# How to approach someone?



## UUilliam (Jul 18, 2009)

I am just back from a holiday in Southport (not so sunny )
There was about half a dozen Very photogenic young ladies and many more that looked beautiful
Now i dont want to seem like a creep running up to people and being like, "Can i take your photograph? your stunning."

So my question is... how would you approach these people, when i say they were Photogenic i really mean it, i would be surprised if model agencies hadn't picked them up
They were actually the perfect models, no flaws (except one's face was a little shiny but that can be fixed with some talc)
and the other 2 were fine!
yes yes.. so maybe i had a "Little" crush on them (they were about 18 - 22 or so they looked)
but they were great looking models too.


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## 03civicdx (Jul 18, 2009)

UUilliam said:


> (they were about 18 - 22 or so they looked)


ask for ID first most 14-16 yr olds look 18-22 now 

 but i would just ask them if they have ever thought about modeling and go from there. you cant be scared to talk to them because they look good


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## UUilliam (Jul 18, 2009)

nah im pretty sure they were 18+ lol well atleast 2 of 3 were anyway 
Their assets were... too perfect
the 3rd was likely 17+
i myself am 16 but it is mainly the Fashion / Glamor side of photography i would like to get into as i enjoy photo re-touching and love expressing my creativity via life models, architecture, while it has it pros, seems a little bit boring to me, whereas model photography is a little more dynamic


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## bitteraspects (Jul 18, 2009)

ahh, kids... to be young and naive. lol.

anything you have the e-balls to say here online, you could have just as easily walked up and said to the girls. if your intentions are purely of an artistic nature, then you shouldn't come off as a "creep". and even if your intentions weren't so pure... all they can say is no. and if that's the case... move on. 
its ok. youre young. eventually you will learn that girls are nothing to be scared of. :lmao:


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## ThornleyGroves (Jul 18, 2009)

if i were you, cos im 17, and into fashion photography too, i'd approach them say, 'hey i am studying photography and taking pictures of many ladies like yourself to boost up my experience and portfolio, and i was wondering if you ever considered getting some semi-pro shots done then i would be more than welcome to get some for you!' and im sure it'll be a positive answer!


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## musicaleCA (Jul 18, 2009)

I approach people all the time for shots. Presenting yourself in a professional, focused manner immediately garners some respect from your potential subject. Don't stutter, speak clearly, don't mumble, and look directly at the person's eyes (or focus on the bridge of their nose if that's uncomfortable for you). Doing so will make you appear confident in what you're doing, which can put people at ease. (I've noticed that if I stutter or get tripped up on my words at all, people are much more difficult to convince. Take it slow.)

Get them to sign a model release. This adds more professionalism to the exchange, which in turn tends to make people feel more comfortable. They also will see that you're serious about what you're doing when you ask for a model release. (One saxophonist I shot on the street was pretty thrilled that I had stopped, shot, and then asked for a release, instead of just moving on.)

Don't bombard them with information. Introduce yourself "Excuse me. Hi, my name is <name>." Shake their hand if body language permits (this can be harder to judge without experience, but is something that can be learnt). "I'm studying photography." or "I'm working on a project." or "I'm looking to expand my portfolio." Choose one, and stick to it. Share a bit of yourself and they will be more likely to share some of themselves with you. Then ask if they would be okay with you taking their portrait. ("Portrait", as opposed to "picture", comes-off as "hey, they know what they're talking about.") Ask if they would be willing to sign a model release afterwards. If they ask why, tell them the truth&#8212;it will let you use the images as part of your work. If they ask how you'll be using them, be completely open and honest. If you're putting them online, say so. If it's just for your port or a project, say so. This will make them feel more comfortable.

If they ask something like "You won't put my face on some porn, will you?": Explain to them that while a model release lets you use the image, they still keep a moral right to the photos, meaning that you can't use the image for any purpose that they would morally object to.

Finally, when you're done shooting them, make sure you give them a business card where they can contact you. I find that it's great to offer to send them some of the images in an email if they write their email on the release. If you're putting the images online, be sure the card has that URL on it. The more lines of communication you open up with them, the better. I've met MUA's, potential models, and even another photographer this way.


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## KmH (Jul 18, 2009)

UUilliam said:


> I am just back from a holiday in Southport (not so sunny )
> There was about half a dozen Very photogenic young ladies and many more that looked beautiful
> but they were great looking models too.


 
Amazing as it may seem not every attractive person, male or female, is photogenic and some quite less than attractive people are very photogenic.

Photogenic means a lot more than just looks. Some people just can't relax or look natural in front of a camera, and it shows.

MusicaleCA hit a homerun on how to approach someone though I usually lead with the business card along with the hello. I don't shoot anyone until they have signed my model release. With women, I don't look them directly in the eye, for many of them, that's creepy and/or aggressive, but I don't hang my head and look at the ground either.

Be prepared to modify a release if a subject you really want to shoot balks at a clause. I go over the release with them, before they sign. I started carrying the Getty Images model and property releases this last spring. I figure if it's good enough for Getty's lawyers....and it looks professional. I add my business name.

