The value of an outstanding model

"Eloquent Nude" ( http://www.nwdocumentary.org/weston/) is an enlightening documentary about Edward Weston and his relationship with Charis Wilson, narrated in large part by Charis Wilson at age 90. A couple who have been great patrons of my work for the last couple years gave me a copy recently because they're aware of my love for Weston's work. The documentary encompasses many themes, but among them is the fact that Wilson was one of Weston's truly outstanding, inspirational models. She understood his motivation, inspired him, and helped him grow as an artist. One might argue that his work with other well-known models (such as Tina Modotti and Sonya Noskowiak) were also inspired, but that doesn't minimize the importance of Wilson's influence in his work. It just shows that he was fortunate enough to work with several outstanding models. One of my favorite modern photographers, Reneé Jacobs, interviewed Charis Wilson a few years after Eloquent Nude was produced ( http://www.photoicon.com/modern_masters/49/ - well worth the time to read for any photographer or model). It illustrated even more clearly why Wilson was an outstanding model for Weston. Even though Charis was unable to envision the photographs Weston was creating (she said "I was a hopeless dud at doing it"), she understood his motivation to such a degree that she scouted locations for him while he slept in the car. One passage that stands out for me every time I re-read that interview is this quote from Wilson about Weston's process:

"It was a very, very interesting experience. You have a feeling that someone... a feeling that you are really being seen for the first time. That more of you is being seen. That you somehow have a stronger - more real - existence somewhere. Something takes place between a man and his camera. It’s very hard to describe the sensation you feel."

That's the perfect mirror image description of what a photographer sees when working with one of those rare, outstanding models. What she didn't say, and perhaps didn't know even after all her time working with Weston, is that it's is a two-way street. Many models simply don't allow - perhaps aren't capable of allowing - a photographer to see them that way, and those who do are a far more valuable assett to the photographer than they likely realize. Back to the present ... Most models I work with do an OK job. They're cooperative and make good objects to photograph. A few models I work with are really good. They're collaborative artists who grasp creative ideas, and help bring a vision to fruition. A small handful of models I work with are outstanding. They inspire me, challenge me, excite me, and cause me to grow artistically. They make a difference in the quality and direction of my work, and working with them makes a difference in my quality of life. I normally enjoy working with new models. It's a fun process, and they're always an interesting new photographic experience. They're likely to be just OK, but there's a slim chance they'll be good, and an even smaller chance they'll be outstanding. Statistically, though, they're a long shot. Sometimes I can predict when a new model will be good, but that moment when I realize I have an outstanding model in front of my camera is always a magical surprise. I've been fortunate to work with three truly outstanding models. The first time I work with them is a wonderful experience. If I'm fortunate enough to work with them a second, third, fourth, fifth time ... that's when I feel truly enabled as an artist, when I really feel I'm able to express my vision. Today I had the rare experience of having to make a choice between the chance to work with one of those truly outstanding models again, and the potential to work with a new model. I wasn't surprised at which way I went, but I was really surprised at how easy of a choice it was. The prospect of possibly finding another outstanding model is alluring, but it pales when compared with the possibility of working again with a truly outstanding model I've already begun to develop a rapport with. I've always thought that I will need to constantly look for new models to keep my photography from becoming stale. That may be partially true, but today I realized that developing my full potential as a photographer will also mean making a deliberate effort to work multiple times with a few outstanding models. That will require working through some fears. One of my greatest fears is a stale session that turns out nothing different than I've already done with that model. That's probably inevitable, but it's something I dread and it's one reason I've not worked multiple times with very many models. Running out of inspiration and letting down a model who had trusted me that far would be a nightmare. I suppose the next level beyond an outstanding model would be one who could go through that and stick with me for another session to work past it, but that might be asking an awful lot from anyone. I guess that's a bridge I'll have to cross when I get there. What does that all mean in the grand scheme of things? I guess it means I'll work harder to develop a longer term working relationship with those few outstanding models. And it means I learned something about myself today, which is always a good thing.

