Mike Stacey

Models that worked

Added 2023-11-12 07:00:03 +0000 UTC

These models just worked. Saying "worked" sounds quite impersonal, but you know what I mean.

I thought I'd make a post about some collaborations which for me have been outstanding in some way. The main thing I felt when I worked with these people was that I felt totally relaxed and at home. I could be myself and so could they. In that sense, it was not like working with a "model" at all, but more like mucking about with a mate, or whatever. And that's something that can allow photos to be made that are unlike most model-photographer photos, because you don't just have a model and a photographer, you have two mates mucking around! It's casual and experimental without any negativity.

It's a pleasant surprise when I think of who those models are - 3 of them are Italians and one is Spanish - that probably says a lot.

By the way, I'm not mentioning Aurora in this post for obvious reasons. She is the ultimate and I guess that situation is not what most togs could reasonably expect to happen, whereas the kind of model I describe in this post - well that's a situation anyone can have!

There's no secret to finding people like this but what I definitely didn't do when looking for models was to write someone off cos they didn't look perfect! Many togs are hell bent on a particular look. Great, but they're focusing on the physical and that won't lead anywhere truly interesting in photographic terms. This is only my opinion and I'm only discussing it because people have often asked me about "how to choose a model". Many models I would chat to looked looked fantastic but were either void of life or I just didn't vibe with them, so I'd forget about it.

The "models that work" of course allow you to make crazy pics but they also allow you to get a closer look at them for "deeper" more introspective images, which is something I always like to do and trying this with a person you don't connect with is pointless.

Unfortunately I haven't found anyone like this that I can work with in Europe regularly. Language has been a big thing that creates an invisible barrier.