Practice Portrait Photography Without A Model

I’m a procrastinator.  One of those people who find a bunch of reasons to not do things. Even when I truly love doing those things.

“Surfing? It’s a bit choppy/rainy/flat/cold. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Photography? I can’t, I have no model to work with.”

That’s what I want to talk about today. How to practice portrait photography, and not let a little thing like a lack of a model get in your way!

Be Your Own Model

For a start, you always have a person to photograph. You! I’m not trying to be a smart-ass here. I actually take photos of myself all the time – and not just because I’m an egomaniac! Let’s say I have no models to photograph, but I want to practice an idea, I will just rig the studio with a few more tripods and light stands and play both model, assistant, and photographer.

One thing I do quite often is to try and recreate scenes from movies so I can better understand what makes them stand out.  I look a the light, the composition, the posing, the color grading, the facial expressions, etc.

It can be tricky with no one to help, but on the plus side, I can take as long as I want and think through every aspect.

Here is an example of a scene I recreated from a gangster movie. The wind kept changing direction so I ended up going through about 4 smoke bombs before I got the shot I wanted!

While there are some benefits to this approach (namely you don’t need anyone else), creating portraits of others is where the long-term progress lies. So, how can you find a model?

Ask Friends

Once you have perfected a few light setups on yourself, you can reach out to friends and see if they would like a similar portrait. Unless you’re confident taking photos, don’t lead with this as you’re friends won’t be all that happy to support you if they don’t like the photos!

Ask Strangers

Once you’ve ran out of friends that are willing to sit for you, you could just ask people on the street! Yes, it’s harder. I don’t like doing it either! But it’s also rewarding. You’ll get to practice your light setups and posing skills under different pressures: namely time. I’ve set up a pop-up studios on the street before and it’s been great fun!

Use Social Media

Another great (and relatively easy for the shy among you) is to use social media. There is nothing scary about messaging people in photography groups to see if they would like personal or business portraits. This approach works while traveling as well. I was in Oaxaca recently and arrived not knowing anyone. I spent a few hours on Instagram looking for locals that were actively involved in traditional festivals and culture. I had set up 3 shoots within a day.

Join Photography Groups and Experiences.

A great last option is to look for photography groups in your area. They will often organize shoots with pro models that you can join for a small fee, You can find these groups (or experiences) via Meet Up. AirBnB and Facebook Groups.

• Not into that? If you live in a large town, check out meetup.com and sign up for some organized portrait sessions. Here, someone else does all the hard work of getting a model and will hold your hand throughout the session.

Good luck and I hope this helps motivate to practice portrait photography!