P#23 Q4C: How a Wise Travel Photographer Encourages People to Pose as Models

Keep it On the Up and Up

Scott Stulberg: I try and make it look like I'm a professional -- that I'm not just some tourist. I come up and I usually say, "Oh my gosh, I would love to photograph you. You look great," or, "This location is beautiful with you in it. Could I?"

I have this special problem in that I have to have my models sign a model release. Most people, if they want to take a great travel image, they don't have to worry about that. I would just go up and say, "Would it be okay if I took your picture over there? I'd love to send you some," or, "I'd love to pay you," or whatever.

Basically, you need to get their trust so that you don't look goofy. Make some business cards before you go. If you can put a picture on there, even better. If not, make sure it says, "Jim Jones Photography," with a website or your email, and say, "Oh, I'm going to probably put your images up," or, "Here, you can look at some of my other images."

Having a business card with my stock podcast is really, really important. It makes you look more legitimate. And always be very conscientious about how your subjects feel about being photographed.

There are many countries where they do not want to be photographed and there are places I know that I want to go that they're not comfortable being photographed so you have to ask first. Unless you just want to be a grab shooter and not get that great shot, you need to ask first and see how they feel.

Many people go, "No, no, no, no." I've had so many, especially older women in these different countries, that just look amazing and they put their hand up and say, "No, no, no, no," they shake their hand and say, "No, no." They do not want to get their picture taken.

But when it involves money, many people change their mind.

Audri Lanford: Also, what you were saying before with models -- that obviously changes things.

Scott Stulberg: Well, paying models is a huge advantage. That will get you some great travel shots. Most people do not think about doing that. Being a stock photographer, we have to get the girl on the cell phone leaning over on the river with the back of this city behind her. And getting that great shot, which hopefully will be one of my best selling images of all time, of my cousin on the bleachers at a high school on the computer.

That's a stock image -- that's not necessarily a travel image but it works with travel also. You get beautiful models that can be doing what they do, even if it's a waitress or something. You can get some great stuff while you're traveling that shows what it's like where you are, and that people are doing what they do while you're traveling.

Not everybody wants to be shooting people when they're traveling, but the majority of the people here wanted to shoot beautiful scenes. It's nice incorporating people in your images because it looks like you were there, it shows the local people, and it gives you really kind of a nice feel to a lot of the images.

To Sum Up

If you thought professional photographers have easy access to all the models they could ever want, you're in for a rude awakening. Scott Stulberg explains the obstacles you might run into when approaching models, and offers a few tips on how a travel photographer can easily overcome them.