TGIF: Adrien Vezcan

So I skipped last week's post and have pretty much been hibernating, away from the internet. What prompted this break is something I'll cover in my post on Tuesday. For now I want to tell you guys about an AWESOME photographer I've worked with. Adrien Vezcan.

I had originally planned on sending him questions, as has become my usual, but I couldn't really come up with any that were of particular interest, not in the time allotted. Plus I wanted to break my pattern and do something new, different, which is exactly what he and I did.

Let me tell you a little about shooting with him. We'd met before, Brent McCombs and I were out and he had a coffee meeting with Adrien. He mentioned wanting to get to know some of the local talent and I'm always interested in new photographers. We added each other on Facebook and chatted on and off, mostly off, for a little bit. Then I got a message asking me if I wanted to shoot. I jumped at the opportunity and after we figured out the details he picked me up and we got things going.

This, is what we got.

Two completely different shots. The first one was meant to reference Audrey while the second was about playing with light and being crazy. The goal was to shoot a sort of portrait and I think we nailed it. As much as I love the first one, I love the nuttiness of the second. (Those of you that know me, already know this) Both have been used at my cover photo.

Next we discussed shooting again. It had been fun, upbeat and all around awesome. This time Adrien proposed something a little more crazy. We'd have to scout the location first because it was going to be outdoors and then wardrobe would be picked. Once everything was planned out he picked me up and we headed out to shoot (assistant in tow!).

Let's just say this wasn't easy. Not for me, but for Adrien. It involved merging a couple hundred shots to get every little bit of light just right. I'm pretty sure we spent way more time shooting the background than we did me! So here it is, the final image:

I keep squinting at it because I find new things every time I look at it. Needless to say, I'm in love and will be making it my cover photo as soon as this is posted. I can't thank Adrien enough for putting up with my goofy faces (I made so many) and for the fries after our late night shoot (we left at around midnight). I very strongly recommend that you check out his work, it's posted below. He's absolutely amazing to work with!

Adrien's Blog: The Pacific Times

Be safe, be smart, be amazeballs. There. I said it.
-Nicola Sasky

Models: Professionalism

As many of you know professionalism is a really important part of modelling, be it the model, the photographer or any of the other creatives involved in the project. There can be confusion about some roles and what the boundaries and lines are.

Lets cover some of the basics of professionalism. Here we go!

On Location: No one really cares what you think about the hair or makeup, they've already told you the concept and given you a rough idea of what's going on so you shouldn't have anything to say to any of the creatives, at least nothing to negatively criticize them. If you're a bunch of girlfriends getting together and you want to talk smack about others? Not a good idea. Best to keep it to an informal setting, this will ensure that you keep that line very clear. This is what being a professional means.

Be on time: This applies to everyone, really. Being late is fine, if it's a rare occurrence. If it happens every time... well, it gets annoying. This also means: SHOW UP TO THE SHOOT. If you can't make it, let people know. Nothing is more annoying than someone who just doesn't show up.

Respect: When I say this I mean that sure, you may be comfortable running around the set/location stark naked but most of the other people involved won't really be okay with that. It's a good way to blur the lines between being professional and being attention-seeking. So keep minimum safe distance, act respectfully towards others. You wouldn't like it if some creepy old guy was running around naked and hugging you, would you? (Don't answer that, I'm afraid of the responses...And yes, I do mean you Brent...) This also applies to how to behave in a public forum. Think about what you say BEFORE you say it. It is critically important that you keep a professional image and that you are respectful to others in the community. Do you have to like everyone? No, but they're people too and do no deserve to be treated like dirt.

Ix-nay on the ama-dre. AKA: Drama: I'm sure we're all familiar with the drama that happens with models. Everyone has seen at least part of an episode of Canada's Next Top Model (or America's). No one wants to work with the dramatic, bitchy, annoying model who wines about how her boyfriend left her for some other skank. Do they care? Probably not. Is it appropriate to discuss during a project? Absolutely not. Doesn't matter if it's just you and your friends on set. Not KOSHER. (Not OK).