A tribute to my favorite model

I have enormous respect and gratitude for all the models who help me create my images. I never loose sight of the fact that without them my artwork wouldn't exist. You may have noticed that, while I'm not the type who's inclined to pass out hollow, fluffy compliments, I'm not shy about letting you know that I honestly admire and appreciate them. That said, some contribute more than others, and there's one model who, aside from the fact that she's just a real pleasure to work with, has been such an inspiration and influence on my work that she will always have a special role in my identity as an artist. She was 17 when she first e-mailed me to inquire about modeling. I wasn't desperate for models, and my first inclination when I saw her age was to say "no thanks," and leave it there, but her e-mail was different than most that I receive. She was an artist herself. She had clearly spent time studying my work. She wrote intelligently and articulately about how it made her feel, and she was realistically enthusiastic about participating in it. She communicated with a mixture of confidence and humility that matched perfectly with my approach to creative endeavors. I was intrigued, so instead of saying "no," I said "I'm interested, but not until you turn 18." She understood, and was fine with waiting, but not any longer than necessary. We shot our first session on her 18th birthday. Three things struck me about working with her during that first session. One was her face. My first thought when I saw her was "oh my god, what a beautiful face - I really want to do some work with those eyes and those freckles." I don't remember if I told her that or not, but she didn't want to reveal her face in any of the photographs, so it didn't matter. Trust is essential between a model and photographer, and one of the foundation principals for how I deal with models is that you can't get trust if you don't give respect so, though I wanted very badly to photograph her face, I didn't press the issue. And trust is, I guess, the best word for the second thing that truly struck me about working with her during that first session. I had worked with many models previously who trusted me in the sense that they were cooperative and enthusiastic about developing a concept and creating imagery, but I had never worked with someone who made me feel so creatively trusted and free to explore inspiration. We produced some of the best work I had ever done up to that point, and had more "keepers" than I had ever produced in a single session. It was the first time I realized that one of the most important qualities in a model is her ability to trust in my creativity. It was a turning point in my pursuit of photography. I've worked with many great models since, but only two who were able to make me feel that trusted and give me that degree of creative freedom in their first session. It's a rare quality, and the chance to work with a model who has it is a privilege. The third thing that struck me during that first session was the depth and complexity of her beauty. There are many different kinds of beauty in the female human. Some are aesthetically exquisite, with graceful lines, intriguing textures, and flowing curves. Some are boldly feminine with an aesthetic that solemnly proclaims the supple strength and regal power of woman. Some are sensual with subtly erotic undertones. Some are alluringly sexy. Some are unassumingly pretty. She was everywoman - I didn't have to hunt to find some degree of every kind of beauty there is to be found in women. After just a couple of shots, I knew I had a rare and special model in front of my camera. I started out wondering how she would do, aware that she was very young and this was her first nude session. It didn't take long before the biggest question in my mind became whether or not I had the talent and skill to do her justice. Shortly after that first session, my life got thrown into turmoil for several months as my dad succumbed to cancer, and it was over half a year before I was able to get her prints to her. I explained why and she said she understood, but I felt very embarrassed about it and I assumed I had probably lost any chance of ever working with her again. I'm not one to dwell on regrets, but as I said she is a rare and special model, and I kicked myself for blowing the possibility of working with her again, regardless of the reason. To make myself feel better, I decided that I wouldn't insult her by directly asking her to work with me again, but I would keep her on my general contact list for model castings and such, just in case. To my great surprise and delight, it paid off. I posted a general casting call for models the next winter and she responded, saying she'd like to work with me again. It took a while to get our schedules together, but we shot two sessions close together. They were both great creative, exploratory experiences for me. Not all the concepts worked out, but a lot of them did, and she gave a hundred percent for all of them. I had never produced so much diversity nor so many "keepers" from a session. Her beauty was just as complex and inspiring as before, and her trust just as creatively liberating. In many respects, I grew more as an artist during those two sessions than I had in the previous two years, and I don't believe there is any other model with whom that could have happened. We were in touch on and off after that - someone she knew wanted to shoot with me, and she contacted me to set that up; one of the images from our very first session did really well in an international competition and we traded e-mails about that - but we were both busy and things just never seemed to come together for another shoot. Just a funny sidebar: In the mean time, I worked with another model for a project, and during that shoot we had a conversation about freckles. I told her about a gorgeous model I'd worked with who's freckles I dreamed of shooting. She told me about a friend of hers who had the most beautiful freckles in the world. Little did we know we were talking about the same freckles, but we wouldn't discover that until much later. (Incidentally, this other model is one of the two others who've given me the same feeling of creative trust in their first session, allowing me to produce some fantastic work. See my blog titled "The backup model" for more of that story.) We hadn't communicated for about 6 months, then I got an e-mail saying she had run into one of her friends who had also modeled for me (the woman I had discussed freckles with) and was thinking she'd love to shoot again. Almost as an afterthought, she wrote "Also, I wouldn't mind having my face in the shots if you are interested!" I immediately remembered my first thought the first time I met her - "oh my god, what a beautiful face - I really want to do some work with those eyes and those freckles." I quickly cleared some dates and we set up a session. Given my previous experience with her I figured it would go well, but it was an even more comfortable, satisfying, productive session than I expected. Her beauty had grown even more rich and complex. She flowed with my creative thought process so well that at one point I wondered who was leading whom through the session. We didn't explore as wide a creative range as in the previous two sessions, but almost everything we shot turned out great. I usually try to edit a session down to 20 or so of the absolute best shots, but after three harsh editing sessions I still had nearly 70 that I couldn't bear to cut. She has been a major influence on my development as an artist, on my thinking about beauty, and on my ideas about the dynamic between model and photographer. She will be a part of every image I ever create, and she will always be in my artist's heart. I've always been skeptical about the concept of a muse (for various reasons that are best saved for another post), but if ever I've had a muse, this is her. She's moving out of state for school, now. We've agreed to shoot again when she's back in town, and I'm really looking forward to that day. What ever the future brings, though, this seems like an appropriate time to say: Thank you so much for everything. I would not be the photographer I am without your creativity and courage, without the trust you placed in me, and without the beauty you shared with me. You're a wonderful model, a beautiful woman, and a creative inspiration. You're my friend - and yes, my muse - and I wish you the very best that life can bring.

