Who is this news article for?
This article is aimed at artists taking their first steps in photographing people, regardless of genre. I would be very happy for any of you to contribute to gathering useful information so if you'd like to get involved in sharing some useful information, read on.

Disclaimer
Please bear in mind that this article contains a compilation of other articles, tutorials and journals written by a number of different photographers and models from different parts of the world. There are different laws in each country and different common working practices as well as simply differing opinions and suggestions.

If you disagree or find fault with some of the material here you are welcome to send me links to your own (or someone else's) resources and I will happily add them to the article.

For legal matters, please do not base your entire knowledge of the industry on one news article or tutorial you've seen online. Cast your research net as wide as you can and consult relevant sources you recognise and trust.

Intro

Working with models can seem like a daunting prospect if you've never done it before. Whether you have friends who are itching to pose for you or you're looking for models online to help expand your portfolio (and theirs), you'll find something helpful on dA.

I am actively seeking to add to this article, so if you've written or read a tutorial, journal or news article about working with models which isn't listed here yet, feel free to note me with a link and I'll update the article. Please ensure that you send a note with your links rather than leaving the information as a comment on this article.

Meeting Models

There are lots of websites out there where photographers can network with models, make-up artists, stylists, designers, merchants...just about everyone you'll need to help build an impressive portfolio. Take your pick from these:

AltDiva
Model Insider
ModelMayhem
Net Model
One Model Place
PureStorm
RetroKitten
UK Photo Models

MySpace and Facebook are also great places to meet models and other potential collaborators but please be careful when arranging to meet someone you've only communicated with online. Use your common sense.

Please bear in mind that while I endeavour to provide links to genuinely useful and relevant web-based resources, I can't possibly verify all of the information and content found at these sites and therefore encourage deviants to exercise caution at all times to protect themselves.

Release Forms

If you plan to use the images you shoot for display online and offline, inclusion in print and digital portfolios, submission to websites, magazines, books...basically anything, it is best to have your model sign a release form. There are gazillions of release forms out there and lots of places to learn about compiling your own. Here are a few from dA:



=neolestat wrote THIS news article about model release forms. It is very detailed and definitely worth a read.

Tutorials

dA is an amazing resource and our Resources gallery hosts many thousands of useful tutorials on a huge variety of subjects. Another place to find tutorials (as well as all sorts of other fab things) is the News section. The next thumbs are for tutorials which I wrote. Obviously I'm sharing these because they're relevant to the topic and I REALLY want to show your tutorials here too, so if you've written one please note me with a link.



The following news articles by *Halohid are really helpful:

Shoot organisation plus being an awesome person
Shooting first time nude models

This article from ModelInsider.com comes recommended by ~slephoto:

Due Diligence

Journals and Interviews

I've found a few journals and interview articles kicking around dA. While these tend to be a little more personal than most of the tutorials you'll read, it can be really helpful to learn about how other photographers work. Check out:

Beginning With Models by *mjranum
Working With Models and Equipment FAQ by ~trixiepixie

There are also interviews with:

=Gray-Line-Studios, *edaoust, =hallopino and =UniqueNudes in THIS article.
Bundles more model interviews in THIS article by =whenSmyledoesnttalk.
Really Respecting Models was written by =kittiem during Respect Our Models week.

As with everything else in this article, if you have a relevant journal or interview that you'd like to contribute, send me a note with a link.

The Other Side

A photoshoot isn't a one-way street. There's a lot of information out there for models - how to stay safe, how to get the most from a shoot, how to pose etc. Here are just a few articles that approach this topic from the other side of the camera:

Being a model photographers want to work with by =Ptollemy
Model Safety by =neolestat

The following interesting articles come from off-dA:

Safety in Internet Modeling at ModelInsider.com
New Models at NewModels.com
Bring It! Version 1 by Rachel Jay
Bring It! Version 2 by Rachel Jay

Again, if you have written or found a relevant tutorial or news article, you are welcome to note me with a link to it.