'Jason was very keen to do the shoot. My concerns, ended up being only in my head.'
Most photographers don't start their shoot by saying, 'Hi nice to meet you, now take off your clothes.' There are usually discussions that occur, at the beginning of a shoot, and sometimes prior, involving getting to know boundaries and expectations. Because photographer Jack Saul was relatively new to shooting nude models, and didn't usually know them before the shoot, he came up with his own system to ensure the models he was shooting with comfortable with the assignment requirements. A bit of a middle step, between meeting a stranger, and their clothes hitting the floor.
For Jack this took the form of a questionnaire. A list of questions he went through to ensure both he and the model were on the same page. Jack had no desire to push a model beyond their comfort zone, unless of course, that was something they asked or wanted. Erections or specifically explicit poses were never required, again, unless a model requested it.
No photographer wants to work with a reluctant model, especially one who might have regrets, and later want their images removed from an artist's portfolio. It quickly became important, for Jack to know a model's motivation, something especially important when it was a paid shoot. Although some models pose simply for the experience, or to build their portfolio, some model for cash, meaning they made hide their level of comfort in fear of losing out on a paid job.
Jack's work with Jason became sort of a test, one at the beginning of his career that Jack really wanted to do well with. During his pre-shoot interview, Jason shared some previous bad experiences he'd had, and some of the difficulties that he's been through. This led Jack to pause, and wonder if Jason was totally comfortable, and really wanted to go ahead with the shoot.
It turns out that Jack's concerns were his own, and the hesitation in his head was not shared by Jason. Jason expressed being very eager to go forward. Jack pushed with a few questions to ensure Jason felt comfortable, and that he was making a safe and informed decision. After Jack's concerns were alleviated, he proceeded confident that he had all the information he need to go ahead.
Jason certainly seemed to enjoy the experience. Although in this piece, I'm featuring my favorite images, within the 200 plus images that Jack sent on, Jason was grinning and laughing in dozens of shots. I really appreciate Jack taking the extra steps required to ensure a model's comfortability. Often shoots are on strict time-lines, this shoot in fact, was supposed to be a quick 'one-off', and the third shoot that Jack had scheduled on that day. Still, he took the time to pause, and spend time with Jason before the shooting process began.
1 comment:
nice slab of sausage
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