How to Choose a Modeling Photographer for Your Modeling Portfolio

To be successful, you should choose a photographer based on two important criteria and not simply because of where the photographer is located.

Criteria For Choosing a Photographer

First, you should choose a photographer whose style of photography fits your goals. Review his portfolio.

Second, choose a photographer who knows professionals in the modeling industry. Most of these photographers will be located in big cities.

Third, choose a photographer who will photograph you for free.

Review Photographer's Portfolio To Choose a Quality Photographer

How do you assure that you do not pose for embarrassing photos? Simply review the photographer's portfolio! If the photographer's portfolio has a majority of photos in which you would not want yourself to appear, don't pose for him. You can reasonably expect to expect for your photos to look similar to the photos the photographer has already created. Keep in mind that there will always be a few images in every photographer's portfolio you do not like. Each guy's attitude is different. One model may think a photo is tacky, another model may think the same photo is cool as shit.

Do advertising agencies regularly hire the photographer to photograph models or does he simply sell trashy photos of college guys on ebay? Search ebay by photographer's name or email address.

Does his portfolio have a high ratio of photos of guys posing femininely?

Do most of the photos show muscles bodies well, or do the photos concentrate on the models' crotch? (People have a subliminal sleaze meter that tells them when a photo is not artistic. Listen to your subliminal meter.) Sometimes the difference between a sleazy photo and a tasteful photo is if the model is looking at the camera or not.

Choose three photos that you think are similar to the way you want to look in photo. Print these photos. Then print a few of any you do not want to pose for. Show these photos to the photographer to let him know the general style of poses you like. (Be careful not to insult the photographer's work and don't spend your time stressing how you don't want to pose. Be positive and stress how you do wish to be portrayed in photos, instead of insulting the photographer's photos.) Your goal is to give him a general idea of what you want. You will not be posing for the exact poses that some other dude posed for eight months ago.

Never Pose for Photographers Who Create Tacky Photos

You should never, ever pose for a photographer who tends to shoot tacky or shitty photographs. Tacky, embarrassing photos will end your modeling career and cause you to look like you lack judgment. Industry professionals might be wary of hiring you because you were stupid enough to allow yourself to pose for trashy pics.

Avoid Crotch Shots

While there is a goal of making the model's penis appear larger for film, his penis should not be the emphasis of the photo. Too much emphasis on your penis in the picture does not help you because it makes the photo into a "crotch shot." Crotch shots usually have the penis centered in the picture - so that it takes prominence. It is the first thing a viewer looks at and does not have much artistic value. Body position, artistic detail and creative poses should be most important in the photo, not the model's crotch.

Overly Macho Straight Photographers

If you shoot with a photographer who spends all his time at your shoot talking about how he doesn't normally shoot guys and talks about how hot his female models are, he is wasting your time. Every 10 minutes talking about women takes away time from the purpose you are in his studio - to obtain photographs that make you look good. He should be thinking about how to make your pecs, face, and hair look good in photos. So, confront any photographer who is talking non-stop about pussy. He should be concentrating on you! Say "Yes, she is hot, but let's talk about my photos?"

Choose a Photographer Who Is Connected in the Modeling Industry

There might be photographers located closer to you who shoot decent quality photos. However, there is value in getting to know quality photographers who get hired by advertising firms and who know modeling clients. By shooting with that photographer, you start a business relationship. He may contact you in the future to offer you a modeling job or give you a referral to someone else who can help you. This is career networking.

Hometown Photographers Vs. Photographers in Big Cities

Posing for a photographer in your hometown who does not know important modeling industry players doesn't help you in the long run.

If you are considering paying money to be photographed in your hometown, read why college guys should never pay for a photo shoot unless it is for an actor's headshot.

Next... Posing for a Top Photographer in a big city.

Comment from a reader...

Free? you cant be serious. and what types of award winning portfolio images would you expect to receive from a free photographer?

Response from Campus Men:

There are tons of photographers who make the bulk of their income from advertising agencies and clients. They do not need to generate revenue from people seeking to model. Since a model portfolio should contain photographs from different photographers, there are tons of photographers who will shoot one pose for a new model. Their qualify is good by definition - because art rectors and ad agencies are hiring them.