new Porsche? There is no substitute for a great pose just like a great car.

Posing is an art form, it can send a message about the model and even tell a story, though ultimately in glamour photography it’s about the subject and what that subject wants to portray. While posing in other genres, like fashion photography, are designed to accent more important elements in the image than the subject itself, in glamour, beauty and nude photography the elements should accent the poses undertaken by the subject while helping to tell a story or provide some sort of communication from the subject themselves to the intended audience.

Ultimately the pose of the subject is the body language that communicates to the viewer and when the body language looks “out of whack,” the image is defined as a picture, not a photograph. Anyone can take a picture, though professional photographers ultimately capture a photograph. Additionally, the wrong pose, even when it’s a properly contrived and exposed pose, can communicate the wrong message about the subject, so always work with your subject and learn what they want to communicate in those glamour photographs of themselves—again, glamour photography is ultimately about the subject, not the photographer, not the friends, not the family, but the subject and the portrayal of that subject relies heavily on their actual pose and the lighting, clothing and scene that goes with it.

There is a difference between a clean-cut headshot for a model’s compcard verses a Hollywood style glamorous portrait, though the latter portrait could be used for a headshot on a compcard, a subject wanting a Hollywood “Hurrel” lit-style photo is not traditionally looking for a traditional, portrait-lit headshot. Lighting can change a pose without the body itself moving an inch—lighting has to match the pose otherwise the pose takes on a whole knew meaning. Lighting is critical with posing and should accentuate the pose.

As an example, I’ve been working on a “one light” challenge, editorial erotic-style body of work for sometime and the wrong lighting could make an image of a nude model look more pornographic than erotic if the strategic shadows I originally created in my lighting and posing combination were subtracted from the image. At the same time, knowing how to light a classic nude image of a model laying on her side so her upper thighs don’t appear “thick” can make a traditional pose go from horrible to appealing.

The wrong pose of the neck with bad lighting can create unflattering lines and when photographing the typical private glamour subject (see Rolando Gomez Glamour Photography Techniques and Images, Amherst 2007) who is looking for the photographer to provide her a more youthful-looking appearance, unwanted neck lines will cause you to lose a client real fast. Do you pose the body first and light it, or do you light the scene and pose the body to it? Every photographer has their own style when it comes to answering this question, I simply pose the subject and adjust my lights to them and then the scene. Direction of light and the direction of the body to the light go hand in hand.

Posing the wrong nose in the wrong direction can create a Peter Pan look no glamour models hopes to achieve. Knowing how to make a bikini-clad model with big feet appear to have normal feet can provide for immediate sales, taking small feet and enlarging them to an elphantitis medical condition can cost you the sale and even diminish your abilities as a photographer that leads to less future assignments. Giving key direction to a model for a proper pose is based on great communication between the photographer and the subject.

Not knowing how to communicate with your subject can create a confusing photographic shoot, leaving the model with a flabbergasted face. This is not good since the face is the most important part of any pose. Without the face, a photographer has nothing—sometimes this comes from the photographer’s inability to direct a model into a simple pose. Models don’t wear ear-plugs, many, even experienced models, rely on the photographer’s communication abilities to provide direction so they can turn what the photographer “sees” into what they feel.

Posing is the roadmap of the image and should not require a GPS device for the viewer to navigate through the image to understand the photograph’s intention nor the model’s message. Posing is a topic that takes at least one or more books to explain thoroughly, so I’ll add more on this topic from time to time in my blog, but more important, look for a future book from me on posing, as I feel posing is one of the hottest topics photographers want to learn more about, next to lighting. Thanks, rg sends!

Photographer and Model Intimate Relationships

As a professional photographer we should always treat our models like subjects, not members of the opposite sex. However, there are times in a model or a photographer’s career where we feel human and find ourselves attracted to each other—this is called life. Many photographers have dated/and or married models in the past and like other things in life, this scenario can create a perception that becomes a very touchy subject—however, people forget, like all things in life, relationships do exist in many work-associated environments—no different than a doctor and a nurse in a hospital or Hillary and Bill as lawyers.