When I go out to shoot on spec, I always wear a polo shirt that has my business name embroidered on it. That also helps a lot with credibility.

I'm an older guy so I also wear on of those ole fuddy-duddy vests that have a bazillion pockets (it's embroidered too). The big pocket in the back is where I stash 15 or so releases in a big ziplock bag and I always make sure I have at least 3 ink pens and a small tablet of blank paper to make additional notes.

Don't forget breath mints.


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## bitteraspects (Jul 18, 2009)

KmH said:


> Don't forget breath mints.



QFT!


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## c.cloudwalker (Jul 18, 2009)

Since you're only 16, there's a good chance that you will be seen as a horny teenager by many of these "older" women 

But don't despair! Here's my technique for asking women to pose nude for me which should work just fine for you as long as you don't ask them to remove their clothes. By the way, about 1 out of 3 women said yes.

I always carried a mini portfolio with me no matter where I went. One never knows... So, when I saw a woman I thought would look good in my photos (and here I have to agree 100% with KmH: a good looking woman does not necessarily mean a good looking model) I would say: "Hi! I'm a photographer and I would be interested in doing some work with you" and I would show them my mini portfolio which was all nudes.

They knew right away that I was not just some flake. Now, my portfolio was not porn. It was artsy nudes and it was high quality photos.


But I know you are wondering where this portfolio came from. Very simple. Nude or clothed does not matter. 16 or mid 20s does not matter either. You start with friends.

Two reasons for that: 1/ friends are easier to talk into posing for you. And 2/ friends will put up with a lot more of you not knowing what it is you're doing until you get some decent enough photos to stick in that portfolio.

Cheers!


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## Grace Mendoza (Jul 19, 2009)

I'm not sure if photography is something you are pursuing or for a hobby, but either way if this is something you do often I would get business cards. Once you have business cards it makes it easier to approach somebody without seeming like a creep who wants a random photo. If/once you have business cards you can approach somebody with it, start small conversation if it will make the person more comfortable, and voila. 

If the business cards aren't in your 'to do' list any time soon, the 'I'm a photography student' approach works too.

Best wishes.

- Grace


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## musicaleCA (Jul 19, 2009)

c.cloudwalker said:


> But I know you are wondering where this portfolio came from. Very simple. Nude or clothed does not matter. 16 or mid 20s does not matter either. You start with friends.



Ding, ding, ding! Here's a cookie.


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## Baaaark (Jul 19, 2009)

So what if you do come off as a creep?  Its not like you know them.

You'd be surprised what you can get away with when you actually TRY to get away with it.


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## Big Mike (Jul 20, 2009)

Another method/technique is to take a more passive approach.  For example, when you see someone that you would like to shoot, say hello and hand them your card.  Either a business card or a special card made up for this purpose.  If you can spark up a short conversation, that will help a lot, but the idea is that you don't pressure them at all.  You let them know you are interested and leave them with your contact info.  If they are interested, they will check out your website, so make sure it's a good one.  
I'm sure the 'hit rate' is lower but you can easily hand out a lot of cards.  

Either way, the most important thing is to be confident and professional.

Also: I've moved this to the Shop Talk section as it doens't belong in the Gallery.


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## KmH (Jul 20, 2009)

Baaaark said:


> So what if you do come off as a creep? Its not like you know them.
> 
> You'd be surprised what you can get away with when you actually TRY to get away with it.


Wow! You're going to have a great career as a photographer. :thumbup:


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## msf (Jul 21, 2009)

Im just wondering what the point of this would be.  for some it would be the opportunity to take the pictures of pretty girls.  for others, it might be to add to your portfolio.  I wonder what business/financial benifits this could lead to.  Hoping they like the pictures so much, they want to buy some?


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## msf (Jul 21, 2009)

musicaleCA said:


> Don't stutter, speak clearly, don't mumble, and look directly at the person's eyes (or focus on the bridge of their nose if that's uncomfortable for you). Doing so will make you appear confident in what you're doing, which can put people at ease. (I've noticed that if I stutter or get tripped up on my words at all, people are much more difficult to convince. Take it slow.)



Its easier said than done when you tell soemone not to stutter. : )



musicaleCA said:


> Don't bombard them with information. Introduce yourself "Excuse me. Hi, my name is <name>." Shake their hand if body language permits (this can be harder to judge without experience, but is something that can be learnt). "I'm studying photography." or "I'm working on a project." or "I'm looking to expand my portfolio." Choose one, and stick to it.


 
Thanks for this, I dont always know what to say in situations like this, but I like that intro.


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## UUilliam (Jul 21, 2009)

msf said:


> Im just wondering what the point of this would be.  for some it would be the opportunity to take the pictures of pretty girls.  for others, it might be to add to your portfolio.  I wonder what business/financial benifits this could lead to.  Hoping they like the pictures so much, they want to buy some?



