<-> Sunday Bloody Sunday <->

Olga@Metropolitan Models

Hi everyone, and thanks for reading !

(Tip: Click onto my pictures to see what a difference it makes !)

This post is about modeling, so if you are an inspiring model read the following.

Here's what happened since last time I logged in:

- I shot many pictures

- I transformed my flat into an overcrowded photo studio moving all the furniture in a corner, much to my kitties amazement

- my cat peed on my favorite Diesel hoodie. Amen

- two models forgot their personalities in the other bag

- I passed out

- my boyfriend got mad at my stylist and yelled at her

- my doorkeeper got mad at my boyfriend and yelled at him

(and much more)

What I forgot to mention is that all of the above happened in one day, on October 12, a Sunday.

I planned to improve my portfolio with some pictures inspired by italian painter Modigliani, so I made sure I packed into my 35 square meters flat a stylist, two hairdressers, a makeup artist, seven models, an assistant, two cats, five luggages, a backdrop and myself.

Needless to say it was madness.

Ulla@Metropolitan Models

To make it all more interesting I made sure I felt sick the exact day of the shooting, so what you see here has been shot at 39°C plus seizures and a sexy bacterial infection. As Borat would say - Very Nice !

The stylist made also an important contribution to the climax of the shoot, showing up a whopping three hours late, chain-smoking and bitching and asking random questions to anything that moved - cats included.

Poor thing was complaining that there only was tub water, so she basically ordered a model to go get her a bottle somewhere. This is the point where I saw my boyfriend's "anger vein" getting bigger and pulsing - not a good sign, in case you are wondering.

Ophélie@Metropolitan Models

As for the models, here's my impressions:

Olga - an amazing girl. She moves like a dancer, she is nice and bubbly, a pleasure to work with. The kind of model that delivers the picture in ten frames; I would rebook her for anything. 

Ulla - she was rude at the beginning (she failed to come say hello to the photographer...), but when shooting she followed directions well and I love her unique features.

Ophélie - Incredibly shy, girl has hardly one expression. A very good one though.

Rose@Metropolitan Models

Olga

Rose - an incredibly versatile aussie, she is gradually forgetting all the bad catalguy-posing they taught her when she started out; I shot her for three different projects and she has definitely something unique that make you want to see her interpret different characters. Oh, and she looks so much like Nicole Kidman.

Birgit - A very pretty face, she could be a good model if she listened. Unluckily, she does not.

I looked throughout her film and all I saw was one expression, The German Milkmaid. I kept telling her what to do to no avail - poor thing has the attention span of a goldfish. This is the only acceptable shot I have of her.

Gauthier - The boy makes waves. He is so photogenic you might stare at your LCD for three minutes than leave the room screaming in Sanskrit.

He is also a sweetheart, and kept talking to me the way young children speak to professors. It definitely made me feel 15 years older but I'd forgive him even if he gave me STDs.

Did I mention this was his very first shoot? Unbelievable.

So here's the results of this shoot, tomorrow I'll start looking for a magazine interested in publishing these.

Thomas - a very nice boy, he is clever and follows directions well. Too bad I fainted while shooting him, so I was able to take only like ten pics of him before K.O. Seeing the photographer on the floor, Thomas thought it might be a good idea to pick up my Canon and shoot the girl. How very paparazzi of him.

Soon enough I'll tell you more about Rose Vickens, my new Muse, whose new book I'm signing almost enirely and I am oh-so-proud of this.

Yesterday we shot some more pictures for it, the brief of her agency being

"soft lighting, a more commercial look than in the rest of her book but not too commercial".

I will soon post these. 

In between, you can take a look at my new website - I'm still working on it but it is finally taking shape.

Gauthier@Studio KLRP

I have one more anecdote to tell you guys about modeling, the bottom line being

 "looking good does nothing if you don't make an impression"

I went to the boy's agency a couple of days ago to give their booker (the energetic Jurgen!) their pictures; while I was there I took the time to check out all the new composits and two boys stood out from the bunch in my opinion, Jesper and Carl;

Since I am preparing an upcoming men's editorial, I thought I might want to see these two in person and I realized that two out of the three guys talking to Jurgen right there were the boys I wanted to see. So I asked Jurgen to do an impromptu casting.

Jurgen called the boys back and introduced me; I couldn't help but notice the "who the hell is this girl supposed to be" look in their eyes.

The look changed from "WTF" to "I don't think so" the minute Jurgen said the word "photographer", and I know why: this comes from me looking younger than 28 and being a good looking female. I keep getting these kind of looks whenever I introduce myself as a photographer, so I learned to stess the adjective professional...

Oh, Olga! How graceful.

So the first guys hands me his book, I take it to the couch, look at the pics, take it back to the boy, grab the second book, bring it to the couch, give it back to the boy... Well, you got it.

They couldn't make it to the couch, introduce themselfs, shake my hand, tell me something about them, ask me about the shoot...  

Jurgen noticed this and being a good booker he gave them the "bad models speech". He taught them something very important that most beginners in the fashion industry ignore: the importance of personality.

If you want to be cast in modeling jobs you have to do more than staying thin and be punctual.

You have to make an impression, because the person in front of you has seen 50 models before you and he/she is going to see other 50 afterwards. At the end of the day, a few composits will lie under the client/photographer's eyes, those of the models who have the right look for the shoot, of course. But how are they going to pick the "winner" among all of these models if say, five of them have that certain look?

Personality, it all boils down to personality.

You have to smile, to make eye contact, to shake hands (firmly! a weak shake is a no-no), be bubbly and bring positive energy into the room. 

Sometimes photographers pick a model instead of another only because they felt a connection, they knew this girl/boy is no troublemaker and will listen carefully to directions throughout the shoot. I wasn't sure Olga was the model I was looking for this shoot but she was so funny during the casting that I couldn't help but book her, and my feeling was right.

Birgit@Metropolitan Models

I book people I want to work with ! So models be advised: 

- no more sour pussies on castings/shoots

- no more cigarette breaks every 30 minutes (and cigarette butts wherever)

- no more about:blank look in the eyes

- no more complaining ("oh I'm so tired! Tired of sitting having your picture taken? Go tell this to the assistants - puh-lease!), 

- no more lame questions ("are you sure this make-up is fine? SHE DIDN'T EVEN PUT MASCARA ON! Yes baby, it is exactly the way I wanted it, and "she" is a professional makeup artist, btw)

- no more dumb answers("who's this"?  - me pointing at a picture in his book - "oh, that's me!!". Thank you darling, I see that; it's your book, so only pictures of you inside it. Now, can you tell me the  name of the designer you are modeling for in this pic?") 

( and much more )

BAD MODELS!

( I am kidding girls/boys. You know I love you! )

:D

xoxo

Marina Hermanovna