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Samples of Dan Howell's work

MODELING 101

by Dan Howell         -         edited by Voytek Sporek

Dan's website: www.DanHowell.com

Dan's email: info@danhowell.com

As a response to the countless emails with questions regarding the modeling industry,  we have recently interviewed Mr. Dan Howell - one of New York's leading photographers and an expert on the subject.  Here are his answers to questions about the most basic aspects of the modeling business:

I consider myself a commercial photographer of people, but that title misleads some people. I photograph models and sometimes real people for fashion, lifestyle, and portrait assignments for editorial, catalogs, p.r., and advertising. A majority of my editorial and advertising assignments are fashion shoots of women and children. 

Initially I studied photojournalism but relocated to New York City 12 years ago and have been involved with commercial photography since. 

Some highlights of my work are shooting an advertising campaign that launched the DKNY Kids Infant line of clothing and traveling to Europe and the Caribbean on assignment. 

My clients includes magazines like: Child, McCall's, Scholastic's Parent and Child, Bridal Guide, For the Bride by Demetrios, PAPER Magazine, Sporting Goods Business, Mind and Muscle Power, and Earnshaw's.  

In addition to DKNY, I have shot catalogs and ads for Sharp Electronics, Carter's, Absorba, Simplicity Patterns, Body Wrappers, Ilyssa Bridal, NBA, NFL, and Bugle Boy. 

On assignment I have photographed Sean Puffy Combs, Richard Lewis, David Duchovney, David Cassidy and many other celebrities. I've also had the opportunity to shoot with international models Vanessa Paradis and Carolyn Murphy.

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The models I work with fall into two distinct categories: fashion and commercial.  Some individual models can work in both.

In general, women's fashion models are between 16 - 22 years and are over 5'7" tall. In addition, fashion models are thin. Very thin. It is not the biggest category of modeling, but it does get the most attention. 

Within the fashion category there are two more divisions: commercial fashion and editorial fashion. 

Commercial-fashion models have more typically pretty features and can have a more natural figure: not exceptionally thin, more bust, or athletic figure. The work they commonly pursue are catalogs such as J. Crew, magazines such as Self and Mademoiselle, and advertisements ranging from cosmetics to cars. 

Editorial-fashion models often have exceptional and striking looks that can be more unconventional features. The term refers to models who appear in magazines such Vogue and Harper's Bazzar.  Editorial offers the photographer or publication the chance to stretch the boundaries of conventional beauty.  Designers often try generating considerable attention to their work by using unconventional models in their advertising. Calvin Klein has consistently pushed the boundaries of conventional casting.

Commercial models work on a broad range of assignments and can have a broader range of looks. Virtually every model appearing in a non-fashion TV. commercial, magazine advertisement, or catalog is a commercial model or actor. Height and weight requirements are more broad and looks can range from conventional beauty to character types. Typically men, women, and children with symmetrical facial features, clear skin, attractive hair, and healthy physiques get the most opportunities. Even though height requirements are broader, taller models have more success and are easier to fit into wardrobe and match with other models for group shots.

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All models' portfolios contain images that fall into three categories: Face, Figure, and Fashion.   

The face shot, also called beauty shot or headshot, should exclusively feature the face. The importance of expression, make-up, lighting and angle is magnified in this shot. It is often featured on the front of a composite card. 

The figure shot can be many things other than a swimsuit shot, but is vital in a portfolio or comp card to show a model's figure. Athletic/aerobic wear, close-fitting dresses, or undergarments are other types of wardrobe to feature the figure. Obviously, each model will have their own limit as to how much they are comfortable revealing in a figure shot. The importance of a figure shot is giving information about how a model will fill clothing, but it is also an opportunity for a model to draw more attention and possibly influence casting.  

The fashion shot is harder to define. Generally it is a mid- to full-length shot that demonstrates a mood, character, or style brought to life by the model. The boundaries are vast, and it is another opportunity for a model to capture more attention and place their image into the imagination of a client.

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There are no absolute answers to what will make a successful portfolio shoot. I hope that any model interested will be able to find a professional photographer experienced in creating portfolios, but those photographers tend to be located only in large markets. 

No model should hire a photographer to create portfolio images without seeing images created by that photographer indicating they are capable of creating images  for the model.  

In general, a photographer should have a studio or location where they have control of elements like lighting, safety of model, access to changing facilities, professional make-up artist, and equipment capable of capturing an image.  Ideally a model will have the benefit of shooting with different photographers who excel in different types of shoots. 

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There is no right or wrong in choosing what will go into a successful shoot. The vast majority of my portfolio and assignment work is done on color slides. I have a personal affinity for black & white, but only have limited opportunity to bring black & white into assignment work. Either color or black & white can create effective shots, but if a model has red or blond hair or darker skin, color images give information often helpful in casting.

Location shoots often offer more realistic settings and can make a model feel more comfortable, but the photographer has a greater challenge to control the elements. Given good weather and lighting conditions, a location shoot is easier to pull off, but if the elements are not favorable, manipulating a location shoot is far more complicated than working in a studio. Lifestyle and commercial shoots are often done on location. 

Studio shoots can give more fashion feel, but photographers should be able to offer a variety of looks that they can achieve in a studio. A portfolio or comp card will look flat if all the images share the same background and lighting. I find that many of my assignments call for white backgrounds, but I try to create more depth and texture in my backgrounds on portfolio shoots. I also try to use a different technique and background on each outfit to give the impression of more experience for the model.  

Samples from magazines are often a useful tool to communicate ideas between the photographer, model and stylist. Setting goals for a shoot helps achieve better results. 

Most importantly, the model has to feel comfortable with every aspect of the shoot in order to look their best.

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Prices for photography vary as greatly as the style of the photography.  Beginning models have to expect to pay in order to work with experienced professional photographers just as beginning photographers might expect to pay to work with experienced models. Of course beginning models often work with beginning photographers and share expenses. 

Other trades might occur when a model needs a beauty shot and a photographer wants to work on a fashion or figure shot and a bargain is struck.  

While there is essentially a free way, or TFP, to develop a portfolio, it takes a longer time and cannot insure a successful result. Here in New York City paid testing with experienced photographers ranges from $50-125.00 per roll plus the cost of make-up artist and possibly the additional costs of prints. I do not shoot more than one out fit per roll, and I believe that only two shots from one look or outfit are good for a portfolio. 

At a minimum, a portfolio shoot would be four rolls that would yield eight shots. 

Legitimate modeling agencies maintain referral list of experience photographers who can successfully provide images useful to models. 

A professional make-up artist/hair stylist charges from $100-$150.00 for a portfolio or headshot session and should allow for changes of make-up or hair style according to the look of the shot. 

Extra prints for portfolios are generally around $25.00.  So, for a four roll shoot with a make-up artist and extra prints the cost can be $400 on the low end and $750 on the high end. Of course the ironies of the business states that a model with great potential will have an easier time finding better photographers to work with for less expense. 

I devote a small amount of my shooting time to developing my portfolio as well, but when I do shoots I have a broad choice of models often supplied by agencies and can afford to be selective.  

A model might be able to eventually fill out a portfolio with well achieved images from professional photographers by free testing, but they are at the mercy of busy schedules and the abundance of other hopeful models. Models can seize the control of their portfolios by paying for some shoots.

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