It's somewhat of a given among photographers that income correlates with skill. I guess that's true for pretty much everyone, but with photographers, skill usually is developed while working for free.
Now there's a lot of things I think that I do pretty well and am perfectly comfortable charging market prices for. But over the last year, I've sort of stumbled upon opportunities to photograph young models and actors, both male and female, and I'd discovered that I really love it! When you can get steady work with people who are comfortable (and skilled) in front of a camera, it helps you become a better photographer PLUS it helps you to coach regular people better who just want a nice photo made.
High-end fashion and glamour photographers make a bundle and are in great demand. That's not me. Yet. But with a half dozen model/actor sessions done in the last 9 months and six more scheduled in the next two months, I've found enough work to really ramp up my fashion/glamour skills. With a dozen sessions under my belt, it should be possible to take a portfolio to local ad agencies and to the Charlotte Fashion Week people and create some interest.
During such a self-imposed training program, it's important to keep costs under control. One way to do that is to use local models, who I can find by participating in some of the major modeling websites. And, while there are plenty of experienced models in my area (who work only for pay), there are a bunch of aspiring models who have some skill but need work as much and for the same reasons that I do, and thus are willing to work for portfolio images. It's a match made in Heaven!
Another area where you have to manage cost is hair and makeup. There are a lot of really skilled hair and makeup artists in our area (who work for pay). Here you have to be careful. If the model can do her own hair and makeup (and do it well!), we'll go with that in a heartbeat. But it's false economy to skimp on hair and makeup and end up with lackluster images.
And then there's model wardrobes. I've established relationships with two high-end women's clothing consignment shops who will let me borrow outfits for free. That was an idea I found in a book, but it's a real gem!
Getting help, in the form of an assistant, is getting to be critical but it can be expensive. I've recruited a couple of teenage girls who are interested anyway and who seem willing to pitch in on occasion for a little pocket money. It will be fun watching these young ladies grow into skilled assistants and perhaps even into second shooters or primary photographers themselves.
The last thing is location. I've always been strictly an on-location photographer, but most models don't have space where they live to do a nice session. So, I've found a 6-8 interesting outdoor locations near here AND I've sub-let some studio space (at the Studio on Main Street) where I can get in and work indoors. It's really wonderful to have a list of pre-arranged spaces to go and let models do their thing.
Don't expect to see me in New York, Los Angeles and Milan, at least this year. But as George Harrison said (I'm an old Beatlemaniac), "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." It's good to have a goal.