While I don’t encourage relationships in the same workplace, a photographer dating a model, or vice-a-versa, does happen in our fields, probably more common than we care to admit and if you ever find yourself in this situation, hopefully the intentions are genuine and not fake. Falsehood dilutes the validity of our professions. Many photographers and models find their future together through the crossing of the two professions. Consenting adults come with all career fields, I’ve seen lawyers, doctors, photographers, models, actors, scientists, teachers, fireman, policemen, realtors, disc jockeys, politicians, and even sex therapists create successful unions while sharing the same or opposite occupation—after all, most successful marriages come from sharing similar likes while still being opposite of each other in other factors.

Ultimately we’re all professionals that should follow ethical standards when it comes to working with colleagues or other professional-related members of the opposite sex. Attraction to a colleague or professional-related member of the opposite sex isn’t always taboo, unless the intentions are false—after all, a Prince normally marries a Princess.

The LAX Hilton FIRE Trip! Playboy is Digital!

I find myself on a jet headed back home from Los Angeles, for about 48-hours before I head out again, and decided it’s time to play catch-up on my blog—my apologies for the lack of content. Here lately my life is like a roller-coaster, ups, downs, peaks, valleys, shrills and thrills. In these past seven days my access to our email server went wild, our hotel caught on fire, I visited Playboy Studio West, experienced leaky pipes at 2:00 a.m., had a private shoot in Beverly Hills and capped it all off with a midnight arrival. Sometimes I feel like I’m in an amusement park without the cotton-candy, though I still get to throw the darts at a balloon and hope to win a prize.

Well let’s start with my recent trip to Los Angeles for Glamourcon where I taught two workshops and one seminar on photography and lighting. Glamourcon went well and you’d think having an event at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport (LAX) everything would be seamless, especially after experiencing destructive thunderstorms and damaging winds at the previous Chicago Glamourcon event this past August. Well the opposite happened.

First, my arrival on Thursday with Playboy Playmate Holley Dorrough, Playboy Special Editions model Kellie Maines and up and coming model Tess Bry started with everyone arriving on time—of course expect me, my flight was delayed in Salt Lake City for over an hour. Tess caught the brunt waiting the longest for everyone as she was the first arrival. Our plans were to get the rental car and drop off the luggage then pick up the other models, since our flights would arrive earlier than Kellie and Holley’s, instead we all wound up at the Hertz rental car facility and tried cramming equipment cases, luggage and three models and one photographer in a medium-sized car. Because the hotel was close by, Holley didn’t mind riding on Kellie’s lap for a mile.

We all decided to have a great dinner before things would get hectic, so we went down to the Geisha House in Hollywood were we met with Holley’s agent and one of his models. All seemed well, so after a few drinks, back to the hotel and everyone slept late, expect the models, who went and exercised—hey, my military days are over with, besides, I’m still in pretty good shape—I know, I’ll get back in the gym soon.

Back to the exercising models, the hotel gave them grief because the room was in my name and since the Hilton’s hotel gym was closed for repairs the free passes to the 24-gym down the street were very scrutinized. Somehow they got the passes and put their sweat time in at the gym. After their return, while they were getting cleaned up, I met with my client for Monday’s shoot in Beverly Hills. All went well, then we proceeded to Playboy’s studio where they photograph their Playmates, also known as Playboy Studio West down in the Santa Monica area.

After Holley picked up her headshots she needed for Glamourcon, we spent about an hour with Arny Freytag, Playboy’s number one photographer. Arny showed us all the remodeling being done at Studio West since our last visit almost a year ago. Boy, have things changed from the past—they are now all digital—finally! Arny is now spending six-days to photograph a Playmate feature, centerfold and cover down from the traditional three weeks it used to take them in the past. Film is basically dead at Playboy.

With all the free time, Arny has taken on other assignments to keep him and his staff working for the rest of the month, including photography for the Playboy catalog, normally done by the Chicago studios and photographers. Arny is shooting with the Hasselblad digital medium format and even the Canon 5D! Yes, the 5D, one of my favorite cameras from Canon. Arny indicated when the new Canon, full-frame, 21-megapixel camera is available, Playboy will switch to that camera—they saw no reason to buy the older 16-megapixel–made a lot of sense to me.

