Learning Both Sides of the Camera

One of the more important lessons I had to learn on my journey to becoming a successful photographer is how imperative it is to learn both sides of the camera. Photography in itself is extremely difficult. There is A LOT to learn from cameras, to lenses, to lighting to settings, to editing and the bridge that connects them all. But once you have a decent handle on that, your images are still not as captivating as you would like. Some of that comes from how your model is "modeling". The look, the location, the character, the expression. This is another world, that we must venture into and learn just as well as learning our cameras. A pose, an expression can be the difference between a good image and an amazing image. If you are a photographer, and you are not taking the time to learn modeling and learn posing, you are selling yourself short. The lighting can me mediocre, the location can be a dump, the picture is not always flattering, but if the model can pose with attitude and express her/himself through eyes and body language, its a win!