Your Modeling Portfolio

So you want a modeling portfolio to start your career. A model’s portfolio is her resume. It shows what she has done and is capable of doing. Before going out and getting your portfolio done, contact the agencies you want to work with and see what they prefer to see. Some don’t want anything more than very basic photos showing what you look like.

A portfolio should include at least the following: casual head shot, fully styled head shot (hair & make-up professionally done), a body shot (swimsuit is ideal, or lingerie), fashion shot, an action/lifestyle shot and even an editorial or catalogue shot. The key is not to put styles you don’t want to work from in your portfolio, ie don’t include several lingerie shots if you don’t want that type of work. Include at least one B&W shot as a lot of work is still done in B&W.

Over time you will replace old photos with newer ones. Best of all is you will get to add tear sheets from work you have done. Tear sheets get there name from pages being torn out of magazines showing a model’s work.

Your best two pictures show be the first and last in your book. If the first shot doesn’t catch their eye, then they may not go much further thru your book. And you want the last shot to be remembered so you close on a high note. Very often the first shot is the made-up headshot.

It is better to have a few great pictures than a lot of just average pictures. Standard book prints are 9x12 and contain a max of 20 photographs. It is better to have only 10 really great photographs, as quality is key. Yes, I’m repeating myself, but it is an important point to remember.

You need 2 good headshots. One should be the fully made-up shot mentioned before and the other with minimal make-up and retouching. Ideally your hair will be back on the second photograph as they really want to get a good look at your face as you are naturally.

You need a good mix of environments in your book. This means that you need some location work and some studio work. Don’t use two shots of the same outfit. Pick the best one and use it.

Beware of agencies that want you to pay them or their "special" photographer to get your portfolio made. If they won’t let you use your own photographer, run, run away fast. It is fine for them to have suggested photographers.

Modeling can be a fun and rewarding career that will require a lot of hard work and good decisions. Photographs are a major expense that you will be paying. Be sure to get what you need, when you need it.

Orcatek Photography - Phoenix, Arizona

Photography - How to succeed part IV

This is the final part on being a success as a photographer. In past articles I talked about working with clients, providing them with what they want and equipment choices. This week I am going to discuss some more tools and training. I am going to assume you are working digitally.

The worst thing you will ever say as a photographer is “I will fix it in Photoshop.” I wish every time a photographer said this they would get a shocked by their camera – ZAP! Yes Photoshop is a great tool, but it should be used to enhance a good photograph. Removal of stray hairs or getting rid of blemishes are good uses for it.

You notice I said Photoshop. There are several other good programs that you can also use such as Gimp or Paintshop. The challenge with these programs is when the need comes to share your work or get training your options will be limited. What does come down to is the need for a good program to process your images.

The next question I get is, “what plug-ins do I need?” Plug-ins are add-ons to Photoshop that automate or add features. None are needed. You can achieve what you need to do in most cases without them. Some are nice to have as you have revenues and time becomes more valuable. If you must spend some money, I suggest looking at a sharpening tool and a skin softener. You can download trials from every good vendor. It is a matter of tasted as to which works best for you.

Learn to create or find actions to do your work. Actions are an automated series of steps that Photoshop will follow very quickly. I have about 4 that I use daily which I have created. They are typically 15 to 20 steps long. What would take me 15 minutes to do manually, the action does in a minute. For example I use an action to take a two page album spread and cut it in two to images, adjusting the image for the gutter (area where pages come together) so the spread looks good when the book is opened.

If you can’t write them, look on-line for them using your favorite search engine. One good site is atncentral.com - Lots of free actions. Even if you don’t use them, you can see how they are constructed and learn some things about Photoshop. Assign the ones you use to function keys to save time running them. You can even use these in batch processes to do a hundred images at once.

Get some training on Photoshop. Attend classes, read magazines or even on-line. Lots of good free videos are available on YouTube. Photoshop is very powerful and some basic training will go a long way.

The one tool you should get is a tablet, such as those by Wacom. They make a $80 small tablet that does everything a photographer needs – the Bamboo. It will save you huge amounts of time once get used to using it. Later you may wish to upgrade to a large one, but I have both and have found the small one is as good or possibly better for my photo work.

The other big time saver I cannot stress enough. Learn the keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop. I cannot stress enough how much time this will save you. It doesn’t take long. Here’s how to do it quickly. Each time you go to click on a tool or menu item. Look at the short cut and then use it instead of clicking. The items you use a lot you will learn in a very shot time.

