OK can we all agree that just because you think the kid is cute (your baby, your grandchild, your ____ ) does not mean they are marketable to the general population.

I think my nieces are adorable. I think they’ll win any competition and walk away with the crown, sash, and scholarship money but I also know that those sentiments are with my family only. The next household feels the same way about their kid.

There! I made my PC statement, now let me just say to anyone with a kid you hope to shove into the entertainment industry: Unless someone approaches you about them, they are not cute enough to model. They just are not. It’s sad, but it’s true. And yes as a photographer in LA/OC we know agencies. I know them and the next guy knows them. I have had models signed and the next guy had his models signed. It is not a super power skill, it just comes with the job title.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Sometimes photographers get financial incentives if they bring a fresh face to an agency. It may not be right, but it is done. Sometimes you bring a model to an agency even if you know they will not pay you, but the agency will owe you a favor in a future situation. It’s the business and it’s just how that world works. The thing is, you HOPE they will refer the model to the proper agency and not the one who pays the highest.  (there’s a little industry secret they don’t want you to know)

So I once in a while tell someone’s parent they can model. Sometimes I shoot their pictures. Sometimes I call an agency that I have a relation with. Sometimes I just recommend several agencies and leave it at that. The rest is up to them. Yet for every youth that I suggest modeling to, several parents ask me if I could get their kid with an agency.

1. I cannot strong-arm any agency to sign your kid
2. Do not put me in a bad situation where I have pretend cuteness upon your baby

Really the whole post is mainly about point #2. Please know #2!

As a photographer let me speak a few additional words to you potential pageant-parents. Unless your child expresses THEIR OWN interest in this industry you should not push them. Unless they express their own interest multiple times, you should not push them into it. Little girls should not wear whore make-up, tight dresses, and hideous Texan pageant hair. Little girls should not blow kisses to the adult judges, adult audience members and kids in the audience. Little girls should NEVER EVER act sexy, because that’s just fucking disgusting. If your child expresses interest in Hollywood, please share with them the extreme dedication, the negative aspects of the industry, and the rewards of it. Share with them the work load and then proceed with caution. Sexy and child never go together. Let your child be a child, they can look like a trashy 19 year-old sorority girl trying to get into a bar when they are 19 years old…and trashy. I’ve seen them around DT Fullerton. They travel in packs, are the loudest, and the drunkest of the night.

ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTE: I would never encourage my own child, family member or friend’s baby to this industry. It is not a healthy industry and as a photographer, I owe you that honesty. But as a professional photographer, I should not be saying that.

Modeling Advice: Ego and Entitlement

I might have addressed this in the past through other blogs, but let me drill it some more. Nothing good (professionally speaking) comes free. You pay either with financial investment or a life time commitment. I had a model approach me recently and asked for pictures to overhaul his portfolio. He was signed to a big agency, that was his big secret weapon and selling tactic.

I told him that we could shoot great images. He was excited. I told him my rate, well I was about to let him know. Before he even heard what my fees were he stopped me and said, “Oh…I don’t pay for test shoots dude, I’m signed to major agency”.

Aside from his ego, which usually kills my mood instantly, he said something that struck a nerve with me. I said, “I just saw your book. You’ve booked 2 campaigns, that’s it”. Then I continued, “…until you are booking multiple campaigns a week, you have no room to think you are above paying for a good product. And WHEN you book several times a week, you will not need test shoots because images will come in weekly to your agency.”

His response was only that photographers on ModelMayhem approach him for free shots all the time. Hmmm….so not only do you have an ego, but you have a sense of entitlement. Good luck with that. Here is the thing about free pictures:

1. Sometimes a photographer is blown away by your God-given good lucks. He/she may want to try something out and it’s mutually beneficial. For established photographers that is rare but still done. And in the case of free pictures, please wait patiently. They have paying jobs that always take priority.

2. Sometimes models sign-up for Model Mayhem. Photographers come from the wood work and offer free pictures. Sometimes they are great, sometimes they are not. In fact, a good amount are near soft-core porn. Don’t believe me? Stroll through the site for a few moments. The website provides a great resource, but allows anyone to join and that lowers standards on the site and results in sometimes pornographic material. I’ll let you decide where that cut off line is between art/porn.

