How to get a model to pose for you (and where to find one).

Many amateurs ask me where I find the models, how much they charge, how to convince them to pose for free (that partially answers question #2).

Here is a guide to finding, convincing and working with models.

First of all, notice that I said working with, not hitting on, flirting or hooking up with models. This has to be very clear in your mind: if you want to obtain results and get people to work with you again, you must be professional. This implies that you are very clear with your motivations: I've met too many males self proclaimed photographers thinking "what a great opportunity to get hot chicks undressing at my place". Yes photography is in a way voyeurism and contemplation, but it's because it remains within the artistic frame (of the photographic activity) that it is interesting.

If you think you can hide your true intentions, well you're a fool. Experienced models can recognize a chancer (i.e some guy who'll make a move "just in case").

One more thing to keep in mind : models share opinions, list bad photographers etc. Quickly you'll only be able to hire only new comers, younger naive girls since the savvy ones will have blacklisted you.

If you think this is a dating activity, give up photography and buy this book. Then get a life.

1/ Where to get started?
This being said, let's start by the main site that I use : www.modelmayhem.com . It's free (of course some pay-to options but they are not essential), and you can search by geographic location. There are many more site, depending on your country, but I found them all either outdated (unactive models) or a little spammy. Modem Mayhem (or MM) is as far as I know the best. Its forums are pretty rich too.

An other option consists in asking around. We all know a girl that would look great and would be happy or flattered to help. However, the "hot chick" is not always the good model around you. Ask someone you sort of tested for her photogenic quality (by taking a few pics at some occasion).

I would recommend trying friends first for one reason : you want your first hired model pics to be useful and convincing to others. Friends are great because you can try more, still have a good time with them, no one 's wasting its time.

2/ The Importance of a good portfolio.
Now the most important thing: your portfolio. You will have models asking for you if you have a portfolio in which they want to be. There are as many photographic desires as there are models. A fetish model is likely to look at completely different portfolios than a catwalk / fashion model. Just do what you like to do as a photographer, and look for girls who share your sensitivity.

If you force a fetish model into a classic fashion shoot, she'll be bored and unable to use it in her portfolio. Pointless.

Back to the portfolio: a very clean professional looking site will help a lot. Why? because it means that you are serious enough about it to spend time & money on a nicely done site. Remember to only show your best work, even if it means only 15 photos on the site.

At this stage, I usually just need to say Hi and send my site URL to get an agreement, my work speaks for me.

3/ Asking strangers
Sometime you see the one girl in the street, in a shop, that would be fantastic. What you need there is a way to make a impression quick: a business card is more that recommended, same idea as the site.
It will be easier if you are a lady photographer of course, since the girl won't think it's a cheap trick. I personally only had one girl accepting to share her contact information, when I asked her with my GF around. It does help.

I asked that lady when buying from the store she works in. My GF backed me up :)

4/ What if you do want to shoot nude?
I've only done very few nude photo shoots, but I got some sense of what to avoid. First of all, even if you're hiring a girl that advertises nude posing, avoid the direct approach. Show your work first, ask for her terms, then introduce the idea. Even if she states that she does it doesn't mean you can't be a gentleman about it. In the end she will get naked in front of you; the more you show a class attitude, the better.

Some girls don't give a flying fuck, they'll just ask for a price. Ok, whatever.

In many cases for an amateur, it's better to work with the girl once, make her happy with both the shots and your attitude, then ask again.

If the model specifies she does not shoot nude, don't ask, she put it for a reason.

A few more things:

• Have a clean room where she can change with a door that locks. 
• Make her sign a right release contract. So both of you clearly know what they can / can't do with the pics.
• During the photo shoot: don't stare like you've never seen boobies before. Please. You can look carefully when framing anyway, so once again, behave like a gentleman. Even if the girls seems to be playful, she is playing with the camera, not you. 
• Always accept if she wants to bring a friend, suggest it actually, but prefer someone who is not 
• the boyfriend or the dad, they might interfere for no reason (I've had a BF on a band shooting acting like he was the freaking artistic director)
• 4 of them. They will be the dominating group of your workspace. 1 friend is enough.

5/ Should you pay?
It depends : can you ? what do you want?
If you're a pro, of course you'll pay. It's a job, you pay for assets and raw material. You might not pay only if she is no one and you are Ryan Mc Ginley and you're doing her a favor.

If you're an amateur, well you can pay if you are rich, or for nude / erotic shots, but otherwise you should be able to agree of a TPF kind of job. TFP = time for prints.

I'll be very clear here : not every one has talent. If you do, you won't have to pay amateur models because the shots they get from you are valuable. 
If you suck and persist, you might have to pay more often than desired.

How much? I've seen girls asking from $30/hour up to $200/hour (like my former flatmate who was doing runway modeling for Valentino, without being a super star model).
For nude, many will ask for at least 200 a session.