Once again I’ve gotten long winded here. Feel free to drop me a line with questions. For those in the Phoenix area I do teach retouching with Photoshop.


Orcatek Photography - Phoenix, Arizona

Photography - How to Succeed Part III

This is the third part on succeeding as a photographer. The question I am always getting is what equipment and tools should I buy. Canon or Nikon is coming out with a new whiz-bang gizmo, should I buy it? In short, probably not. I am not going to recommend brands, because as long as you stick to the major manufacturers it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference in the long run.

First off are cameras. The body you choose depends on what you will actually be shooting. Shooting action sports a camera with decent frame rate should be considered. Also read up on focus speed and tracking. Portraits low light may be important, so look at noise levels for these images. In the end a lot of photographers choose a camera which does well in both areas, but isn’t the best at any. Another option is two cameras, one suited for each style.

Eventually you will want to have two cameras. As a professional you need to have a back-up available. In the beginning I suggest renting your back-up camera until revenues justify owning a second. Also remember your back-up does not need to be the same model as your primary. A lower end camera can work fine.

Which brand of camera should you use? If you know other photographers, using the same brand could be beneficial. You have the ability to possibly borrow a lens for flash in an emergency if you use the same gear. Also you will have someone to ask questions.

Lenses are another area of debate. A prime vs. zooms is the one of the biggest questions. Primes almost always give better results than zooms. But in the real world, it can be very difficult to tell if you have good zooms. The most important thing is to buy good lenses. You will have them for a long time, whereas camera bodies in the digital world have become consumables unfortunately. Again, rent the specialty lenses as you need them.

Lighting completes the picture. Reflectors and bounce cards are your friend. Learn to use them and you will need fewer lights. If you are shooting outside the studio you need a good on camera flash. Lots of modifiers are available read reviews and get one you like, or make one. Also the ability to use your flash off camera will come in handy, so consider this as a future upgrade – brackets with cords or wireless remotes for longer distances.

In studio you can do a lot with just two lights, especially with the use of reflectors and a few modifiers. Umbrellas are the lowest cost for starters, but softboxes tend to be the favorites. Get some decent stands and some sandbags to keep the lights from falling over. Once again look at wireless remotes. Some lights have them built-in. Again this equipment can be rented as needed when you are starting out.

In fact renting a studio is a good idea when starting. A studio is a huge overhead. Many studios rent to other photographers, and some cities have studios that only exist for rental purposes.

Insurance is probably one of the most important items that photographers overlook. You need to not only insure your equipment, but also have liability insurance. You may be able to add onto your home owner’s policy when you start out.

The biggest equipment area is spending. Don’t buy until you can justify with revenue. If you don’t manage your money, there will be no money to manage.

Next week I will continue this discussion and talk about computers, software and organizations.

Orcatek Photography - Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix Area Photograph Studio Rental

Photography - How to succeed part 2

Last week I wrote about providing the clients what they want. Today I am going to spend some time going over another key area in being a successful photographer – working with your clients during the shoot. If you shy and want to hide behind your camera, shooting people is not where you should be. But photographing products, nature or architecture may be a better area for you to specialize.

Unless you are shooting a professional model, most people need direction to create a photograph that they will love. You will even hear the person say “I hate having my photo taken” or “I’m not very photogenic.” Getting to the root cause of these thoughts will help you create the images desired.

I go for the direct approach by asking “What makes you feel that you are not photogenic?” or “Why do you hate having your photo taken?” Very often their answers will be easily addressed during the session. Sometimes it just creative posing and other times it is going for the less staged portrait. The key is to understand their concern and relieve it.

To get natural smiles I have a running dialog during the shoot, telling really bad jokes and general being a bit silly. Sometimes I talk about movies or TV. Just find an interest of theirs and talk about it. This will take them away from thinking about the photos and get them relaxed enough to create great photographs.

You may have seen that commercial where the dad says “I know all the songs from High School Musical.” The child is embarrassed by the singing and dancing dad. But by being aware of the world of your subject you can relax them. Shoot younger kids know Sponge Bob. You get the idea.

Another thing to consider is shooting with music. Have clients bring an mp3 player of their favorite songs to patch into the sound system. If they don’t bring one, ask what station they want on the radio.

And of course, getting feedback as soon as possible helps so much. Some photographers hate showing the clients the LCD. I find that limited use can be a huge benefit. Nothing works more to put a client at ease then showing them a great shot on the LCD.

And of course a running commentary on the shots helps too. I am always saying “Wow!” or “Amazing!” or “This is a great shot” etc. Your positive chatter boosts your client. And the best part is, you should being telling the truth. These are great shots of the client.

