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JACK VEIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Photos of beautiful women, female fashion and glamour models

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In this page I have put down some notes on how to become a better photographer and how to become better at working with models, based on my own personal experience. On the way I will suggest some useful links...

Buying a Camera

Whilst I still use film cameras on occasion, for someone starting out in photography I am firmly of the view that a second-hand digital SLR is a good starting purchase. Digital SLR cameras help the learner photographer in several ways:

  1. They give results quickly, the learner has a better chance of remembering what they did.
  2. They typically store EXIF information, which acts as a permanent record of most camera settings.
  3. Pressing the shutter costs nothing, so the learner can take more photograph and is more able to experiment.
  4. Finally, the camera can act as the starting point of building a system, combined with lenses, flashguns and other accessories.

A second hand Digital SLR will cost several hundred pounds, the Canon 10D, D60 and Digital Rebel are good entry level cameras.


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Your first pictures

Before you work with a model at all:-
  • Get familiar with your camera's controls. It should have a manual - read it - and review it periodically to refresh your memory.
  • Explore manual modes - understand how film speed, aperture and shutter speed affect exposure, how the focus point of camera can be changed, how to control depth of field.
  • Set yourself some specific projects to reinforce your knowledge of theory and camera handling.
  • See if there is a would-be model amongst your friend/family and use them for practice.
  • Take some poses from magazines and see if you can describe or demonstrate the pose to your friend.
  • Go to a zoo, petting farm or aviary and photograph some animals in their environment. Improve your composition skills and reaction time by trying to capture the animals doing something interesting.
  • Get some training, sign up for a evening class

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Booking your first model

I would recommend booking an very experienced model to start with. Find a photo studio with a model register - most large cities will have one - and get the resident photographer to recommend someone who works with new photographers. The model and studio hire will be pricy, so don't book them for long - an hour or two will be fine for starters. Turn up to the studio with a plan of the shots you want to get with the lighting and outfits you want figured out and then shoot to the plan.



Getting Inspired

Collect books of photographs. These are generally monographs (works done by one photographer) and collections (multiple photographers, probably sharing a common theme). Second-hand bookshops and ebay are excellent sources for these kinds of books.

Browse photographic websites and look at other people's artwork. Many websites are searchable by non-members and there a number of sites who concentrate on specific fields


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Learn Direction

Very experienced models do not need much direction, unless you ask them for something specific to do they will continue to show you different poses. If you pay attention to what they do it will help you direct other models.

Less experienced models require more coaching and feedback to get the same level of results because they don't necessarily know how to pose in a way that is most flattering to the camera.

Posing can involve holding the body taught in a position which looks attractive and natural, but does not feel natural and may well be quite uncomfortable. It is said that ballet dancers often make good models because the discipline is similar.

Look for little details that detract from an image - are there skin creases ? Is the positioning of the arms and legs awkward ? Does the model look relaxed or tense ?

Show the model the image and use it to suggest small improvements. This works better on cameras with a larger display

Be prepared to demonstrate poses yourself. If you cannot physically perform the pose, its not likely the model can either

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Building a Portfolio

  • Avoid repetition. If you can't think of something new to do - don't book the model and don't pick up the camera.
  • Review your portfolio and identify its weaknesses. Over time - replace, older, weaker shots with newer better ones.
  • If you are getting bored, give yourself a new project.
  • Strengthen your post-production skills, explore a editing tool like Photoshop, Elements and Paint Shop Pro.
  • Join online communities and publish your best images.

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Post Production

While it is possible to get good pictures direct from the camera it certainly help if you pick up some skills in one or more photo-editing packages. As you develop a style of your own, a lot of you style will come from your post-production routine.

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Push yourself

  • Join a camera club and enter competitions.
  • Get yourself accredited with one or more photographic institutes.
  • Submit your work for critique online.
  • Enter online competitions.
  • Expand your equipment, as your funds allow.
  • Shoot film, do some darkroom.

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