Hi FashionPhotograhyBlog.com readers,
Sarah DeAnna, top fashion model, speaker & author of the book “Supermodel YOU“, is back with us on FPBlog. After sharing her passion helping everyone discover their own supermodel from within in our previous post with Sarah, “Body Image of a Model“, she shares her experience working as a model for both male and female photographers, as well as offering tips for photographers who need guidance in how to direct models to get the most out of their subjects during a shoot. Let’s get the party started. Here is Sarah DeAnna with FPBlog…
FPBlog: Do you have any words of advice to, either models that want to start in this industry and/or photographers who are starting out? You have worked with some of the biggest photographers… What’s the difference between men and women photographers?
Sarah Deanna: Working with women is great, I do like that. I felt more with women for some reason, like I connect more – I don’t know why. Some of my best shoots have been with female photographers. And I think it’s because we’re women, and we get it. I mean, we understand each other. I mean I love working with men too. It’s always different, but there’s something really intimate working with a woman. I don’t know how to explain that. They always take beautiful pictures. I don’t know a woman that does not know how to take a beautiful picture. I think she knows, she wants you to look beautiful. You (can) look cool and still look beautiful, but, sometimes I think, (in) fashion, you could take a picture of me and I’m like, “Really? You think this looks good?” But, I get it. It’s edgy and cool.
Don’t give them too much direction. (Some) direction is good, like the idea and the concept, but also (let the models) own it for themselves. (If) you’re telling them all the time, “turn your foot to the right, turn your foot to the left, keep your hand there, do this (and) do that”, all of that (can) make you crazy and feel like you’re doing everything wrong. If you’re constantly saying, “move to the left, or don’t do that, or change that pose… it’s so hard (that) you’re going to have a terrible time.
FPBlog: Yeah, because it makes you (the model) look rigid right?
Sarah Deanna: Yeah, and you start to get so self-conscious and it’s in your face, so that’s a big one. Anytime anybody is giving me too much direction like that type of (over) direction; where it’s “body like this”. A little bit I get it, you know. (However) if you explain (it like), “well don’t do that because you’re going to make it (out of the frame)”, and “when you go that way you’re out of the light”. When you explain (it like) that you say, “don’t turn your face to that side because you’re going into the shadow” that makes sense, but, a lot of times they don’t explain it to you like that and you get so (self-conscious and confused as a result).
FPBlog: Does it help if someone just shows you, for example, “I want your hands on your hips like this. Sometimes it looks better like this, or higher up because it breaks through the hip line”. Just showing them, is that type of direction useful?
Sarah Deanna: Yeah, and I like that. I really do, I like both. Sometimes photographers know exactly what they want, the exact pose and everything. If you (the photographer) know exactly (what you want) you (can) tell a girl (model) that. To me I’m not offended, because then I don’t have to think about – sometime (that part) is a lot of work. Sometimes it’s fun and I love it because I get to be part of the creation of it (the image) but if they know exactly what they want then I just get it (understand the concept and then) I just got to nail the pose and…
FPBlog: And work it from there right? Go with the emotion?
Sarah Deanna: Yeah, so it’s just knowing what you want. The worst thing you can do is not know what you want. It can’t just be, “let’s just shoot” unless two people have just great energy and they’re just like, “let’s just go with this” and the model is cool (with it), and you know that’s its going to work out. But if they (the models) need that direction you got to give it to them.
FPBlog: Right. So thank you so much for sitting with me and good luck… I know that you’ll keep FPBlog in the loop.
Sarah Deanna: Thank you!
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, we recommend that you check out our article on FashionPhotograhyBlog.com with Sarah DeAnna on how she began her modelling career, titled “Beginnings of a Model“. If you are interested in grabbing a copy of Sarah’s book, “Supermodel YOU” you can find it here.
IMAGE SOURCE:
Feature image & image 1: Photo of Sarah DeAnna, courtesy of Melissa Rodwell for Kurv Magazine
