About a month ago, I was in my local grocery store, and had just ventured into the produce
department when I saw a woman with her back to me, and mostly what I noticed was her hair. It was very, very long. I appreciated what I saw, and moved along with my list. It was when I saw her in another aisle that I knew I had to approach the woman and offer her my card.
After I had made a couple of attempts to move toward her (it is still a hit-and-miss effort, even after so many years….), I persevered and walked to within a few feet of her cart. I politely introduced myself, and said that I had noticed her in the produce aisle and couldn’t get her out of my mind. Sounds
like a badly-written song, doesn’t it? It might, but there really is no other way to explain the process, as it changes with each approach. After I explained the purpose of my “visit,” she quietly listened, accepted my card, and turned to do some more shopping.
It has been my experience that, for the sake of example, for each 100 cards I hand out to perspective models I meet, only about five respond, positively. The woman emailed me about two weeks after our meeting and said she would be very happy to shoot with me. I was extremely elated! When I first saw her face, I knew she would be perfect for my “Outlander” series. After we shot on an extremely windy and nasty day, my early hopes were met with sheer perfection. My new model was the epitome of patience, and followed my instructions perfectly.
Even though the odds are against you, it is still something that is a neccesary part of the “process.” Some of my favorite models have been retained using this process. I am not a big fan of “professional” models. Many times, they come in with preconceived ideas of what to do and how to pose. I also don’t like negotiating fees. Did I get it right with this one? You be the judge, and let me know what you think. If you would like to see more of this portfolio, please go to my site.
Before you rush into your local store, however, you really need to be prepared with a few things:
• Elevator Pitch
You need to know what you are going to say, in 100 words or less, when the moment comes. If you muddle through the pitch, your hoped-for model may turn and walk away before you finish.
• Business Card
This is something you need to have with you at all times, whether you are scouting for a model, or looking for locations. For your card, you need to have a telephone number, email address and website address. If you don’t carry a current card with you, you are not very serious about your photography. Even if you print it out at home, that will work until you can afford a “real” one.
• Website
Many millions of words, in blogs, books, articles, etc., have been written about the importance of maintaining a decent site for your photography. It needs to be current, contain examples of your work, and show your perspective model that you can actually photograph models, professionally.
If you approach someone with whom you may want to work, and the site listed on your card is sluggish, overladen with graphic intensity, loud music, and the like, you will most likely turn the model away before they can get to the portfolio section. The site should be clean, easy to navigate, and present your work in an easy to access manner.
Are you ready to cruise the aisles with me? Share some examples of how you approach a “hoped for” model. If not, examine what you need in order to get going…
See you next time!
















