Hi FashionPhotograhyBlog.com readers,
We have top fashion model, speaker & author of the book “Supermodel YOU“, Sarah DeAnna, joining us on FPBlog. After sharing her discovery story in our previous post with Sarah, “Beginnings of a Model“, she is back to share with us her experiences of having to learn the tricks of the trade as a model when she first started out. Sarah offers her insights for photographers to get the most out the models they work with. Let’s not wait any longer and jump right into it? Here is FPBlog with Sarah DeAnna…
FPBlog: So you been to Milan and Paris. How was that?
Sarah Deanna: Oh, yeah. I came to New York right from LA pretty much, and it was fashion week right away, so I was [frantic] all of a sudden; I didn’t know how to walk, I didn’t know how to dress. I wore pink everyday that people actually called me “pinky” – that and baby blue. I had the most ridiculous style and I had no idea how to walk, I mean, professionally, or dress, or do my hair, or anything (like that). I was in a nightmare, was stressed out and hated it. I was just thrown into it, literally.
FPBlog: Your agency didn’t show you how to walk?
Sarah Deanna: Not really. I mean, my agent in Paris was this guy, Patrick, who was trying to show me how to do it. But it’s so funny watching a guy show you how to walk, I don’t know why. So not really, I mean, they just kind of, “oh, you do this” but (walking the runway) takes a long time (to get right).
FPBlog: So did you watch other girls? Or did you watch videos?
Sarah Deanna: Yeah, like Fashion Network. I’d be watching that (video) and (asking) how does this work? Now, I think I finally got it but I still hate seeing myself, because I think I look like a nerd.
FPBlog: Over the years that you were developing, did you have any negative experiences with photographers?
Sarah Deanna: Many! Of course.
FPBlog: You don’t have to obviously go into it, but, what would be some advice you would give to a starter or a new photographer that’s testing with new models? What kind of things could they avoid doing to keep their integrity on an upper level?
Sarah Deanna: It’s really important to give a model a clear definition and idea of what your vision is, that is, what you want to do. If they just tell them to just pose or just look sexy, that’s so hard for someone to get (it) and just pose, that’s one thing. When you first start out (as a model) you don’t really know how to pose, or so if you (the photographer) tell them instead, “this is the idea and the concept” and (give) a whole lot of ideas about how it should feel so that emotion could come across through to the model – that’s so important, more than you know, for posing.
(Another example would be) if they (the photographer) wanted to do angular (poses) and they say “angles” (rather than) “not soft, you want it to be strong” – just a really clear definition of what your vision is. I’ve (once) been told to (be aggressive), they wanted me to be angry and peeved off, so they were telling me, “OK, you’re a killer. You’ve just killed your family”. We were shooting in Morocco and that was the thought in my head, and I look totally evil in those pictures.
FPBlog: And you went there (to that dark place) – so it’s almost like acting? You had inside your head that you had just killed your family and you got that concept…
Sarah Deanna: Yeah, and you have to. If they (the photographer) wanted you to play dreamy or soft, then that photographer would tell me that so that I feel it too. You create this energy between the photographer and the model and that’s so important (on a shoot).
Did you find the tips from Sarah DeAnna useful? Leave your comments below in the comment section. We would like to know what you thought about this post. If you enjoyed this article, stay tuned as Sarah DeAnna has more insights to share on FashionPhotograhyBlog.com – If you are interested in grabbing a copy of Sarah’s book, “Supermodel YOU” you can find it here. You can also find out how Sarah got started in the modeling industry by reading our previous post with her titled “Beginnings of a Model“.
IMAGE SOURCE:
Feature image & image 1: courtesy of Melissa Rodwell for Kurv Magazine
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