3. You can pay for good pictures with a great photographer. You can come out with 10 great images. Those 10 excellent images will take you further than 1000 mediocre images ever could.

Please invest in your future and yourself. You are a business. You are a product. Every product on the market spends a lot of money on their logo, on their label, on their packaging design and their placement. There is a reason why they use certain colors and shapes. They send powerful messages. The same applies to models. Like it or not, you are a product. You were genetically gifted and born with good looks. Companies will pay top money to have you wear their clothes and represent their products. Sell yourself expensive. Give them the best pictures. Give them the BEST YOU that you can afford, not mediocre pictures because they were free.

Finally, drop your ego please. There is a certain beauty in youth, and youth is fading. Drop your ego, because when pretty exterior fades, your undesirable interior will shine brighter than ever.

Natalie: Fresh Face

Natalie

Natalie 2 (Previews Only)

This weekend I worked with a great model named Natalie. She’s from Orange County. She’s got a very fresh look, and the best part: She has inner beauty as well as outer. I will of course post more but in the mean time, here is a preview of the Natalie shoot. Is it just me, or does she look like Angelina Jolie’s younger sister?

New Models: Some more of that advice!

Every so often I will photograph a new model, because frankly their looks just inspires me. Tomorrow I’ll be working with a newer model from the Orange County area. I don’t know what that county does, but they grow them well out there. Don’t fix what ain’t broke, right!?

Anyhow in speaking with newer models, I come across questions that to me seem simple but I realize they are common mistakes. Today’s question was “What will our background be?” and the answer is simple. I like to photograph simple and clean areas, the models can look simple and clean and the pictures are simple & clean. There are reasons for keeping it simple, the first being that you are not selling clothing. You are selling yourself, so do not let a shiny Versace piece distract the viewer (often a casting director). Keep the backgrounds simple and do not worry about an older staircase or used couch. We’re not after selling the items in your house, we want to make the model as marketable as possible. Usually simple backgrounds will do from a white wall to even the sky.

The idea of the pictures, is to sell the new face. It is to remind Banana Republic about the fresh face that can help sell their clothes. It’s for Dove Soap to see a clean girl without a lot of make-up and see her potential behind their camera. So keep your pictures clean. Keep your clothes logo free. Keep your shiny new cars out of the picture, that’s as tacky as a picture can get. I don’t care if there is a mansion behind you or a new BMW, I want to see how the girl/guy in the picture can sell my product.

Keep it fresh, keep it timely. It may be a while before you can afford a different set of pictures. Shoot it and stick with that look. Do not cut your hair or get a tattoo. Keeping the logo out of the picture will make it easier for other brands to picture you in their ads. Keeping the colors less vibrant will keep the focus on your eyes and face. Styles go in and out. What was great last summer is NOT great the following spring, so keep your clothes basic (but still stylish). Pick items that are timeless, you will get more out of your pictures.

UPDATE: I wrote about simplicity and purposely used the word SIMPLE over and over. The shoot above this post with NATALIE is the perfect example of that. Already her agent is crazy about the images and we haven’t even gone through all of them! We were easily able to capture many beautiful images of Natalie that are simple and clean. They are sexy but do not compromise her personal boundaries. Her image is not competing against a staircase, a car, or any other item used to dress up a picture. Natalie’s clothes are stylish but simple. You can see her wearing those this year or even 2 years from now.  You do not see any logos, and now every brand can imagine her in their clothes without having to ignore a logo in the picture. She says sexy but it’s not over the top and in a way, she will probably stand out more than most models. Because after a while, everyone has nearly topless images (you should see the same girls auditioning, it’s pretty heart breaking how they dress for attention but the more classic styled models stand out from the crowd). Natalie’s make-up is not too dark, not too light. In these pictures she is selling her face to Colgate, to Honda, to Banana Republic, to Guess?, to Kohls, and many companies around the world. Simplicity is great, simplicity will take you further.

New Ad up

I can finally show the images for the cosmetics ad that I did last month. It’s the summer line for Everyday Minerals and the theme was a summer romance kind of day. We photographed the campaign in Huntington Beach, CA. The first location shut us down, because the city was being difficult and then we found another location. A backyard! Many of the plans and shot lists changed but we adapted and pretty well.

The entire crew picked up, moved the RV to the new location and we were ready to work. We selected 2 models from Photogenics in Los Angeles and 1 from Click Models, also in LA. They were professional, had great attitudes, and fun to work with.

