Model Photography - TFP - Genres & Image Styles
To explain what kind of model photos I AM interested in shooting when it comes to TFP/Test collaborations, I've put it all down into four main categories. Of course, these categories are broad and the boundaries can of course be quite fluid between them, but as I said, it can still be valuable to have something more concrete to go by when deciding what type of photography is relevant.
So the categories below are MY way of dividing it all up. Other photographers may have different variations, and what I call one thing may certainly be a completely different thing to another photographer.
1 - PORTRAIT (Headshots / Beauty / B&W)
Portraits can be taken either in the studio or "on-location". Inside or outside, natural light or with artificial flash or LED light. In terms of style, I'm into everything from black and white variations to more commercial in color or crazy bananas makeup pictures, etc. However, I favor black and white quite strongly. I often work with fairly tight sections and not infrequently I try to place the model in a more "static" position on a chair or stool or similar so that he can concentrate on the face and expression and not have to keep track of the body so much. Portrait pictures is usually a good start to a collaboration as it is relatively easy to get started with, and rarely requires so much thought behind the outfit, etc. The model's expression is what is important and can sometimes be difficult to achieve, but usually it works out after a while of photographing. Here there are usually good opportunities for talented make-up artists to also collaborate to expand their portfolio
2 - STREET FASHION (Fashion / Lingerie / Topless)
What I call street fashion is perhaps actually a kind of continuation of portrait photography, but where it is usually about pictures where the model can feel a little more absent in terms of the image and the focus is a little more on outfit/style/environment, without it necessarily having to be pure fashion/ catalog image of the whole thing.
Despite what the title suggests, these pictures do not need to be taken on a street at all, but can be taken basically anywhere, but usually outdoors and in existing light, possibly with the support of a reflective screen or something. Very rarely with artificial light unless it is about evening pictures.
The style spans everything from fully clothed fashion outfits to more or less undressed sensual/sexy/edgy variants depending on the environment and which style is intended.Industrial areas, street environments, forest groves, parking lots, yes basically anywhere usually works for this type of images.
Usually, full body shots and tighter shots are mixed. Weird angles and wonky cropping are not uncommon in this image style either
3 - BOUDOIR (Lingerie / Topless / Nude)
The next style is sleek, sensual, lightly dressed or undressed images in black and white. It is absolutely a favorite genre that I think is very grateful with the right model, and which often generates very very good images. I loosely call it “boudoir”, although my interpretation of these images may not always be what is intended in the true sense of the word. Here, of course, the overall feeling in the image is the primary thing and often I try to make the images feel a little more documentary and "sneak shot" and the idea is that it should feel like the model is more in her own world and doesn't have as much contact with the camera at all.
Lingerie, lightly dressed or undressed in one way or another, is the very basis, although it does not have to be completely naked. Often, a shirt, a cozy sweater, a sheet or similar can make that particular soft everyday feeling appear and turn out fantastically well in pictures. I usually take these pictures in an indoor environment such as a bedroom, hotel room or similar to further enhance the more documentary feel, but it is also possible to simulate a similar environment in a studio with a little trickery. I use as much as possible natural light from windows etc. for these types of pictures, but it is not entirely unusual that it needs to be enhanced with a little flash or LED light.
4 - FAN (FIne Art Nude)
Finally, we have the image style called 'fine art nude' (FAN) which is however a fairly small part of what I do, and generally I only do this type of images with more experienced models.It is absolutely a fun art form to develop both from the perspective of the model as it really involves controlling your body, small details, angles on body parts, etc., but also technically as there is often more "millimeter finessing" in light and angles and other settings to get the picture right. A fan session is quite demanding for the model as that type of pose requires a certain physique which after a while of posing can be quite taxing on the body.
Here, it's full nude that applies during the shoot and therefore the model should be very comfortable in that situation, because as a photographer I get extremely uncomfortable if I see that the model is not comfortable, and then there are rarely any good pictures. However, the nudity does not mean that all private parts need or should be seen in the picture, but it is precisely what you don't see that creates the tension and expression in this type of pictures, I believe
Fan photos are usually taken in the studio as I want to have as much control over light etc. as possible, but during the summer it is also possible to make nice fan photos outdoors provided you find a place where you can work undisturbed
WHAT I DON'T DO AS TFP:
What I'm less interested in is something that is "on-location set" where more "studio pictures" are to be produced outdoors, which is not my picture style. I'm also a bit reticent with more fantasy or fetish images, or bondage, bdsm or other sexually charged image styles, and in those types of shoots the model has to have a very clear idea and have shot that type of images before, as she has to control a such a shoot much more than me as a photographer.
Of course, I can shoot basically anything as long as it is within legal limits, but then it usually falls outside TFP, and instead becomes a paid shoot where the model gets all the images exclusively for her own use.