The clothes models wear in shoots is critical to the abbywinters.com Paradigm. Our customers see appealing clothed young women all the time, and the more we can do to resonate with those memories, the more successful our site is at gaining new customers, and retaining our existing customers.
See also, the Clothing SDLP and associated Fact Sheet.
Before the shoot
- Get familiar with what clothes models are asked to bring
- If there are exceptions (that is, the model is not able to bring what has been requested), the Model Liaison will have let the Shoot Producer know
- Confirm the model is bringing special clothes, in the days before the shoot
- For example, uniforms or other items that have been discussed
- remind the model, and get her active agreement that those items are being brought to the shoot day
On the shoot day
- Ask the model to spread out all the clothes she brought
- On a bed is ideal
- Prompt the model, “Is that everything you brought?” (some models “hold back” items they are embarrassed about, sometimes these are the very best items, like old panties!)
- Ask for the model’s permission to handle her clothes
- Use a phrase like “Is it ok if I pick these up?”
- Discard items obviously unsuitable (eg, high heels, black t-shirts, camel-coloured leggings, etc)
- Ask the model to put these back in her bag, “They’re not quite right for our shoot today”
- Review remaining items – look for the best ones
- Put the best ones aside
- It’s appropriate to engage the model with comments like, “That’s perfect for the shoot, we’ll use that for sure!”, “That’s cute, I wonder how we can fit that in?”, “How well-fitted is that?”, “How far down does that dress fall on you?”
- Check what the model is wearing now
- Have a Backstage camera ready! 📸
- Ask the model to show the bra and panties she is currently wearing, by pulling up her top / down her pants / lifting up her skirt
- These items may also be similar for the shoot itself
- Assemble the starting outfit
- Generally, bra, panties, top and bottoms (skirt / shorts / pants / dress), and accessories like a hat, scarf, hair clips, headband, jacket, or similar
- Gather these into a pile – the model will change into these next
- Consider what other clothes are also excellent
- Often there will be several of the same item that are ideal for shooting in
- Work to find ways to incorporate these into the shoot. For example, if the model has two excellent T-shirts, consider one for the start of the shoot, and towards the end of the shoot, ask the model to wear the other one with no bra, and explore that in depth!
- Outer wear can work very well when worn otherwise nude
- Bring these extra clothes to the shooting space, so they will not be forgotten
- Ask the model to change into the selected clothes for the shoot
- Offer to leave the room and shut the door, or ask her to get changed into those clothes in the bathroom or similar private space
- Assess the clothes on the model when she is dressed
- Double check the model is wearing the requested clothes!
- Consider what left-over clothes could be used as “set dressing” in the selected shoot settings
- These will make the setting feel more lived in.
Funny story
When Garion was making a shoot in 2007 of a first-time model, he thought he gave clear instructions to the model to get changed into the selected clothes, he handed her the clothes, and sent her off to the bathroom to get changed. Meanwhile, he set up the lights and shooting space in the lounge room with the trainee photographer.
Soon after, the model very shyly came in to the shooting space… nude! Garion and the trainee burst out laughing at the model doing something so wrong – the model said very innocently, “Oh I thought this was a nude shoot?”.
Garion and the trainee felt terrible for laughing, because the model was embarrassed she made this mistake at all – and the mistake was her being nude when she shouldn’t be – a pretty big one (nightmare material?)!
The model went and got dressed in the selected clothes, and when she came out she was in very good spirits, laughing at her misunderstanding. Of course, Garion and the trainee were very supportive (and super–apologetic for laughing!). The model made a great shoot, and said she had a great time – and she went on to make many shoots with abbywinters.com after that.
So, it pays to give clear instructions. 🙂