We finally wrapped at Studio West saying hello to old and new friends as we walked out the door and headed out to meet good friend and glamour photographer Andy Pearlman down at Marina del Rey were we all had lunch at Tony P’s dockside at the marina. It’s always great to see old friends when visiting California. After a great lunch and stopping by the new Samy’s Camera in Culver City, we headed back to the hotel—that’s when the fun started!

Everyone headed to their rooms and we all caught up on either power naps or business. About an hour before I was to speak for my two-hour lecture for Glamourcon, which would be followed by a three-hour workshop, I decided instead of calling the bellhop I’d start hauling all my Hensel and Chimera lighting gear and being that I had an idea of the seminar location, I took one case first as I didn’t want to drag a bunch of cases to the wrong location.

Dragging my own bags is a habit from my U.S. Army active-duty days, I find this my exercise and it’s easier than you think since it’s all packed in the highly mobile Lightware equipment cases. After dropping off the first load, I chatted briefly with the folks at Glamourcon, then Tess, one of the models with us, volunteered to help and we went on back to my room for another load. I figured she could bring my Lightware camera case on wheels with my briefcase on top while I pulled the larger, cargo, equipment case on wheels. So we headed up to my room on the third floor.

As I pulled the room key out of my pocket, I heard a funny, crackling noise in the room next door, our doors were side by side. I stopped to listen and as I stood their at the door for room 3074, I began smelling something electrical and burning. I turned to Tess and told her something’s not right and I think there is a fire next door. I quickly put my card key in my door and as I opened my door I noticed my room was filling with smoke so I grabbed the phone and immediately called the hotel operator and reported the fire, they responded, “Someone will be up to check it out.”

I hung up, yelled at Tess to help me get everything out of my room—I had four cases of books sitting on the floor, my Lightware cases of equipment and of course my clothes, cameras and my brief case. As I began taking my cases out of the room, I stopped, and started banging on the door next door, as I didn’t know if anyone was power-knapping in that room—no response.

I quickly reentered my room, smoke was now heavy black and thick, so I grabbed the phone again and yelled to the operator to call the fire department—the response, “Someone is heading up to check it out.”

“Fuck-it,” I said as I hung up the phone, then I yelled at Tess, “Grab whatever and get the hell out of the room.” As we exited the room with what we could grab, I told her to stay down the hall with what I had outside. I ran back to the door of the room that was on fire, the door was spewing lots of smoke now and it appeared to change colors—definitely a fire!

I began banging on the door again, “Fire, fire, is anyone there?” I yelled loud enough that people from other rooms stuck their heads out their doors and I yelled at them to evacuate and that there was fire–people seemed more stunned than proactive. I yelled at a housekeeper that was about 100-feet down the hall at the elavators, in Spanish, as I ran toward her, I asked her for the master key, as there was a fire extinguisher in the hall. She said with a panic (not sure if I scared her running at her yelling) that the key would not work on that room at that time, that’s when I noticed the red handle fire-alarm by the elavator and pulled it while yelling at Tess to back away from the gear, then I ran back and started moving my stuff further down the hall, away from the room on fire.

People now were coming out of their rooms, some watched, others went down the elevator—wrong! Some went down the stairs.

Back in my active-duty, U.S. Army days, we’d received some fire-fighting training and Nomex clothing while up in Idaho and Montana fighting forest fires, so I knew that it can be dangerous to open a room door, but I also wanted to react. While the forest fires we put out in the mountains were more dangerous with exploding trees and instant, changing tall flames, this was nothing I thought and I just wanted to find a way to put it out–not to mention I heard the sprinkler system go off in the room with the loud rat, tat, tat sound and saw black water finally spewing into the hall and my room, so I felt it was a controllable fire and every bit would help.

About that time a tall, dark-skinned security officer appeared by the elevators and I yelled to him, “There’s a fucking fire in 3074!” He didn’t even hesitate and immediately radioed in that it was a real fire and to get the fire department there immediately–he began telling everyone to leave and use the stairs. He should be commended for his immediate actions.

What I didn’t know, the fire department is right across the street. They showed up fast and did what they do the best, though by that time my room and the hallways were filling up with black water from the sprinkler system which seemed to do what it’s designed to do. I walked into my room, opened the sliding glass door to let the smoke out, as our floor had a common concrete patio area. I could see burnt carpet and at least three burnt chairs and other damage in the other room as the fireman opened the back door to let the smoke out.

