How to Instruct Non-Professional Models as a Photographer

Photography Tips

Working with professional models is always a breeze. It’s fascinating to see how easily they can strike beautiful poses. But what if you’re working with a non-professional model, or one who’s just getting started? In this case it becomes your responsibility to ensure that neither you nor the model end up getting frustrated. In today’s interesting video, photographer Irene Rudnyk shares her top five tips for working with non-professional models:

A rule of thumb when working with non-professional models is to always start with the easy poses and save the difficult ones for the end. That’s because the model will need some time to get used to posing in the beginning. And once they’re all warmed up, the boost in confidence will encourage them to strike poses more effortlessly.

“Encouragement is very important, especially for non-professional models.”

As the photographer, you’ll have a crucial role to play so that the session proceeds as smoothly as possible. Refrain from remaining quiet. Instead, be vocal and point out great poses the model makes. And if the pose isn’t working, politely let them know. Also, don’t make the mistake of only directing the model constantly without giving any feedback. You can notice in the video how Rudnyk constantly communicates and provides feedback to the model.

On the same note, put an active effort to make the work environment as fun-filled and friendly as possible. This will allow the model to open up more easily.

If you have a session planned with a non-professional model, you must watch this video. It will definitely help you and your model to derive the best results from the session.