Confidence in a creative photoshoot. We need confident models and confident photographers

I believe that confidence is a key to most of the arts. You need to be sure of what you are drawing, singing, dancing, and how you are posing. :) You will master and polish your work afterward, but you should be confident in the process of creation.

One can always tell if the person who draws, let's say, my portrait from an Instagram post, is unsure of their hand, or if they are confident with their lines, and the latter is always looking more attractive, even if both people don't know anatomy well.

If a photographer and a model are not confident in what they are doing, you can also tell it from the photo. So today I am going to fix it (very ambitious, I know)

What helps a photographer to be more confident -

• Check if your gear works the way you want it to work before the shoot. Charge your batteries, and format your memory cards. If you are using some new light scheme/new technique, try it on yourself, on a random object, or on a friend to make sure you know what settings you will need.

• have a plan. Moodboard, some story, idea, even a prop. It honestly doesn't matter if your plan is good. You can always get inspired by something else that will appear during a shoot and go in that direction. But don't let it hang in the air - "Oh. the model will arrive and we'll decide what to do"

• Have a plan B. If your challenging ideas don't work, what else can you shoot to ensure you get some good material?

• I mentioned it before, but treat the first 10-20 minutes with a model as a warm-up. Don't expect much from those pictures, and make sure you don't use the most important/exciting ideas/looks at the beginning when everyone is stressed about the connection and chemistry.

What helps a model to be more confident (from the models perspective, and from photographer's perspective too)

As a model I would advice the following:

• Do a security check, ask other models for references, and verify the portfolio of a photographer. If you are not sure of something, discuss it beforehand or do not accept a photoshoot.

• Do your beauty routine, and sleep well before the shooting. Eat/drink what works for you. If you have time for a face massage/dry brush body massage - that always help to feel less bloated and more confident and relax. Moisturize everything :)

• Check your poses either in front of the mirror or from self-tapes, or from the results of previous photoshoots. It is good to know what are some "good angles" you have, that always work well for you.

• Focus on something else other than posing that would make your facial expressions more natural. The easiest way is to focus on your breathing

• Have some pose ideas/inspirations to boost your creativity

A few ways for a photographer to help a model feel more confident:

• positive feedback throughout the whole shoot, but make it honest, not overact your excitement

• Never compare models with each other, even if you think you are making a compliment

• show some good back-of-the-camera shots (but those have to be good! Don't show all of the pictures and for sure don't show the accidental ugly pictures, even for a joke)

• Make sure your model knows that both of you are playing on the same team and that you will be choosing the best photos of her, not the worst. If she has some insecurities about her looks, don't try to convince her she shouldn't have them. This is the job of a psychotherapist. But say that you will pay attention to not photograph your model from her "bad angles"

• Make some breaks. Don't overshoot one idea for too long. It may look like you are not happy with the results.

That's it for today, cause my laptop battery is dying, but otherwise I could keep talking about it for hours and hours more.

Lmk if it was helpful :)

Your K.