So what it comes down to is making the client feel comfortable. You need to remove the stress and make the photography session a fun experience. You need to very quickly develop a relationship with the client. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with a lot of very successful photographers and thoughts are common across the group.

Orcatek Photography - Phoenix

Photography - How to succeed

How to succeed as a photographer is a question that I am frequently asked. Typically people want to know what kind of camera the need, or what Photoshop tools to use. The answer I give often surprises them.

First learn how to take a good photograph. The take an art class and learn composition and color. Then get a basic understanding of how to control light. Finally learn how to use your camera in manual mode. Now you can take photographs, but this will not make you successful, merely qualified to be a photographer.

To be a successful photographer you need to know how to work with your clients. Being able to read their needs and desires for a photography session is critical. If you merely meet their needs, they won’t leave happy. You want happy customers, as they come back and they also send you referrals.

Being successful is not about up selling your clients into huge portraits. Sure you make a profit, but you don’t build confidence. Sell a client what they really want, not necessarily what they ask for, and they will be very happy.

For example when a client comes for a portrait session I will ask what they plan to do with the photograph. Are they going to need prints for family and friends? Where in the home will the photograph be hung and how large is the space. This allows me to suggest the proper size for the space, typically larger than they thought, but on occasion smaller.

For the friends and family prints I discuss with them the option of acquiring digital files to print themselves or I can do the prints if they would prefer the convenience and quality control. Most clients will get the “important” prints done by me and use the digital file for email and secondary prints.

Providing the client with what they want is only a small part of being a successful photographer. Next week I will continue with part II on this topic.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix

Automobile and Motorcycle Studio Photography

Motorcycle or photography in the studio presents some interesting challenges. For this week I will take a look at some of the many options for dealing with these details.

First of all cars are big and don’t move easily to “adjust their pose”. Motorcycles are a bit simpler to photograph as they can move easier, but cars or trucks are just a whole lot of work. Careful planning is required.

The first thing you need is a studio that has enough space to hold the car and allow you to get far enough away to shoot it. If the photographer is too close you will need to use your wide angle lens leading to shots where the vehicle will have a huge front end for example. Sometimes this look can be what you want, but more often than not, it is problematic. I prefer to be a good 20 or more feet to keep proportions correct.

For moving the car around the studio, car wheel dollies are great. One goes under each tire and you can jack it up then basically push the car in any direction that you want, even spin it in a circle. They are not a cheap tool, but if you shoot a lot of cars, they are well worth the investment.


Lighting is another key. You need a large soft light from above for most automotive work. Since I shoot on white, I have painted my light stands and cords white to hide them in reflections. Nothing more annoying than a beautiful white highlight on a car with a light stand jumping out at you.

The other most difficult thing to deal with is reflections. The whole automobile is one great big mirror. Chrome on motorcycles can be even worse. And of course the classic black hot rod looks great, but shows everything. A very clean studio area is critical. Anything that must remain should be pushed as far away as possible from the car. This includes yourself and your assistants.

I actually have my assistants step off set behind a wall in my studio. I wear black to help hide my reflection. Another reason for keeping the photographer to automobile distance large during the shoot, is that it makes the reflections much smaller and easier to deal with in post.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. And if you are in the Phoenix area, I do rent my studio to other photographers.

Orcatek Automotive and Motorcycle Photography

Couples Fine Art for the Boudoir

When a couple comes to my studio for a boudoir session, they often don’t really know exactly what they want other than they would like to pose together. So the first thing I like to show them as a photographer is some of my couple’s fine art nude work.

Very often the fine art nude style is something they hadn’t considered but are very interested in doing some. They describe these types of photographs as “classy”, something they could actually display in their home for others to see.

Creating complimenting shapes with couples does present some extra challenges. You now have two bodies which you need to protect modesty. Additionally they both may have some physical attributes which they would prefer to be managed. However with careful posing and lighting, the photographer can create photographs which anybody would be proud to display in their home.

One method photographers like is to intertwine the bodies of the man and women, wrapping arms and legs into a twisted puzzle. I shoot tight, often making in a challenge to identify the body part owner’s in the photograph.

Another technique it to compare or contrast the same body part. Chests, backs and rears are all great choices for this style of photograph.

Fine art nudes are not typically thought of as boudoir by many, but adding them to the styles available to boudoir photography clients provides an opportunity for couples to create photographs that are tasteful and beautiful.


Orcatek Boudoir and Glamour Photography – Phoenix, Arizona