FAQ : How should I practice before my photo session?

To help you practice looking comfortable in front of the camera make a list of the different emotions you want to work on. Go through magazines and find ads that you can really see yourself being cast in. Make sure you are honest with yourself, and not spend time looking into GQ Magazine ads if Parents Magazine is a more appropriate look for you. After you have the list think of situations that will help you feel those emotions.

For example, if I wanted to practice looking happy. I would need to ask myself what kind of happiness should I practice? Am I happy because I won the 20 million dollar lottery, or because I got an A on my exam, or because I just got engaged, etc. These are only three out of many types of happiness.

Once you have figured out the specific emotion then you should think of an experience from your past that will allow you to feel the emotion needed for the proper look. If I needed to feel the excitement of winning 20 million dollars I could think about the time I hit a grand slam in a little league all star game. That is the closest thing I can think of that made me feel like winning the lottery. I can still remember coming towards home plate with my hands up in the air. When I touched home plate I just started screaming with all of my teammates. If you do not have any experiences that can easily connect you with a needed feeling then make one up. Use your imagination.

Along with happiness, and other positive feelings, work on variations of frustration, anger, confusion, feeling sick, etc. Now you have a list of emotions, and you have figured out ways of retrieving them. The next step is to have someone (a non professional) take pictures of you. You can use any kind of camera. Even the cheapest instamatic camera will do for this exercise. Just make sure that the photos are clear and your body and face can be easily seen. Have the list of emotions near by. Look at one emotion at a time, and try to remember the situation that will put you in touch with that feeling. Once again, it is best to look away from the camera while you are preparing yourself. When you are ready, look up. If you are planning to look away from the camera, and not look straight into the lens, then make sure you find a spot to use as a land mark, so you can precisely get your head in the same position after each photo is taken.

Let’s say you want to look just to the left of the camera, then find a place on the wall, or the edge of the camera to use as your mark. Whenever you look away from the lens, it is very difficult to consistently place your head in the same spot without a focus point. This is a good way to practice getting different believable looks and feeling comfortable in front of the camera. A video camera can also be used to practice this exercise, but using a still camera will give you the best training. Study the photos or tape, and see where you were successful and where more work needs to be done. Take acting classes and learn techniques that allow you to grab hold of different feelings. Mastering these skills will give you many different looks. Having access to a wide variety of expressions will make work enjoyable and challenging. Being able to take direction and translate thoughts and feelings into facial and body expressions makes you a more versatile and marketable model.