Skip to main content

Latest Shoot: Dating Website

Last Saturday I had a shoot that definitely makes my list of "Most Fun Gigs." It was pretty much a lifestyle shoot. The images were for a new dating website (we won't know the actual name of the site until everything's ready to go), which focuses on the interracial dating niche.

There were 8 models total: 4 girls, 4 guys. We were assigned our "significant others" that morning, although a few of us were switched around or photographed with more than one partner, to add variety.

Call-time was 10AM in San Francisco, off the Embarcadero, which is right next to the water and the Bay Bridge. I was super excited that the weather was amazingly gorgeous--totally sunny and (for once) not bitterly windy. I arrived early as usual and eventually the models showed up one by one. I was happy that everyone was very social, outgoing and fun...by the time the production crew showed up, all the models felt like we'd known each other for years. I love it when that happens...it makes the job so much easier!

Everyone introduced themselves to each other, then the project director passed out the model release forms for us to fill out. The photographer also took pictures of our photo IDs in order to make sure that everyone was 18+ (this is a standard practice for some shoots, which companies sometimes require for legal purposes).

After the paperwork was out of the way, we were given a shot-sheet, which had reference images of the types of poses we'd be doing. Basically, they were looking for natural, candid poses and a few staged poses. We were supposed to be a couple out on a date (remember, the images are for a dating website) so we had to be comfortable with hugging, holding hands, kisses on the cheek, etc. Definitely rated G stuff (no makeout fests or anything). I managed to shoot some behind the scenes footage...check it out:


My boyfriend for the day was a male model named Paul. Since the photographer was only able to shoot one couple at a time, the rest of us kicked back and socialized with one another. Me and Paul got along right away and I was happy to know he wasn't shy about pretending to be a couple. There was also a video element to the shoot as well.

The actual client was on location and he explained to us that they wanted to use video footage to add some variety to the site. We were given a small handheld camera, which we were supposed to use to videotape each other, as if we were a regular couple shooting footage to upload to Facebook. It wasn't supposed to be perfect or anything--they wanted us to be as natural/believable as possible so me and Paul were totally goofy, blowing kisses to each other, pretending to take a still photo of ourselves with the camera, etc.

Here are some candid pictures from the shoot (these aren't the actual images from the shoot itself...some I took using my camera and others were taken by one of the crew):

A candid taken during our lunch break. Yes, he really did put his foot up on purpose for the picture. We were a silly bunch!
Nikki and Shaye playing the role of the happy couple (even though they look super serious right here, haha...don't worry, they were in between shots).
Remember my "hurry up and wait" post about modeling? This is a prime example, lol. A few of the other models hanging out, waiting their turn. All that extra crap in the background is our stuff. That's what happens when you shoot on location!
We did two looks: casual/date wear and sporty wear. The casual/date wear was the first look and after a few hours of shooting, we took a break for lunch at a local restaurant. Once we were re-energized, everyone changed into sporty gear and took turns shooting still images with the photographer and using the handheld video camera to capture action shots of our pretend "dates."

The whole day was so much fun and we laughed the entire time. Everyone got along and there were no divas, attitudes or issues...thankfully! We even finished early, which was awesome. At the end of the shoot, we got our checks and everyone exchanged numbers/business cards so that we could keep in touch--especially to let each other know if we came across our images on the dating website(s).

I'm hoping the client will email us to let us know when the photos and site are live...from what we were told, our images will be used as web banners, pop ups and of course the video stuff, as well. All in all, it was the most fun I've had on a Saturday doing modeling and I'm glad I got to make even more new friends in the business. To top it off, the makeup artist was a girlfriend of mine that I went to college with...I hadn't seen her in over 5 years! Talk about a small world!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Cool. In fact, I used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was born there as well.
Lisa said…
Cool but anyway, I used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was born there as well, in Castro Valley.

Popular posts from this blog

Modeling & Pay Rates: How Much Should You Charge?

(This post is more targeted towards freelance models and not those with agency representation, although it may apply to those that have an agent but continue to find their own work.) A part of being a successful model is making money from the jobs that you book. However, being a freelance model comes with many challenges--figuring out what you should charge is one of them. I will say upfront that there are no established black and white rules when it comes to pay rates. Each modeling job is different, each client is different and budgets vary. Ultimately the factors that should influence what you charge should be the amount of experience you have, the strength of the images in your portfolio and the client's budget/needs. Not every client is going to pay what you want to charge. There may be times when you will be skipped over for charging too much or taken advantage of for charging too little. It's going to happen so be prepared for it and do not take it personally. It

What Are Male Models Supposed to Look Like?

The modeling world is filled with women. That's never been a secret and sadly, that often means male models fall by the wayside. There are successful male models in all categories across the industry but the fact that the modeling business revolves around women can make it challenging for newbies to figure out how to pursue their goals of male modeling. It is important to know that because there are different types of modeling categories out there, that means there are also different types of male models. They aren't all supposed to look alike and what ends up being in demand does change every year. Let's break down the common attributes that come with male modeling in various popular categories, shall we? THE MALE FASHION/RUNWAY/EDITORIAL MODEL These are the typical types of models most of us tend to think of when it comes to men in modeling. What is important to know and understand if you're an aspiring male model is that agencies have all different looks

Modeling and Weight

One of the first things I hear potential models ask is what the weight requirement for modeling is. Sometimes that is the main issue they worry about when it comes to pursuing modeling. Let me tell you right now that weight should NOT be one of those concerns. Obviously, the height requirement reigns supreme when measuring up to the modeling standards sought out by agencies. If you meet the height requirements--whether it's for fashion and runway or commercial/print--that is the first step towards starting on the path to modeling. How much you weigh shouldn't be your biggest fear. It is rare that anyone can look at someone and say, "Oh, my gosh, he/she looks like they are 5 pounds over our weight requirement!" It just isn't realistic. If you look at many modeling agency websites, they clearly list the age and height requirements--rarely, if at all do they list any weight restrictions. The general rule of thumb when it comes to weight is that for models who