TFCD / TFP part II

To dos and not to dos

Very often I hear complains and compliments from photographer and model friends about good and bad points of both parties.

Let's list down some crucial points for model side:

To dos

• Sleep early! Your eyes can tell tiredness.... If you go out dating or clubbing till 2/3am the night before and your shoot commences at 9am. Your photos will sure lack the energy as your eyes will look fatigue. You can do whatever facial or skin care but that can be fixed easily by photoshop. If your eyes look tired, it's super tough to redraw your eyes in photoshop! I've not seen much photographers that has the effort to do it. Most probably they might just junk the photos.
• Groom yourself. Clean, trimmed eyebrows, proper filed nails (NO flaking nail polish or elaborate nail decoration) and whatever that makes you look neat. Unless you are shooting Tarzan female edition.
  
• Pack your wardrobe ahead. This is a good habit to pack everything before the shoot and not leave till the last minute to prevent missing anything. There's no time for you to go home to take things especially if you are shooting in studio. Every minute cost $.
• Be on time! Nobody likes to wait for others. Especially if you are shooting in studio, you are wasting money for being late.
• Be HONEST! If you are 1.60 meters tall, don't lie saying you are 1.70m. Don't tell photographers your primary school weight. Photographers are not idiots. Also be direct with any tattoos, pimples outbreak, braces.
  

Not to dos

• Do NOT wear flip flops........... Unless you are taking a super casual shoot where flip flops are required. Else NEVER wear flip flops! It makes you look unprofessional and wearing heels has it's benefits as it will automatically makes your body have it's natural curves with solid calves (Of course not heels that's only half inch tall).
• Go without makeup and there's not makeup artist (MUA) provided. Unless you look like an angel, admit it, we are all prettier with makeup on. The camera lens is ruthless and have no compassion to make you pretty automatically and you have to DO IT YOURSELF. Moreover, with a light makeup, your skin will look quite nude on photos. Without makeup? Challenging isn't it? Even plain lipstick will make you look very different. There's no excuse of, I-don't-know-how-to-put-makeup.
• Weird color contact lenses. If you are asian, stick with brown or dark colors will be the safest. It doesn't matter light brown or dark brown but just keep it to a reasonable tone. You can use your amazing rainbow color contacts for other occasions as you do not want to look like an alien in close up photos.
• Don't bring your daddy, mummy, sisters, brothers, boyfriend, ah gong, ah ma or your dog to the shoot. It's a photoshoot, not picnic. If you need to bring someone, obtain permission from photographer first.
  
• Mismatching outfits. You will not wear a office jacket with bermudas right? If you are doing a lingerie shoot, PLEASE wear matching top and bottoms! Else I rather you shoot in your birthday suit...
  

Photo-shooting are not anyhow do anyhow shoot. Hence, do your homework!