In every photoshoot, my biggest challenge is to convince the model to open her soul to me. Asking her to reveal her inner spirit for a brief photoshoot is a tall order. I want my model to trust me, to find her confidence, and to relax – all within the first half hour of our session. Essentially, I’m asking that she open her heart to a stranger. Some models know exactly what I mean. Others have no idea what I’m asking. From their vantage point, they say, “I’m here. What more do you want from me?” They don’t see my dilemma. It’s like trying to explain colors to a blind person.
A model’s physical presence fulfills the first requirement of a good photoshoot. The second checkbox is for fulfilling responsibilities in staging, atmosphere, lighting, composition, creativity, etc. But the most critical component, which easily deserves three checkboxes, is a model’s emotional investment in the experience. A good photographer needs to ‘feel’ the model and react in sync to get the best out of her.
An emotional connection requires empathy on both sides.
An emotional connection requires empathy on both sides. When a photographer has empathy, they can ‘connect’ with the model on a deeper level. If I succeed in pulling the model’s emotions into the camera, then I have a brief opportunity to capture it. I need to “feel” her emotions for that to work. Without empathy, this emotional layer can’t be harnessed. Without empathy, this layer is invisible. Likewise, if the model doesn’t have empathy, she’ll lack the intuition to share in a genuinely spiritual connection. By staying within the confines of her protective walls, she’ll rely solely on her physical presence, expecting that to be sufficient.
With multiple years of experience, models inevitably work with a wide spectrum of sentimentalities. The same contrast plays out with photographers. In rare situations, a model won’t have their heart in it. These sessions make my heart sink, knowing that they won’t – or are not willing to – give me her soul. Since my lens is a gateway to her eyes, and thus to her soul, I try to focus on poses that avoid her looking at me. If she looks into the camera, then the sterility of our session is revealed. In these cases, I need to send the model home early, realizing that this heartless atmosphere would persist for the rest of the photoshoot. Regardless, I pay in full while losing money on unused studio fees. But it doesn’t end there. While spending hours in post-production, I replay the session in my head as photos are sent to the bin. Thankfully, this scenario is rare, occurring only 5% of of the time. It underscores my need to continually refine my selection process during the casting phase.
I firmly believe that the best fine arts photographers in the world succeed in capturing the essence of their models through an authentic emotional connection. 
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