Hello, why did the HotShot post disappear? Usually, every few days there would be several curated posts and the selected ones would be featured in the HotShot post. Is there no HotShot anymore now? I'm sure having HotShot can boost the morale of the photographers here during their photo shoots. I hope HotShot will be back soon.
Actually, I don't know what to share for today's post, even though I have taken some photos, but I feel they are just ordinary photos. Just like most other portrait photos. There's nothing special, no special techniques to be used, just casual photos with my female friend as the model. Should I still post them? I'm afraid you might get bored, as there are no special techniques used. Or should I share the editing techniques I used? Can you give me some advice? What kind of post do you find interesting?
Maybe today I'll just share a little story, about what I usually prepare for a simple photo session and how I get a model.
Usually, the preparation I do before a photoshoot is to make sure the camera battery is fully charged and the memory card is emptied. As for the location, since there aren't many exotic places in my city, I usually do photo sessions more often in cafes. So, my photos would usually look very ordinary.
For the model, I usually ask for recommendations from friends, or I'll search on social media. Then I will contact them and ask if they are willing to be a photoshoot model. Usually, I have prepared a concept, so when I contact the potential model, I won't be confused explaining what concept it is. If you're wondering if I've ever been rejected when inviting someone to be a model? Of course, the answer is yes, and for various reasons.
One advice from me, if you really want to be a portrait photographer, look for models from an agency. Because models from agencies already have experience, and have a template pose that highlights their best side. In addition, agencies usually have collaborations in portfolio making, so they would be happy when a photographer is interested in doing a photoshoot.
The limitation of someone who doesn't have basic modeling is, you will have a hard time giving pose directions, especially if you're new to the world of photography, I guarantee you will run out of energy just to direct the style. And usually, finding the best angle will take time. Not to mention when you have prepared a concept but during the photoshoot, it doesn't match the concept. This will only make you frustrated and fail to make a portfolio.
So my advice, if your goal is to find a portfolio, collaborate with an agency, or pay models from an agency. But if you just want to learn about photography, inviting ordinary people is not a problem.
I often do this, inviting ordinary people to be photo shoot models. Sometimes some of them have the talent to be a model, so with a little direction, they already understand what to do. But there are also those who, even when directed carefully, do not understand. And I get very annoyed when I encounter people like this. But well, they don't have the basic modeling skills, so I have to make peace with myself about that.
For the results of every photoshoot like this, I usually don't post them on social media, but for some people I know closely, I would be very happy to post them on my social media. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to share the results of the casual photo session I did because I was too engrossed in storytelling. This photo session I did with one of the baristas at the cafe where I usually work, and here are the results:
How about my model this time? She's beautiful, isn't she? Hehe. She's just a barista at the cafe that I mentioned in my previous post, but she also has a family connection to the owner of this place. The photo session with her was very simple; I didn't give her any specific outfit concept to wear. I just gave her directions like, "Let's take some photos, I want to showcase the ambiance of the cafe where you work," and that's how the resulting photos were created.
Oh, her name is Caca. She's a very friendly person. However, she's not confident about her looks, so every time I show her the photos, she would say, "Why do I look ugly?" But in my opinion, she's very beautiful. When directing her poses, it wasn't too difficult. I think she's already used to being photographed, even though she said this was her first time doing a photoshoot.
How was it? Do you like my post with this storytelling concept? Not too much focus on technical aspects, just a few suggestions that I can give as a photographer. Well, I do hope you still enjoy my posts. Please never get tired of giving us your utmost appreciation as photographers.
Thank you,
Warm regards from me.