What do you look for in a nude model?

I'm often asked what I look for in a nude model. I usually give a brief, vague answer because a full discussion of it would be too complicated for a casual conversation. However I was asked again recently and I thought this might be an opportunity to give a more thorough answer. It's actually more useful to break the question down into three questions: 1. What do I look for in a potential model? What makes me want to photograph someone? What might lead me to ask them to consider modeling for me? When I post general "contact me if you're interested" material on various web sites, I always point out that "the primary requirement to qualify is that something about you must appeal to the artist in me." Frankly, that is the full and honest answer to this first question. The problem is that most people seem to assume that saying "if you appeal to the artist in me" is the same as saying "if you're pretty." Looks certainly play a part in whether or not someone moves me, but demeanor, carriage, gracefulness, mannerisms and facial expressions, the tone of their interactions with other people, and their emotional openness and apparent passion and enthusiasm for life, and their attitudes about art are also essential factors. Those things have inspired me to ask a wide variety of people to model for me, including men, overweight women, a 68 year old woman, and a transvestite. Pretty girls make me look, but it takes an interesting human to make me want to pick up my camera. The caveat to that is that just because someone appeals to the artist in me doesn't mean I will always ask them to consider modeling for me. I've learned that many people take offense or assume ulterior motives when I ask, so I am selective. Sometimes their general demeanor will make the difference. Sometimes I may just be feeling bold (or not). One big consideration is the nature of my existing relationship with someone. For example, my favorite barrista is intriguing from many perspectives and I would love to photograph her, but I see her regularly for my morning coffee and I'm hesitant to ask her to consider modeling for fear that she would take offense and it would cast a cloud over one of the most pleasant parts of my daily routine. She appeals greatly to my inner artist, but I have not asked her to consider modeling for me, and I very likely will not. 2. What do I look for when evaluating a potential model? What makes me decide to schedule a first session with a model? I meet with and interview most of the models I work with before scheduling a session with them. The meeting does not constitute a commitment to work together. I have met with people then declined working with them, and I have also met with people who decided for their own reasons that they didn't want to work with me. It's a two-way interview and, while it always feels crappy to say no, and it always feels crappy if they say no, sometimes no is the right answer. If we don't feel we can produce good imagery together and both feel good about it when we're done, there's no point in wasting each others' time. I follow a loose recipe for meeting with potential models. I give a little introduction to me and my artistic motivations. We discuss the model's motivation, any prior modeling experience, their body image, and their confidence and reservations. We look at some imagery and discuss what appeals to each of us, discuss some ideas I might be interested in shooting with the model, and identify any styles or themes in my work that particularly appeal to the model or that the model might have reservations about. We cover paperwork and administrative issues. We discuss how I work with models on set and what to expect during a session, and I make sure the model gets plenty of encouragement and opportunity to ask any questions they have. At that point, I will have decided whether or not I want to work with this model (except for one criterion, skin quality) and I will ask them to make a conscious decision whether they want to work with me. If we are both confident that we'd like to work together, then I ask the model to briefly undress and pose so I can evaluate their skin quality, figure, lines and proportions, and see any tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, scars, etc. that need to be taken into consideration. So, what do I look for during this process?

