Tips On Directing Young & Inexperienced Models

There's a rather good channel over on YouTube that's bursting with photography tutorials that are designed to help you capture better portraits. The channel's called dphog and in their latest tutorial, shown above, their focus is on how you as a photographer can make the shoot for new models a much more comfortable and enjoyable experience. 

The most important point that comes from the tutorial is that the photographer must have a good rapport with the model and unlike most relationships that take weeks or months to develop, you must have the skills to be able to do this at an accelerated pace. The tutorial suggests that the best way to do this is with a conversation and a lengthy one at that. Ask to see photos they've had taken previously and show them your work, show an interest in their career and if they're particularly young, have a bit of a laugh with them about what their parents think about their chosen career path. All of these are good icebreakers that also help set a tone for the rest of the day so conversation becomes a 2-way street. 

Another important point covered in the tutorial is boundaries as everyone has them and you don't want to make your model feel uncomfortable by overstepping them so do ask them what they're comfortable / not comfortable with. Also, be respectful, honest and don't forget to have fun. 

For more tips on working with a professional model, have a look at this posing tutorial with a twist.