Congratulations!  You’ve decided to enter the fun, fast paced, and exciting world of professional photography.  It’s a great business, but there’re a lot of pitfalls out there for a newbie.  So today we’re going to look at a few easy pro tips & some things to avoid at all costs.

First up, backgrounds.  Nothing makes a photo scream “amateur” like a bad background. EVERYONE knows that sheets are cheap & easy, but they’re not just for the studio any more!  You can take a sheet anywhere and improve the photo.  For instance, the beach:

You get great natural light and if you crop that down to the edges of the sheet she could be ANYWHERE.  You’ll look like a lighting genius!  Besides, the sheet can provide important protection for your models:

Don’t let THIS happen to you.

 

 

Speaking of cropping, it’s crucial you get some high end editing software like Adobe Elements, or if your budget’s tight MS Paint.  With just a LITTLE practice you can take an environment where you didn’t have the chance to hang your sheets & make them like new.

    

That trick is ALSO great if you don’t have time to clean your studio before the model comes over...

    

How perfect is that?  No “amateur” in those photos!

Now speaking of DIY it’s important to take a great deal of care when using pro tricks.  For instance, a lot of people think on-camera flash is ama

teurish & looks bad, so they try and make their own lights.  Often they’ll use clip lights or shop lights with high wattage bulbs.  While it’s a good idea in THEORY you have to take a GREAT deal of care to avoid accidents.  Get the lights too close to the model and you might just end up with a repeat of Michael Jackson’s famous Pepsi ad fire, only a little lower down:

Notice the importance of having a buddy here to put the model out, and note again how our handy sheet’s in use to protect the carpet from any stray flames.

Speaking of safety here’re a few more important tips.  While it’s always a good idea to have a few drinks laying around in order to “loosen” the models up, don’t let her hammer them to the point she gets all glazed over & woozy looking:

THAT sort of action should be reserved for after the shoot.

Which reminds me, it’s ALWAYS important to keep the model’s mental state in mind.  And depending on her state, make sure the prop weapons are ONLY props.  Otherwise you could find yourself in an ugly predicament with someone who’s unhappy with the direction of the shoot.

 

Often you can watch for warning signs during the shoot to see if things are going this way.  For instance, this is a BAD sign, on the right.

Of course models aren’t the only danger on shoots.  You have to be careful of the environment.  For instance, if your studio is a studio apartment you might use a Murphy bed to save space.  That’s a wonderful idea but be careful that it’s ANCHORED:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you have some ideas on easily making your pictures look pro and on how you can stay safe on shoots the last question is “where do I find models?”  Clubs are always a good place to look, and women who’ve been partying are more likely to take time and listen to your pitch.  Plus if you “accidentally” stumble in to the ladies’ room you might be able to get a sense of how wild these girls are willing to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just be VERY careful about what SORT of club you go in to, or you could be in for a VERY rude surprise, pictures here on the left.So now you’re ready to become a pro photographer!  Good luck, and good shooting!