1. Skin quality - everywhere: face, back, shoulders, butt, legs, chest, stomach, .... Seeing their figure, lines, proportions, tattoos, piercings, etc. is definitely useful for planning, but the biggest reason for asking them to undress is to see their skin quality. Good lighting and post processing can clean up a lot of skin issues, but the poorer the skin quality, the more I have to balance lighting to compensate for it against lighting for artistic effect, and the more work I have to put into post processing to get a finished image.
2. Enthusiasm. Some nervousness is normal for a first-time nude model, but if they're not excited about art and participating in a creative process then I am very concerned about their ability to follow through and participate in an artistic collaboration.
3. Attitude. A pleasant, cooperative attitude that I'll enjoy working with is most desirable, but I can also work fine with someone who just has a professional demeanor and a good work ethic, even if we don't really click. I can not work with divas who can't be pleased, who have 52-item laundry lists of things about my studio or working style that have to be changed to just their specifications, or who don't seem capable of common courtesy.
4. Some appreciation for my work and ideas. I don't mind adding in some work styled to suit the model's tastes, but if my style doesn't appeal to them at all, they probably won't be happy with the results of a session with me. Even if they'd make a wonderful model in general, I'm probably not the right photographer for them to work with.
5. Inhibitions. Do they seem overly inhibited, shy, or embarassed? I have met with models who were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of nude photography but, for what ever reason, felt they had to follow through or didn't want to say no. If I get this sense, I always question them directly about it. If they're deliberately working through shyness or inhibition that they're aware of I may still work with them, but I won't shoot with someone who I feel is likely to regret the experience.

3. What do I look for when working with a model? What makes a model a good model? What makes me want to shoot with a model multiple times? I have produced some great images with models who didn't meet all these criteria, but these are the things that make me confident that a model can pull off multiple sessions that all create several outstanding images. I don't consciously evaluate these traits while shooting, but if they've got them it's obvious by the time we're finished with a first session.

1. Body awareness. Getting a pose just right always takes a little back and forth adjustment. If I say "move your right foot a little to the left so it's in front of your crotch" many models will put their right foot in front of their left knee instead. However some models will have no clue that's what happened and will make no effort to correct it because they have very little body awareness.
2. A sense of gracefulness. Everyone has a few clumsy moments but if every pose looks like a confused contortionist fighting paralysis and I have to talk them into a more relaxed, graceful poise a dozen times in an hour, artistic nudes probably aren't their forte.
3. An understanding that sensuality and aesthetic beauty are complementary, not competing traits. Models who can't let go of the "come hither and take me" look at all, and models who can't tolerate expressing any sensuality or eroticism at all are both frustrating for me to work with. A successful image generally has a balance of sensuality and aesthetic appeal, and a model has to be able to express both and give me the ability to adjust that balance from the camera's point of view.
4. Confidence. Everyone has some insecurities about their body, but a model who spends two minutes checking every pose against their list of insecurities before they'll let me shoot is not a productive creative partner.
5. Trust. A model can't see from the camera's point of view, and that can be intimidating (incidentally, a photographer who's never modeled should experience the other side of the lens a few times just so they'll fully understand that). Broad limits are fine, but if I feel a model has a tight box that I have to be careful to stay within, we generally make stifled imagery. If I feel I have a model's trust and permission to follow the creative flow, we always make better imagery.
6. Ability to communicate their boundaries without embarrassment and without animosity. My rule of thumb for every shoot is that I'll ask for what I want to shoot and I will take no for an answer. Someone who can't bring themselves to say "no" should not work with me. Someone who gets pissy (instead of just saying no and moving on) if I ask for something they aren't comfortable with is not a good candidate for me to work with.
7. Enthusiasm about art and creating imagery. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting compensation for your time, but I've worked with a few models were only in it for the money and didn't give a rip about the imagery. It was a very disappointing experience.

So, there you go. That's what I look for in a model. As long as you understand that nothing is absolute and I never say never, it should be as clear as mud. :)