The equipment I used this time was lots of natural light, good bounce and models with great skin. On certain shots, the one of Diana (brunette) we used a pro photo beauty dish to get that moodiness I was after. My friend Maya filmed some behind-the-scenes for us, and that should come up very soon also. In the mean time, here are the images of the shoot and some behind the scenes photography.

I cannot tell you how helpful it is to have a great crew, where everyone feels like an equal and know how important they are to the process. Anyways, check out everydayminerals.com and see the great make up they have.

It’s natural, it’s organic, it’s vegan, and it’s a great line that everyone should know about.

Tanika applying make-up in the trailer

Crew setting up the first shot

Me on the floor with Diana

Discussing the shots

Everyday Minerals Shoot (The Steps)

It’s almost summer and I was asked to photograph the summer campaign for Everyday Minerals. I’m always excited to work with them and this time around I wanted to document the process for those wondering how a shoot comes together. Of course each photographer and creative direction team has their own methods and those methods change between shoots, but for now this is how we do it with Everyday Minerals Cosmetics.

The month started with a phone call from the company and they asked for me to photograph the new campaign. We discuss the pros and cons for the last ad (Spring 2009) and they threw in a few ideas of how the new pictures should look. In many cases the client will tell you how exactly how to capture the images. In this case, the company knows my work and my style and they offer a direction but leave much of the creative on my plate (and the creative director).

One of the first things we discussed was the usage of a male model for this campaign. They thought adding a male could enhance the lifestyle pictures we shoot and of course we use two great girls in the ad too. Everyday Minerals does well in Europe, and it helps to have a beach look but there is a difference between a beach girl in Venice Beach to a beach girl in France. That means we pick more of a Heidi Klum face vs. Pamela Anderson (no offense Pammy, you are still very hot!). This time we decide to ask a few of our favorite agencies with proven records of great models (Photogenics, LA Models, and Ford) and sit through their pictures. We call each agency and let them know 1) What we are looking for 2) What the budget is 3) What the usage is for 4) When we want to shoot. The agency will send out a package of the models who would fit our criteria and make it easier.

Some agencies like LA Models use a great system where they have video of the model along with polaroids, cards, and their portfolio but all of the ones mentioned have a user-friendly format, which honestly makes it easier to visit their site. Making it easier for me, means I will probably view their selections more often than other agencies. Also like other photographers will tell you, if an agency has friendly bookers that is great. If they have less than friendly and unethical bookers, then the entire fleet of models lose out. I left out a not too shabby agency of GREAT models because the booker left me feeling a little blue last time. Sigh…

Once we rounded out the top choices for models, the location was next. Because Everyday Minerals is an all-natural, vegan, and organic mineral make-up line we thought the locations in Orange County would be a better fit than Los Angeles. In LA it’s harder to find open locations, big locations, and cleaner locations without billboard clutter or a high population. We’ve narrowed down the location of the shoot and it’s time to report to the client with our progress. The call will be …

1. Here is what we have in mind, this is the look and feel of the campaign

2. Here are our models we feel could represent your products the best way

3. Here is the location for the shoot

Next is finding inspiration and visual references and hiring your crew. Your crew is your right-hand, they are your team, they are your support system. It is important to value every single person on set, because without them the other person cannot be their best. I can take a great picture but if the hair is messed up, it’s useless. If the makeup is done wrong the entire ad is useless. If my assistant tweaked the light and it’s unflattering, it’s extra extra long hours in post. If the food was not good, we cannot be our best, etc… the list goes on but it’s very important to make every single member of your crew know their value. Did I drill this hard enough?

At the same time we flip through books, ads, and magazines. In most cases photographers and directors look for inspiration. That process is usually something like this:

(With Hair and Make-up): pulling out pages, ads, or media references like…”We want the hair to look like Eva Longoria in ________” or “I want the sexy look that Gwen Stefani had in ______ video”. We use these references because everyone can all pull inspiration from them. You have a similar conversation with the stylist, your assistant, etc… Everyone must be on the same page!

I hope that gives you an idea of what it is to plan a photo shoot. I simplified every step, but there is a lot more involved in it. For example, sitting with my creative director and make up artist yesterday we rounded out our top choices from 3 agencies. That process took six hours. Sure we stopped to eat several times and took breaks to talk, but it takes a lot of time to put something together. That’s also the perk of picking great people, treating them with respect, and having an admiration for each others work. You make work fun!

I should put up a video of the photo shoot once it is done. Very soon!

Model Advice: WHO ARE YOU?

I had a conversation with an aspiring model the other night. He wanted to know how he fit into the modeling industry and where he could prosper the most. He is a non-white minority, a good looking guy, and has a lot of ambition. I mention “Non-white” because it still seems that the better jobs go the anglo-models. Is it fair? Well, who am I to say if it’s fair or not. I actually think the consumer is more at fault than the industry. If we do not demand diversity, then we will not get diversity. Seems easy enough, right?

Okay getting back to the issue at hand, I want to discuss a very basic way of figuring out who you are. Go to an airport, a shopping mall, or any public place and ask strangers what they think of you. I understand this may be uncomfortable for you and the stranger, so I advise giving them an envelope to seal the answers with. Have them write down 5 words that came up when they first say you. What did they think you did for work? Did you have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Did you beat your wife or help a charity? You get where I am going with this. It’s quite a fascinating public experiment and I recommend it for people that are not approaching modeling or acting also. I would, but I could not handle the truth.

Once you get this information, go home and open the envelopes. You might be surprised to see descriptions like, “jerk” or “janitor” or even “mamma’s boy”. You might be surprised to find how the world views you. Trust me, you have to be ready for this and in the right mental state to handle such truth. If you ask people in an interview format, then expect you will hear the whole truth. Let them put it in an envelope and then put that sealed envelope inside a bag/box. This lets them relax, be more truthful, and you get a better idea of how to market yourself.

I will write again about how you can maximize your results.

Models.com Spotlight

Article from Models.com about me

I want to thank Models.com for the amazing spotlight they did on my photography. It just popped up today and since I am fan of what they do on their website, this was an honor. You can read it here if you like.

Make Me a Supermodel [BRAVO TV]

 

Walid Azami, Make Me A Supermodel appearance

I just saw the casting special for the Bravo’s MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL tonight. Unlike the first version, which had my professional pictures and more of me…this one did show me but not as much. Either way, I am happy to have been a part of the process and it was a lot of fun. If you happen to watch one of the reruns that Bravo offers, you can see me taking pics of the new candidates and talking about some of the models.

MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL CASTING SPECIAL, BRAVO TV

The show features a new pack of models, fresh faces being trained under one of the top (and nicest guys around) supermodels, Tyson Beckford. They will work with many A-list photographers and at the end of the show, you’ll get the new supermodel. Anyhow, check Bravotv.com for a list of times, or just watch TV because they happen to repeat quite a lot.

If you want more on the show, you can see Bravo’s web page or this fan site. The experience was amazing and the crew was one of the best I’ve seen or worked with. Everyone from the executive producer, down to the production assistants were the friendliest people, and Tyson was very welcoming and friendly. I wish all the models great luck and you will be seeing their faces pop up in magazines and ads very soon. Lots of talent!

Everyday Minerals Cosmetics, behind the scenes

 

at the shoot in Laguna Beach, Orange County.

Today I had a few reasons to be thankful, besides the normal things. The first is that I had the best crew for the new Every Day Minerals campaign. Everyone had a team attitude, worked like family, laughed and assisted where it was necessary. I am further thankful for Southern California’s amazing winter weather. It was about 80 degrees in Laguna Beach for the entire shoot, not a cloud in the sky and the clearest blue water around. Maybe that’s why there are about 5 reality shows based out of Laguna Beach, or so it seems. 

Finally, I am thankful because I recognize the opportunities in my life and I realize how lucky I am. I realize that it was a lot of hard work, continued hard work, and great luck but I am thankful because I get paid to work in locations like the picture below. I’m just some kid that was a refugee from Afghanistan, raised in a very low-income area and a product of a loving family. I’m by no means a hot shot and if I ever become one, you’ll never catch me admitting to such a thing…if I even realize it myself. I am simply thankful because I could have been in Kabul right now, I could have been in a refugee camp, I could have been dead, I could have been a victim of so much. Instead, I’ve been given many opportunities. 

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great week ahead of them. The new images will post very soon and I am on to the next project.