Adult Glamour Photography
Test Shoot Information
Do all models have to do a test shoot?
No. Test shoots are generally only offered to models who are brand new and can not provide us any images to either demonstrate to us their modelling abilities, or which we can use to show our clients in order to get shoot approval. If you have experience then you should be able to supply us the basic images we would need to do this so a test shoot would not be required or even suggested.
Where:
Test shoots are generally carried out in our Glasgow Studio. It may also be possible to do a test shoot at the model's home if this is preferred. The test shoot will usually last between 1-2 hours. This allows the shoot to be as relaxed as possible - a good thing for any introduction to modeling!
Chaperone:
As this will be the first meeting between the model and photographer, the model is always encouraged to bring along a friend to the studio as a chaperone. Hopefully this should encourage the model that PJA Media have her best interests in mind with regards to her comfort and security. As the photographer, I would introduce myself to the chaperone and once they are happy that everything is completely above board then I would expect the chaperone to either wait outside the studio or go shopping and come back at the end of the shoot - the second option preferably. For inexperienced models, having the chaperone in the studio during the shoot is not an option. This leads to distraction and does not allow the model to relax and be herself - something which is an absolute necessity during any shoot. Even if the model knows that her chaperone is sitting just outside the studio door, this can also be a distraction. This is not a ploy for any funny business, as some inexperienced models may assume of photographers with this policy - we consider ourselves to be complete professionals, and offer models good paid work in a safe, clean and friendly environment - we just expect our models to show us the same professionalism in return. We also appreciate that there are some unsavoury characters who give this industry a bad name, so we would always recommend that any model going to any photo shoot (with any photographer they don't already know, not just us) should seek references from any of the models who have worked with the photographer previously - In our case, a selection of models can be contacted through their model profiles on our References page (see the menu above). Doing your homework before any shoot is an absolute necessity for safety and piece of mind!
What do I bring?
The purpose of the test shoot is to get some good images we can show to clients to see if we can get their go-ahead - this means that we need to get some sexy images fitting the general styles of the client's requirements. Saying this though, even though the clients require open-leg nude styles of modeling, this is not required in the test shoot - never the less, some sexy lingerie and outfits are required to meet the general style. Another purpose for the shoot is to get some good images for your portfolio, so a bit of variation on outfits is also good. Bearing all these facts in mind, and also that we want the shoot to be relaxed and fun as possible, then I would suggest that the outfits that you bring along should be ones that you feel comfortable wearing - ones you know you look good in! If this is the case then looking good will be one less thing you have to worry about! Suggestions are:
- Sexy Dress - maybe a summery style to compliment your looks and figure
- Lingerie - various outfits so we can choose the best combinations and colour matches with our sets
- Nice shoes - high heels, boots are also an option in some styles.
Makeup/Appearance?
For paid shoots a makeup artist is always on hand to make the model fit the client's requirements and look as good as possible. This of course costs money, so for the test shoots the model is asked to do her own makeup, and if possible in order to make best use of the studio time, to come to the shoot already made up. Some makeup advice from my makeup artist James Clark:
Foundation: The first step of make up is foundation. The colour should match your natural skin tone and cover any blemishes.
Eyes: natural colours should be matte, preferably peach, taupe or light brown.
Mascara: brown/black will look natural on the eyes. bear in mind the style of the sets though - if we are wanting a young look then we probably wouldn't use any mascara.
Eyeliner: brown or black. Pencil or cream. The same applies here to the age of the look we are trying to achieve - lots of women go overboard on the eye liner - this often isn't required and actually looks worse than with none at all.
Cheeks: pink, brown, peach. Again young styles would suggest very subtle use of cheek colouring.
Lips: pencil should be natural. Do not use a different shade of liner from the lipstick this is dated and looks false. Pale pinks and coral. If you decide to wear lip gloss go for clear.
Bronzer: should be lightly applied to the forehead, nose, cheekbones, chin and neck. Again this depends on the style we are trying to achieve.
Avoid orange base tones these will make your colouring look false. If you choose to tan then I advise a professional application to prevent mistakes.
Nails: Tidy and well kept nails will look much nicer on shots. Keep nail varnish to neutral shades such as clear and pale pink. Acrylic nail extensions are by far preferable to stick on false nails.
Hair: If you colour your hair ensure that your re-growth is covered, images that will appear in your portfolio will look better if your hair is well kept, clean and trimmed. Remember these images may be on the internet and/or in your book for a long time and you want to present the best image possible.
The shoot:
There is plenty of time to shoot more than one set. We would split the shoot into two halves. The first would generally be more like a fashion shoot. Here the model would be shown the basics, such as how to pose, facial expressions etc. This is basically about having fun, learning to loosen up in front of the camera and get relaxed - there's no point in doing this if its not enjoyable, so we try to make this as much fun as possible! Nerves are allowed of course, and this is completely normal, but they generally subside as the shoot goes on.
For the second half we move to a new set and a new outfit. Here we are looking at more of a lingerie shoot, and the erotic poses are introduced. The model needs to progress and use this opportunity to learn to get comfortable in front of the camera nude - the proposed future shoots will all be at nude levels, so we need to know that the model is capable of feeling comfortable when working nude - the client will ask to see a few nude shots of any model submitted in any case, so this is a requirement. If at this point the model learns that she is not comfortable nude, then we simply treat this as an experience learned, as she will clearly not be suited to the work on offer, as this level of nudity required in a paid shoot would be significantly more explicit than that required in any test shoot.
TFCD agreement:
At the end of the shoot, both model and photographer will sign a TFCD agreement which allows both the model and PJA Media to use the images taken for their portfolios/website if chosen. This is also an agreement that the images will not used by either party for financial gain, and that the model's identity will be kept secure by PJA Media, as per our privacy policy (see the menu above). As a courtesy, the model would always be asked if there were any images she wasn't happy for PJA Media to use. During the post-process phase, we pick out the good images from the bad and supply only the good shots to the model. The selected images will be supplied to the model on a CD. Any images not selected during the post-process will never be used by either party. The CD is usually delivered within 7 days.
Unless otherwise stated all images shown on this website are produced by and the Copyright of PJA Media 2005-2010. All rights reserved.
