Communication in the Studio

I have been fortunate to have only had one mishap in the studio while working with models over the past 9 years.  And yes, I mostly attribute that good fortune to luck, not skill!  I want to share a couple of near-miss episodes along with the story of the actual accident I mentioned above.  Since I shoot mostly art-nudes and shibari/bondage looks that is the context for my stories.  I also have a list of items I collected from conversations with models and photographers who work in different genres, about issues they have encountered.  

What is the common thread?  We cannot prevent an incident 100% of the time, but the more diligent we are in communicating before and during a shoot the higher are our chances to be lucky and avoid serious issues.  So here are my stories (I apologize for the long read):

Check and re-check!

This was a shoot a few years back at the R&L studio in Columbus. Some of the Ohio folks may remember it.  The model and I went over the next set we wanted to do - the model was using a corner in the studio for poses leaning against the walls.  At the last moment we agreed to have her wear heels - those of you who know R&L can see the train-wreck coming.  As soon as she started posing, her feet (in heels) slid out from under her and she hit the floor pretty hard.  Fortunately she was uninjured.  We should of course have re-checked the setup given the change, but we didn't!

Does yes mean yes? 

I attended  a series of multi-model/multi-photographer workshops put on by a particular organizer for several years.  He would book a studio and a roster of about 6 models and advertise their portfolios and limits.  At the workshop each photographer shoots with each model for 30 minutes, and there is time set aside for side-shoots.  I was pretty excited to work with a model listed as shooting up to nudes; she was new to the workshops and had a great look.  When I got ready to work with her I went over what I wanted to do… and got lucky.  Having spent 30 years reading my student's body language when they would/could not tell me what they had an issue with, I felt something was not right.  I made sure we were not in earshot of the organizer and flat out asked her if she was comfortable with nude looks - she wasn't!  She felt pressured to "push her limit" to get more bookings.  We shot a beautiful set of topless and implied looks.  I saw her doing full nude looks with other photographers; let's just say I could tell from across the studio that they were not getting good outcomes.  I was surprised but excited to see her on another workshop roster, but she turned out to be a no-show -- one wonders why!  I sadly never have had the chance to work with her again.

What is in the past? 

This episode comes from my bondage shoots.  In this case a model I had worked with several times asked me if we could add shibari/bondage looks.  I always go over the physical aspects of a bondage look in detail.  In this case I remembered the model telling me that she had encountered some traumatic events in the past.  I asked her specifically if anything we were planning would affect her emotionally due to that past trauma; it turns out she had not given that much thought.  We were super careful at the start of the shoot, she got a feel for her reactions to everything, and the shoot went well. We have since shot increasingly complex shibari concepts without issues.  Without that initial conversation we would have risked a PTSD-like panic reaction that could have caused her considerable emotional distress.

What can go wrong… 

When we hire a model we ask them to act out a scenario for us to create the image we are envisioning.  This is especially true if you focus on environmental, editorial, and life-style images.  A (good) model - just like an actor - will internalize and be immersed in your scenario.  As in my last story, that process can trigger a reaction based on the model's past and emotions connected to that past.  The emotions can sometimes be very positive and reinforce the narrative in the scene - it is the negative reactions we need to avoid.  

Here, in no particular order, is an obviously incomplete list of things to watch for.  By the way, some of these would also require approval by the studio, but that is a future topic.  You might get a strong reaction from the model in these situations:

• Posing with live animals.

• Posing with taxidermized animals or animal heads, or animal skulls.  (Some models will think this is cool while it is a hard no for others).

• Posing with snakes (live, dead, or fake).

• Posing with spiders (live, dead, or fake).

• Posing with weapons (especially guns).

• Posing with human skeletons or parts of skeletons (real or fake).

• Posing with alcoholic beverages or containers that imply alcohol.

• Posing with tobacco products or vapes.

• Posing with drugs (legal or not), or drug paraphernalia.

• Posing with religious or political symbols.

• Posing with or as clowns.

• Posing in cold or hot environments.

• Posing in the presence of allergens (pollen, peanuts, etc.)

• Use of makeup or body paint that is not safe for their skin - this will differ by model.

• Wet or "messy" looks in a studio without proper facilities for cleaning up.

• Wet looks when the model needs to be ready for another shoot shortly after ours.

What can we do? 

Even the incomplete list above points out that we cannot possibly cover every contingency.  Sometimes a model will list particular issues they want to avoid on their portfolio site, so that is a great start.  In addition we can be super clear when communicating the scenario to our model(s) along with the props and supplies we plan to use.  We should talk about the emotions we want to capture in the images.  During the conversation we need to be mindful of non-verbal reactions.  Pilots talk about "get-there-itis" as a cause of accidents, as in trying to complete a flight when it is not safe to do so.  Models can try to "power through" a shoot even if they have concerns, which makes things complicated for us.  Watch for reactions that don't match the "sure, that is fine" response.  It may help to have alternate scenarios ready and communicate them, so our question is not "can we do this?" but rather "I'd like to do this but we can move on to … instead".

The Silver Lining

If you have made it all the way to this point - thank you!  So far this has been a narrative of avoiding disasters at a shoot, but there is an upside.  If you strive for the intense communication I am suggesting here, you will most likely find that your models become more involved in your creative process, and you will likely also find that your interaction with your models become more pleasant, fun, and interesting.  

Please keep creating!  I will leave you with a quote I believe I first saw at the Focus On studio in Indianapolis: 

"Your only bad shot is the one you did not take".

Any feedback of items you think I should add? Use my contact form here or reach me on social media.