Product review: Mamiya RZ67 pro II

Booya ! After the Canon Power Shot S90 / S95 review, time to go back to some hardcore gear an review an ol' classic yet still one of the finest machines around: the Mamiya RZ67, in it's proII version as it is one of the most recent (1995,  the 67D is the same but with less cabling to connect a digital back was introduced in 2004).

Who is this camera aiming at: 
Studio or photo shoot set up enthusiasts, aiming at ultimate picture quality, and I would say mostly portraits. It can do good at landscape but the widest available lens is a 50mm, wich correspond +/- to a 24mm on a 35mm full frame. I know there is a 18mm equivalent lens produced, but I've never seen one on the second hand market. So not the widest. A Mamiya 7 will be a better landscape camera, or a Pentax 67II, or a Fuji 680. An other reason why it's not for landscapes and street / candid shots : it's a tank. I mean, it's 6 pounds or heavy metal, the size of a brick. Once I shot around Brooklyn with it, carrying it on my shoulder...never again. And most people in the street think it's a camcorder !

Long Story short:
For what it's aiming at, studio portraits, I can hardly think of a better camera. It is considered as such by the profession. You can also adapt a digital back if you can afford it.

Image samples far below in the end.

Many use Hasselblads but I prefer the 6x7 format, it gives you a little more flexibility in framing than square, and mostly, you can just crop your 6x7 into a 6x6 if you want square. I also believe the 110mm f2.8 lens that comes with the Mamiya is exceptional.
Rolleiflex cameras are has good but you can't find them for less that $1500, when the Mamiya + the 110mm lens will be around for $900 in mint condition. FYI it's $4500 brand new (67D version, i.e digital back ready)... In line with that Mamiya used lenses are cheap.

Once again if you are talented, any premium MF film camera will satisfy you equally, differences will be a matter of personal taste, regarding ergonomics etc.

Presentation and main accessories:
The camera body itself is a nearly square metal cube of about 12x12 cm. Lens goes front (duh ! winning!), at the back goes a rotatif 120 film back. You can turn it by 90 degree to go from landscape to portrait, which turns out to be of the highest convenience ! Believe me you won't rotate the camera, it' must be on a tripod.

On top goes a classic waist level finder, in which the image is of course flipped horizontaly. It's very clear, superbly convenient for framing. You can replace it by a prismfinder that includes metering, but you loose clarity and brightness, as well as the ability to stand over the camera. I prefer the waist level finder, and I meter with....the superb meter of the Nikon F5 :p

Focusing can be done on the left and right side of the camera by 2 rings, but the right side ring has a scaled secondary ring for precise focusing.

All of this is rock solid, never jams. I took a sand storm with the camera, and it is still very much alive.

Flash hot shoe is on the left side.

Shutter can be adjusted by half EV steps when the RZI could only be adjusted by full EV steps.

Max shutter speed is 1/400sec.

Image quality:
Mostly related to the lens, but still this camera helps you get superb results. Focusing requires a little attention, and moving subjects...well forget about moving subjects.
However, the 6X7 format will give you huge negatives from which you can print very large (I bet it can take a 2X2 meter print easy, the most I did is a2 and it's superb). I tried the 110mm and 50mm lens, they are both superb and cheap is bought used ($300).
This camera does not get in the way of your images, very few things to set up (it's fully manual), if you have the elementary/academic photography skills, it'll be your best friend. Also it impresses models who have only been shot by people using a DX DSLR :p

Pros:
Ratio performance / price on the second hand market: you won't get better images (unless you go large format), and for a ridiculous price. Your rich showy friend with his 5DmkII who decided to ignore film photography will keep wondering why his shots look so boring next to yours :) For $800/900 dollars, you get a camera that if it was a car, would be an Aston Martin.
Also, cheap lenses.

I forgot ! you can adapt a polaroid back too !

Cons
Bulky. If it was a vehicule, it would be an Aston Martin in regards to performance indeed, but it would be an M1 Abrams battle tank in regards to design...

Pulling the RZ67  of your bag in the street would be like taking that out of your garage...

No AF, no built in metering = 0 versatility. It's a studio camera. You can't only have this one. It sucks, but a sports car can't also be a van, and a van can't have the advantages of a sports car. Pick your fights.

6x7 means amazing images, but it also means only 10 shots per roll. 220 films is now a relic of the past and very hard to find.

Recommendation:
If you want subtile super high def top quality studio or set up portraits or still life, then get one. This camera is a standard among pros. It delivers brilliantly. If you get one as your first non digital camera, you reach a different world that will make you somehow hate your digital camera (though having both is best).

You might want to also consider the Pentax 67II. I haven't tried it with its main portrait lens, but you wouldn't go wrong either. However if you include price in the equation, the Mamiya wins (notice the Pentax is not more portable, it's an different type of tank, yet it's a tank).

Don't go for it if you're into landscapes, or as a main camera. It's too niche.

For landscapes get the Mamiya 6 or 7 (highly portable), or the Fuji 680 (An other military piece...).

For a more portable system (still no AF and metering) and even bigger negative and a great lens, look at the FUJICA GW 690. But you can't change the lens, it's built in.

Photo samples: