Some Recent Developments...

I rented a local Photo Studio in October and after submitting an ad in Craigslist (Montreal) I enlisted the help of some non-professional models to pose for some lifestyle images - to be submitted to my stock agency sites.

The advert sought out "everyday people" that were willing to pose for 1-2 hours in exchange for digital images from the shoot. I let them know that I needed them to sign a model release and that I would send each of the models a CD with full-resolution jpgs that they could use for their portfolios, web sites etc.

I received a half-dozen responses within 2 weeks of placing the ad and was very pleased with the results!
Each person posed with and without props (most of which were purchased by me at a local Dollar Store) and we had a lot of fun coming up with different ideas.

The models were all super (arriving on time or calling if they were running late) and had as much fun as I did during the process.

The important thing that I learned was that the photographer needs to be prepared; have a list of shot ideas or guide images of similarly posed models printed as thumbnails on a sheet of paper. This was very helpful for the models as they were not professionals but really wanted to help me create persuasive images.

Also, I had set up my lights and tested (roughly) for proper exposure - long before any of the models arrived. I was relaxed and this helped to expel any nervousness on the part of the models. Once the model was relaxed and feeling at ease, the whole process went along very smoothly.

The studio that I used is called Studio4Fun here in Montreal. They have 3 studios for rent at very reasonable rates - as a member (there are 3 member categories - visit their site for details) you rent out a block of time, 5 hours on the weekend and 7 hours during the week. You supply your lights and camera of course, but seamless paper backgrounds and risers, chairs and even a change area and makeup area are provided. Super deal!

Anyway, here are some of the photographs that we created together.
A special thank-you to all of the models who participated - it was a huge success!

Full sized versions of these images are available for purchase.
Visit my site and click on the links found on the Stock Images page.