Lessons
Class Introduction
07:49 2Evaluating Location and Set-Up with Assistant
16:59 3Editorial/Celebrity Style Shoot
06:11 4Culling Editorial/Celebrity Style Shoot
11:06 5Victoria's Portrait Journey
09:38 6Victoria's Sundance Experience
06:25 7The Power of the Portrait
07:41 8How to Connect with Your Subject
06:49Shooting a Commercial Image Part 1
15:15 10Culling the Commercial Shoot
05:10 11Marketing: Websites and Portfolios
09:01 12Social Media & Blogs
06:56 13Wardrobe and Make-Up Best Practices
06:59 14How To Work with Agents and Reps
01:39 15How To Work with Assistants
02:18 16The Importance of Being Prepared
04:18 17Shoot: Conquering Dark Tight Spaces
07:13 18Culling Dark Tight Spaces Shoot
11:19 19Portfolio Best Practices
12:01Lesson Info
How to Connect with Your Subject
It's so easy to get caught up in the photography of it. It's so easy. I mean, we all do it and you have to remind yourself to step out of it. It's not about the camera, it's not about the lighting, it's about the portrait. And to me, that's the collaboration and the connection that I'm getting. And as we could create these moments together, um, I also think it's really important to think about shoots, that it's not actually about what your subject can do for you. I sort of feel like JFK when I say that. But it is about what you bring to the chutes. It's not Oh, I hope the subject comes and I hope they're wearing great outfit and I hope they're in a good mood. And I hope because if you come in and you present yourself in ah and you gave good energy, it's automatically going to change the vibe. I've had subjects come in having really tough days, and they left smiling and then you know that you have had an impact on how that shoot went. Also, when you're sitting down with someone, and as ...
we talked about um, making in connection with somebody is important and it's not that easy for everybody. And when somebody comes into your studio and they sit down and we've talked about how uncomfortable that can be and you know your job to make them comfortable, you have Teoh, um, think about being present. Being present is really important, and I'm going to sort of explain how I get there and one of the ways this person comes in and sits here. And if I start bombarding them with questions that this kind of awkward right and it's it's also me taking, taking, taking, taking. That's why I say it's important to give. First, it's more important to give if you open up about something in your life, they're gonna be more likely to open up about something in there. So when your present and your actually here in the studio and you're focused in your president the right way, meaning you're not worrying about the light, and I hope this fire is in this when you're actually present and your with your subject. That's the only way that a real connection can be made. So earlier when ah, question was asked about doing research. This is my answer. I wanted to give it to you. Now. I don't do research about people, because when I ask a question, it's because I'm genuinely interested. And I want to know the answer. Obviously, I know Brad Pitt is five Children, so because I think you might live in a hole if you didn't know that, But so there is obviously information out there that we do know about. But I'm not going to go in and see where this person went to college and where they're from and they're married, you and how many kids and what movies they've been in, because that's part of a really interaction. That's how I make an interaction genuine, because I literally don't know what's going on. Most of the time, I don't even know why I'm photographing them, and I don't know if it's because I have a movie coming out or a record or a CEO is taking over company or Chef has a new rest. I don't know. So that's a question. Why are we here? That's like, it's a great place to start when you want to connect with somebody and, you know, maybe the answer is Oh, I'm opening a restaurant next week. We'll great. Well, tell me about it. I want to know about it. I'm sure that they want to talk about it. Um, you know, connecting with people is is it is about being a people person. Then were not all born people, people, people, people, persons. But you do have to take steps. I think if you want to be important photographer, you have Teoh take steps to become that. And again, it's that blind I used earlier. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. You have to find when somebody comes into your studio, you have to find that. Hey, nice dog. Your dog is so cute. What is that? And so when I, um when Sarah came in in our first shoot, the first thing I noticed was her nails. And I really like to get my nails done. So I was genuinely curious if she knew what the color was because I could start rattling off colors of nail polish all the time. That's an immediate way that I connected to a stranger. That's definitely not everybody's approach right now. Color is not for everybody, but with every person in your studio, you have to connect. And the easiest way to do that is to think about things that affect all of us as humans. Our love for animals, our love for our Children, our spouses. Are we getting married? You know, are, um I have a boyfriend. You know, obviously you have to be sensitive to these things. You have to gauge it. But people tend to like to talk about those things could tell you I talked about when I was getting married. A lot. I was dying to have. Somebody asked me about my wedding. I was so excited about it. Um, and everyone has that. And I'm sure you do, too. You should think about what it is. If somebody asks you about your dogs. I know you said that your dogs are like your Children and immediate look at her right now. You guys, she's glowing. We already have a reaction. That's what you're going for. So you need to see that. And when you're in the studio or when you're with a subject, you want to re create those moments there already happening there already natural there already. The things that people are going to do anyway, and you just have to get them there. Dorothea Lange When she waas Um, teaching her first assignment for students was always the same, and it was to send out her students to take a portrait of somebody without putting them in the photograph. It's very similar, very intriguing idea, and it's the sort of collection of data that I'm talking to you about and sort of this being detective is sort of the same thing. We're piecing together all of these pieces to tell, to inform us as the photographer of who this person is, and by doing that we can connect. So when you talk about body language, there are gifts of people give you just like I was saying, If the couples holding hands, you know in there the just naturally interacting and that's how I start with people, I really think you should look at what people are already doing
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