It took management time to stop the sprinkler system, so then I went back to my room, as the smoke cleared and secured my remaining belongings including a wet case of books. There was an assistant manager on duty, I explained to him I had less than 30-minutes before I had to speak so I needed my belongings secured and moved to a new room, especially since the room was smoky, wet and the fire department was using the outlets from my room—he agreed and sent for a bellhop.

One of the firefighters explained to me that the room next door was being used by a make-up company to give lessons on make-up and apparently they had plugged too many electrical plugs into a power strip which overheated while sitting on the carpeted floor—the carpet got hot and caught on fire which started everything.

Tess helped me gather everything and the bellhop showed up and we took everything to a new room on the 16th floor. Smoke still in my nose and throat, all I was worried about was my start time for my seminar but when I saw the assistant manager walk by, I complained on the slow response from the front desk—I told him, “I called from my phone, a traceable room phone, I said it was a fire twice, the desk should have immediately called the fire department.” He said thanks, and he’d look into it.

I didn’t have much time, I went with the bellhop to the 16th floor via the service elevators, then he loaded my necessary gear and books on the cart and back down the same elevators we went to the seminar and workshop room downstairs. I saw many people gathered in the main lobby, some outside, as the Hotel had initiated a mandatory evacuation then started to allow people back in. I found out that this evacuation was based on the security officer’s radioed call, the hotel had “determined it was not a drill.” I guess my two phone calls and alarm pull was a drill? Oh well, they did have cookies, sodas and water for everyone’s inconvenience in the lobby, so I took one cookie and one soda for my efforts and added it to my purchased drinks.

I did my seminar and workshop, smelling like burnt electrical tape and must have drank two diet cokes, a water and two teas as I still could taste the fire in my throat. At one point I went to the men’s room and blew the black crap out of my nose from the smoke. I finally finished by 11:30 p.m., then it was time to order room service as I had not eaten dinner, the hotel restaurant was closed and I didn’t feel like driving. My food arrived after midnight, so after gulping it down, I decided to wait a few minutes to let it settle before I’d go to sleep.

Then I decided, time to wash the smoke off my body and when I went to the shower, I noticed a light above the shower, dead-center. I also noticed water on the floor like someone had just taken a shower, but more important, water dripping from the ceiling and around the light fixture—great, electrocution I thought to myself. So I called the operator, they informed me maintenance would be there shortly—thirty minutes later. By the time maintenance was done with a “temporary” patch till they could fix it the next day, it was 2:30 a.m. and I had to get up in five hours to get ready for my morning workshop.

I decided I wasn’t going to take a chance on the shower, so I fell to bed like a stack of silting chimney bricks. Upon my awaking, the shower ceiling was dry, so I took my gamble, too bad I’m not that lucky in Las Vegas as I won and went on to conduct my three-hour workshop.

The week in Los Angeles itself went great. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones too! The girls made money and went shopping down at the Beverly Center, the Robertson area and sight-seeing on Rodeo Drive. I held my shoot at a cool house belonging to one of the best voice-over voices in Hollywood (think Patron Tequila, Bud Light commercials and movie trailers like the Wedding Crashers) and at the end photographed the owner’s Maserati when we were done with the house. Holley and Tess modeled there and I did what I do best, photography.

The hotel owner, who lives on the 17th floor, I never met. Two of his assistant managers said thank you–yeah, that’s about it–can you believe that? They did take one night off for the leaky pipe scenario and even though they moved me from the third floor to the 16th floor suites, the suite was basically the room I had before with a small living room–who cares?

No minibar, no microwave, no refrigerator. Sure, they had an executive munchies area, but who had time? I’m sure I saved them another thousand or more in damages and I’m surprised that only two assistant managers said thank you–oh, the free night came from me yelling at them at 1:30 a.m. over the phone on why it was taking them so long to come fix the water leak above the electrical light fixture. I spent over $1,000 there in two rooms, meals, parking, tips, drinks, etc., at least a free margarita or mojito would have been appropriate, don’t you think? (grin)

Now the plane is preparing to land—it’s close to midnight, think I’ll go home, soak my aching back in the SaniJet with hot water while watching TV and sipping on a Crown and Diet Coke with a slice of lime—I’m exhausted and I’ve got 48-hours before the next plane to Atlanta…thanks, rg sends!

