Modeling for fine art photography projects could be both challenging as well as very liberating if you are serious about getting into this niche. From my personal experience, it is a tough niche and not everyone would either like it or find it rewarding enough to continue for a long period of time.
For those artists new to modeling for fine arts photographers, these 5 tips could help you be successful in this field. I have given these same advice to new comers over the years and they seem to work out very well for models in the long run.
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Tip 1 – Know what to expect artistically as well as financially
Fine art modeling is quite different from many other type of assignments like runway modeling, modeling for advertising, modeling for product marketing and many times even fashion photography. Fine art nude modeling, like so, is quite different too. Most fine art photographers like to work with new models just to avoid the stereotype poses and designs.
And unlike the rest success in fine art modeling, nude or otherwise, is rather dependent on the model’s personality first and secondly the skills. Fine art photographers prefer not to give too many directions & depends largely on the model’s personal approach to the theme.
The commercial aspects fine art photography is completely different from those of commercial photography. Models should not expect payments like they should when modeling for fashion, erotic or other types of modeling assignments.
It is not that fine art photographers do not want to pay, its just that the creative process is rather slow & experimental and it could become extremely costly for artistic photographers to explore their creativity when burdened with a high cost.
Fine Art Modeling Tip 2 – Choosing the right type of (nude) modeling job
While nudity could be artistically explored, it could also become quite wild and distasteful in the hands of the wrong person with the camera. I always advice new models to try and become familiar with the photographer’s work first before agreeing for any type of shooting.
For a new model, its absolutely essential to understand the photographer’s philosophy, the purpose of the shooting and decide whether the photographer can be trusted to do a good job with the time.
Sometimes fine arts photographers shoot in general while at other times they work on themes. I work on my own fine arts projects which are well thought out before I start looking for a fine art model who could fit my specific requirements for my project. I always ask my models lots of questions and I encourage them to ask as many questions to give them enough information to decide their figment.
Fine Art Modeling Tip 3 – Collaborating with the photographer
The two most important factors that make any fine art project successful & rewarding are creative imagination & openness to possibilities. These require the photographer & the model to collaborate meaningfully throughout the shoot and be able to critique their compositions, lightings and designs for improvements.
Fine arts is an extremely broad domain and there could be nothing wrong about any specific approach. However, such collaborations require time, patience and dedication. For models who cannot afford to spend as much time & effort on these projects, will find this process frustrating and very less rewarding financially.
In addition to that, especially if you are a new to nude photography, building a trusted relationship with your photographer is extremely important. Without that trust neither will be able to relax & open their minds up for a long creative process.
Fine Art Modeling Tip 4 – Excelling in your project
It takes preparations, hard work & luck to excel in anything in life. To excel in fine arts modeling one also needs to have a lot of courage & a great deal of imagination. But once you do, there would be no looking back. Success in this area is very subjective and if this is what you really want, each small success will be big inspiration to you.
Unfortunately, it is hard to find great fine art photographers, great themes & projects and equally hard to find the right model. One thing I recommend to new models is during these lean times when you are not occupied with too many projects, keep learning from other artists & photographers.
Read articles tagged Opium of Art to provide you with compelling fine art photographers & creative artists & authors. If you have newer ideas, browse them with your photographer, even though you two may not be working on any project together. It is important to keep the creative juices flowing for you to provide you with the intellectual nourishment you need to keep moving ahead.
Fine Art Modeling Tip 5 – Reviewing your work.
An essential part of the collaborative creative process is to review the work together. Often debate the choices and see if there are any ways to improve upon the composition, frame, lights etc.
I would shoot for a couple of weeks straight and then not look at the images for several weeks to avoid tunneling. Once I start processing them, I would shortlist a handful and ask for comments & critics from my model. This process takes a couple of weeks. Once we agree on a set of images, I would then send it out to a few of my colleagues who are expert fine artists for their reviews.
Reviews help to refine thoughts and provide us with numerous opportunities to improve. Sometimes the review comments could hurt, but that is what we want – hit us where it hurts so that we grow stronger.
Bonus Tip to Succeed in Fine Art Modeling Business
Here is the bonus and probably the best tip for new fine art models – keep pushing yourself & do not give up quickly. Treat yourself like a true artist and believe in yourself. Be the creative artist that you always wanted to be & work on as many projects with the right photographers as you can.
Fine art modeling is difficult, probably more difficult in many ways than walking down the ramp or making a pose for fashion photos. It requires you to bring your inherent personality to the forefront, see your own flaws, shoot your imaginations through the roof, work without much recognition or credits and depend completely on your own inner strengths to source your inspiration.