Well for me it was to put towards a portfolio and gain Experience


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## musicaleCA (Jul 21, 2009)

Personally, I like doing it just for kicks. I'm not busy making money yet, and it's a chance for me to practise. And any practise is good practise.



msf said:


> musicaleCA said:
> 
> 
> > Don't stutter, speak clearly, don't mumble, and look directly at the person's eyes (or focus on the bridge of their nose if that's uncomfortable for you). Doing so will make you appear confident in what you're doing, which can put people at ease. (I've noticed that if I stutter or get tripped up on my words at all, people are much more difficult to convince. Take it slow.)
> ...



Oh yeah, I totally get that. It's the same issue, psychologically speaking, that some people have speaking publicly. You're talking to a stranger; mentally, you have a whole host of things that they could be thinking to wonder about, many negative. When you know the people, one tends to think about the possibilities of them thinking negatively about you less. That leads to nervousness and tripping over one's speech. The key is to relax, and mix in a little apathy for good measure (at least for the time you're speaking; after the fact it's good to care about being a better speaker).


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## AlexNeo (Aug 25, 2009)

Some of these people will ask for $$$...How to answer them?


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## msf (Aug 25, 2009)

Heres a similiar question to the OP'ers.

Im going to a car show eventually, possibly this week or next.  I would like to offer my photographic services to the car owners, but I am terrible at small talk until I get to know someone, and im not good at coming up with the opening statement for this sort of thing.

Can anyone give me some advice what to say?

I was thinking something like "Hello, this is a great car, blah blah blah.  My name is blah blah and I was wondering if you would like some portraits taken of your car?  *handing them my business card as I ask*.  If I had a portfolio of car shots, I would show them, but at this time, I dont.

Should I try to encourage them to schedule an appointment to take pictures of their car at another day/time?  Or should I try to do it right then and there?  I havent been to to many car shows, but the cars are normally parked close to each other, with a ton of people walking around.  Problem wtih scheduling on another day is some of these people dont want their car outside if theres any chance of rain, so it might be hard to schedule a day, they may keep cancelling and trying again for better weather conditions, in the mean time Ive lost another booking time slot.


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## PhilGarber (Aug 25, 2009)

musicaleCA said:


> Don't stutter,



Damnit. That one is a bit of a brick wall for me.


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## PhilGarber (Aug 25, 2009)

msf said:


> Its easier said than done when you tell soemone not to stutter. : )



A fellow stutterer? PM me. No need to hijack the thread.


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## c.cloudwalker (Aug 25, 2009)

AlexNeo said:


> Some of these people will ask for $$$...How to answer them?



That's very easy as there are only two possibilities.

1/ You want to shoot them for portfolio/art, in which case you are not getting paid and the answer is: "I'm sorry, I do not make any money off of those so I can only pay with prints." And make sure you model release reflects this.

2/ You have a place to sell the photos and you need to pay the model. So know how much you will pay ahead of time.

To be honest, for case #1 it has never been a problem. Rarely been asked for money. I also usually told the potential models straight away that they would get prints in payment for their time.

If someone wants money, I just keep going. I was looking on ModelMayhem recently because I had a possibility for a shoot and I had to laugh. Most of the models I saw there saying they don't work for prints didn't even have much in the way of decent shots to show and some were not showing much talent as models. 

This is exactly like dating. Some will say yes, some will say no. It's a numbers' game. The more people you ask the more yeses you will get.


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## bigtwinky (Aug 25, 2009)

Not to echo too much of what has already been said, I have had success with finding a spot that is great for pictures and then approaching someone, and telling them the truth that I'm working on my portfolio and found a great place for a portrait but I need a model and ask if they wouldn't mind helping me out.

This can sometimes lead to more pictures than just the one, but it all comes down to acting in a confident and professional manner.


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## musicaleCA (Aug 25, 2009)

Indeed. Confidence is key. And HAH! I've never had anyone ask for money before when I'm just on the street. If they did I'd just say "Ah, that's too bad. Bye."


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## JerryPH (Aug 25, 2009)

I was out and about in Old Montreal recently and talking to a couple of other photographers who were wondering how to approach a group of young ladies.

I just took a snap of them snapping away and left the camera up to my face until they noticed me:







Then I just showed them the above shot and asked if I could take a couple of individual and group shots... which they just fell into poses for me!











I have just started to carry some simple home made cards with nothing more than my name, email and flickr account address on it and told them that the could see their pics there within 1-2 days.  I was also clear that at ANY time they were free to tell me immediately to delete the pic from my camera or off line and I would be more than happy to.

I don't know what the difficulty is.


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## JerryPH (Aug 25, 2009)

AlexNeo said:


> Some of these people will ask for $$$...How to answer them?



You thank them kindly and move on.  I never had anyone ask me for money to take their shot.


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## musicaleCA (Aug 25, 2009)

JerryPH said:


> AlexNeo said:
> 
> 
> > Some of these people will ask for $$$...How to answer them?
> ...



Must be an American thing.  (Seriously, I can't believe that people would demand money. You're a random on the street, likely with no modelling experience, and you want to be _paid_? Get real. :lmao: )


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