Professional Photographer or GWC?

Unfortunately in the United States and other countries there is no formal licensing requirements for photographers to prove their professionalism, thus anyone can purchase a disposable camera and print a few inkjet business cards and call themselves a professional photographer, or for that matter a corporate CEO.

This is a sad fact about photography in the United States and it’s often the culprit of negative stereotyping of photographers, especially in the glamour genre and it’s more prevalent today, thanks to digital technology and the Internet. While legit organizations like ASMP, APA, PPA, NPPA, etc., do exist, so do paper-printing, credential mills that basically are laughable at best.

Glamour photography is so popular today, thanks to the Internet and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Lindsey Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie, etc. who are practically on the cover of every magazine, from Playboy to Vanity Fair. After all, celebrities put glamour photography on the map in the early 1920’s.

This popularity of glamour photography, digital technology and the fact that people fuel on self-esteem building through photography has created a conducive environment for “GWC’s,” or what is known on the Internet as “Guys with Cameras,” many who call themselves professional photographers and do nothing but dilute the meaning of glamour photography. So-called “professional photographers” are popping up at the rate of a dime a dozen with no mandatory scrutiny for using the title, “professional.”

While we all start from the bottom and some GWC’s are genuinely interested in advancing their photographic skills, there still are others that belong in a strip bar and not in a studio. Sadly, some models can’t spot these types of characters and often fall into uncomfortable situations that can affect future, valid photographic shoots.

It’s the nature of the beast of glamour and sometimes fashion photography, there are those with honest intentions and those with ulterior motives—ultimately models will pay the price upfront while photographers become more scrutinized over time and to help reduce this growing phenomena, professional photographers should give advice to potential models while educating beginning photographers about the ethics of the business.

As an example, my advice to models,

(1) Always “Google” any photographer who contacts you—Google is free! Just enter their name, then hit enter and look through the results—remember, not everything on the Internet is true or factual, but if you see a negative trend, then there could be problems. Do thorough research and never be afraid to ask a photographer about any of the search results you find. Use common sense and educate yourself on who you’ll be working with and even where you’ll be working.
(2) Always ask for references, especially references of other models that worked with the photographer asking you to pose for him/her. If a photographer cannot provide you at least three (female) models (including their contact information, make sure the photographer provides you at least two with telephone numbers, not “Hotmail, YahooMail, GMail” addresses– call them up and speak to them over the phone) then take a chaperone with you to the shoot or run! Professional photographers never like escorts at a shoot, so you’ll have to out weigh the credentials and references with any risk.
(3) Never assume anything, the word assume broken down means to make an ass out of you and me, ass/u/me. Use common sense, get advice and references from other models too.
(4) Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet. The best-credentialed photographers are found on Wikipedia.com and obviously in publications with tearsheets in their portfolios. While legit photographers that don’t fit in the above statement do exist, do your research and never stray alone to a shoot if a photographer has no verifiable creditability. Photographers with credentials don’t allow a tag-along entourage.
(5) Always do research, both through the internet and through traditional telephone research. If it’s to good to be true, it’s more likely a scam—run!
(6) If someone claims to be a model agent, ask for their license, most states require this. If they claim they are a model’s agent/manager and ask to photograph you, say, “No thank you!” Photographers should be photographers, agents should be agents, in the real world of modeling photographers are not model agents.

While there are many great tips and advice on modeling and modeling scams, the above relate to the more common scenarios, especially with the Internet and GWC’s.

Now, photographers, my advice to gain credibility, shoot, shoot, shoot and build your credentials, even if you “string” for the local paper. Be professional, on time and deliver. If you don’t feel the passion in photography, hang it up! Photography is about feeling the passion, a marriage of the minds between you and model without any physical contact.

While there is no official license requirement for anyone to claim they are a professional photographer, if you are a model, look for the obvious, do they have a professional website, studio, tearsheets, etc.? If not, then proceed with caution. That’s not to say beginners don’t have honest intentions, it’s to say, always do research before proceeding if you are a model or anyone answering to a photographer for a shoot, especially with the Internet today, anyone can claim they are highly-credentialed. Life is too short to walk carelessly in the cyber world of modeling and photography. Thanks, rg sends!