Volunteers. Any interest in posing for portraits? Your time in exchange for prints as I as I experiment with new ideas for my portfolio...

I am looking for normal women willing to model for a few hours in exchange for prints. I provide the equipment, processing and printing and volunteers provide their time, ideas and a signed release so I may then use the pictures for my portfolio and other projects.

This arrangement is called "Time for Prints" (TFP). For legal reasons, models must be 18+ and sign a model release so I can use the photos. At this point, I am mostly interested in further developing my skills with elegant B&W and other romantic portraits, but I also am open to ideas from volunteers.

Read through the FAQ below and e-mail if you are interested or have any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where are you located?

I am located just south of Old Town Alexandria, VA (Washington DC metro area). To keep things simple, I am looking for volunteers within the DC area.

Do I have to have a 'super model' smile?

*chuckle* No, certainly not! Many people feel like they have a goofy or fake smile. A smile does not come natural to everyone. Instead, some people are more at ease with a smirk, straight face, serious look, far away romantic gaze, inquisitive stare, mischievous grin, sensual/alluring look or any number of other styles. I strive to be able to capture each differently, so 'super model' smiles are not required.

Why 18 years and older?

In order for me to use any photos on my web page or in a portfolio, I will need a signed model release form. To legally sign one, a person has to be 18 or older. Minors would require a parent or legal guardian to sign. I will do this with a parent bringing in a young child for baby pictures, but for regular portraits, I would prefer 18 or older.

Do I have to sign a release? What will you do with the pictures?

Yes. I can only use pictures if I have a signed release.
 
Typically I use them in my portfolio. Some are posted on-line, but some I keep only available as prints for clients to see in person. I also sell some photos through my on-line art gallery (which will be changing this spring). I will work with volunteers to limit some uses depending on the photos taken if necessary (see next question).

Do I have to release all of the pictures?

Not necessarily. I imagine some pictures which people may want done would be silly, of a personal nature, slightly risque or not very flattering in your eyes. We can certainly talk about these and exclude them from the release (see the Addenda at the bottom of the release). During a session, if I get all of the pictures I want and at the end someone says they want a picture with just a feather boa on, we could easily do that, and then list it as excluded from the release. I will not use any pictures someone is not happy with.
 
In some cases we could simply limit use of the pictures. For example, a picture may look good but you do not want it on the web, in which case I may ask to only use it in a portfolio so only prospective clients would see hard copies and they would not circulate. This is important for me to do as I continue to build a library of pictures I have done to be able to show potential clients and should be more acceptable for some pictures since they would not be posted to the web or anywhere public.

What type of experience do I need?

None... I expect fashion models will want to do sessions with fashion photographers who work in the modeling industry. I have a different focus and for this reason I prefer someone who is not in that business. My market is bridal and general portraiture, so I prefer the "house wife next door" type!
 
All I am looking for is a pretty face with a willingness to experiment. Someone with ideas of their own on what they would like to see would also be very helpful. Especially if you can bring pictures showing a style or pose you want done.

What does a volunteer get?

Volunteers will get an 8x10" print (or equivalent) for each hour of modeling, digital copies of the low resolution images provided in a web page on CD, plus the option of getting additional copies at reduced cost. These images may be used for non-commercial use. I am open to discuss different arrangements. This is just a starting point.

What equipment do you use?

I use Nikon D1x professional digital SLR's and a Mamiya 645, medium format professional film camera. I also have a full studio lighting set up with monolights, backdrops, variety of props, columns and accessories.
 
A digital camera provides a great ability for people to see how they are doing as we take the pictures. With a digital system, you see the pictures on a monitor as they are being taken. If something looks slightly out of place (strap, shadow, arm placement, etc), we examine the picture on the screen, correct the problem and try again. No more wondering "Did I blink?", "How was my smile?". Plus, this helps people relax and feel comfortable with a session as they see how well the pictures are turning out.

What about makeup?

It is easily possible to go overboard when doing makeup. If you want to look like yourself in your portraits, do your own make up essentially as you normally would. See the Portrait Tips page for information on some slight changes to make.

What other resources are there on the web for information about modeling, TFP and other good photographers?

I have quite a few sites I like for different reasons. Here is a partial list.
 
LightingMagic.com. Scott Smith's gallery of portrait, boudoir and wedding portraits is amazing. His use of light and colors makes for very vivid and artistic portraits. Click on the link for "Scott's Image Gallery" from the main menu. This is a great place to see a variety of different types of pictures.
 
MarkMendelsohn.com. This site has more traditional portraits compared to Scott Smith's.
 
VSPhotographers.com. This is a nice site with information on choosing color, clothing and accessories with pictures showing why some combinations look good and some do not. See the Making the Most and Fashion pages.
 
4arts.net. This site has extensive information on modeling and what professional photographers look for. This site also has a lot of information for anyone seriously looking to get into modeling and a quite a bit of advise for how to approach it. I highly suggest reading this so you have an idea of what normally is expected on TFPs. Keep in mind since I am doing this more for fun now than a full time job, my standards and abilities are not the same as his... In other words, I do not require C cup and all of the other measurements he does!
 
Here are some sites I just found on Yahoo and some sites which seem interesting:

How do I know you are not really an axe murder??

That is a good question! I have not figured out how to convince anyone I am not yet, but when you see me I think you will feel at ease. I look like a semi-normal, nice clean cut 30-something guy, although to be honest, I do not like any pictures of myself. Not because I am afraid someone will recognize me from a wanted poster at the US Post Office! Just because I am one of those who is white as a ghost, has a fake looking smile and just does not like my own picture... Yet I enjoy being a photographer, go figure! *chuckle*

I am interested... What is the next step?

If you are interested, feel free to e-mail and let me know what you are interested in. Please include a picture or web site where I can find one. If our schedules match, I would like to first meet to go over expectations and find out more about what you want and what I could use you for. This may not be a good match for everyone and it would be better to find out ahead of time. I would like to then discuss the release and be available to answer all of your questions.
 

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to e-mail. Thank you,

Ray@Bowers.com

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