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In today’s photo marketplace, it will take more than the newest gear and your best creative effort to achieve recognition and become a published photographer. Choosing the right model for the right job is a good place to start. As much we like to snap pictures of young, beautiful ladies, wouldn’t it be nice to also earn a sizeable paycheck at the end of the day?

This is where it gets a little tricky and knowing which model to select for the assignment is an essential part of the process before you can start making regular trips to the bank.

Just as there are many different types of models, there are many varying kinds of assignments. If you’ve ever been on the professional side of the business and visited modeling agencies in search of that perfect model for your job, then you already know that it’s not always easy to find the appropriate model for the job. When clients hold castings, they go through hundreds of models before they select a winner. So, is it actually that difficult to find that perfect model? Yes. Yes, it is.

No businessperson in their right mind want to choose a model and later realize that they’ve fallen short of selecting the appropriate one. When an incorrect choice is made and the model does not suit a product line, it will ultimately effect sales and turn away potential customers. It’s no mystery as to why professional clients can be so selective when casting the right model for the assignment.

Selecting a perfect model for the right job!

STC is no different when it comes to selecting models for our seminars. They must not only have the right look, but they must also have the experience necessary to work with everything from a novice photographer to a full-fledged professional.

Our models must not only maximize the shooting experience, they must also have a grasp of the business side of modeling as well. STC’s beliefs and direction is to provide a wide selection of models to demonstrate the concept of having the model fit the assignment.

If you’ve turned to STC for assistance in your photography, then you’ve mostly come to the conclusion that shooting for fun only goes so far. Eventually, all photographers who take their work seriously will start wondering how to turn a hobby into a paying job. This is where STC’s experience comes in and speaks for itself.

Glamour models, centerfolds, swimsuit and lingerie models are sexy and fun to shoot because they are their own product. The attraction to this type of photography is a sexuality and seductiveness that will always turn heads. The images will impress viewers, even if they’re not in the photo industry and everyone will notice your photos. Well, almost everyone. What about commercial clients and fashion houses, who will most likely turn up their collective noses at your work. But, so what? Who needs snooty fashion houses when you can shoot sexy models all day long, right?

Not so fast, buddy. If you’ve got it in your head that you’ll be making a bit of bank in today’s market shooting bikini girls and nudie pics, then you’ve better re-think your situation and fast!

Contrary to popular belief, the life of a Playboy photographer isn’t filled with shooting sexy, nude models all day. (Well, not ALL day, anyway…) Both photographers and Playmates are required to shoot product and catalog work as part of their contractual obligations. A working photographer has to be prepared to shoot assignments that may lie outside of their preferences or tastes. Clients are constantly coming up with challenging scenarios and requests that may take additional lighting skills and a technical understanding before you’re able to pull off the type of shot they want. Clients don’t care about photographer’s wet dreams, they care about their own product and magazine layouts!

It is for this reason we have chosen experienced, professional fashion model and glamour models  for our Bahamian seminar. In this way, we can demonstrate the differences when shooting professional models, as well as how to prepare properly and put some smiles on your client’s faces.

There’s a difference when shooting fashion models as opposed to glamour, and not just in poses or lighting. There’s a saying that a fashion model knows how to present the clothes she’s wearing and become secondary to the overall image. Her appearance and attitude are a reflection of the client or designer, not her own. People in the fashion biz say that models are just fancy clothes hangers, and they’re pretty much spot on. The make-up, hair, accessories, attire, swimsuit or lingerie is the primary element in the image, with everything else taking a backseat to the product.

As fussy as clients are with models, you can’t imagine how meticulous they also are with the photographers they use to shoot their million-dollar gap gains or their catalogs. This is where the BIG bucks come in! Are you ready to take on the tasks of dazzling the billion-dollar industries and bringing home that fat paycheck?

So far, we have merged two different philosophies, each with different directions and make impressions on two divergent, yet complimentary worlds. Sure, there’s a “Glam” category, but the main focus for STC is to teach you the best of both worlds and start making money with your camera.

As much fun and cool our Bahamian seminar weekend will be, we will also be offering instruction and guidance that goes beyond shooting, lighting and posing. We will be exploring the business side of photography, evaluating career readiness and how to customize your skills in preparation for that awesome day when that major client comes knocking at your door.

And this, my friends, is how we choose our models. Stay tuned, there is much more to come!