Preparation: If a photographer asks you to bring things to a location/set: BRING THEM. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. If you can't, for whatever reason, tell those involved. Problem solve. Maybe someone can pick you up or can pay for your cab or something. THERE IS A SOLUTION TO EVERYTHING PEOPLE. Everything.

Food: We all like to snack at a shoot but lets be real: unless you're guaranteed to be there for more than 12 hours (and in this case you should probably request a lunch break to go get something) you shouldn't be bringing a 5+ course meal with you. Snacks are cool, a bag of almonds, some cheese, crackers, maybe even chips. Try to avoid bringing things that could spill on or otherwise soil a garment. No tomato sauce, salsa, oily-greasy foods. No pizza ladies! NO GUM EITHER LOVELIES. No. Gum. You can ask if you can chew it but avoid chewing it while you are on set. (It's rude and can potentially damage garments). Chewing while shooting: NOT ATTRACTIVE.

I hope this has clarified a few things for some of you. Bad behaviour, as in Kindergarden, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

Video tiiiiime! I feel like I should break my pattern a bit and post a music video that I love. I won't deny that it's a touch raunchy but I kind of like the message. And the ending is really funny. So, Enjoy!

Be safe, be smart, be awesome!
-Nicola Sasky

Photographers: Professionalism!

Let's start simple. There are a lot more nit-picky things I would love to post but they're more my own personal pet peeves and not necessarily rules that everyone needs to adhere to. That being said, I'm sure some people also have their own rules. These are just guidelines.

1) Do no touch the model. This is an obvious one but it's an easy rule to break, for example if a model asks for assistance. That's what the other people on your team are for.

2) Minimum safe distance. Keep a sort of wall between yourself and the model. This is sort of a part of rule number 1 and applies to all projects, not just nudes. This helps ensure that the model feels like his/her space is being respected.

3) No lewd comments. This means no saying "You have a great ass!" or anything of the sort to the model during a shoot. This shouldn't change when you become friends and is a crucial rule in how you treat models. We are not just meat, inside of that we are people too and rude comments are a great way to make most of us not want to work with you. This also applies to anyone else involved in the shoot. It is completely unacceptable for a photographer to pull his/her assistant aside and make comments about the model. You are free to do this during your own time.

4) Pre-shoot contact. This should be solely about the shoot, planning and agreeing on what is to happen during. This is not the time to tell a model you think she's the hottest piece of ass you've ever seen. These messages should be polite, succinct and (in an ideal world) rife with proper grammar and spelling.

5) Signing a Release. You must ask beforehand as not all models will agree to sign a release. When doing so, it is absolutely not okay to try and coerce a model into signing a document. For the contract to be valid it must be signed by the model, with a witness, to ensure that no one is being coerced.

6) During the shoot: Assistants. Generally if you're going to have an assistant you should have a female assistant with a female model and the same applies for male models and assistants. Some photographers will only use female assistants. It is imperative that if there is going to be an assistant at the shoot that you make it clear to the model which gender the assistant is and if they have a problem with it. If they do you are in no way allowed to harass the model. You can either find an assistant they are comfortable with or you can decline to shoot with them.

7) After the shoot: contact. This should only be to send images, plan another shoot or to thank the creatives that were a part of the project. (I'm always more inclined to work with photographers when they do this, just saying...)

8) Criticism. Basically keep it to yourself. It's not up to you to judge anyone else involved in the project and if you feel the need: take it to texts. Send your BFF or whatever a text about how "Omg the makeup is terribad" or whatever else you want. During a project you should be polite, well mannered. If you can't think of anything to talk about with the people around you simply explain that you work better without being distracted and put on some headphones.

9) Direction. So this is a weird one to have to mention but it has happened before where directions have been seen as offensive. "Could you suck in your stomach?" There is nothing wrong with this, in theory, except that you are making a model feel insecure. "Could you take that out and redo her hair? It needs to be neater." Again, nothing wrong with this, but keep in mind that you are an artist working with other artists. We tend to be fragile people and as such consider your words carefully before you say them. Consider directing a model to simply inhale and lift their rib cage or something of the sort. It sounds a lot less like "You've got fat rolls" and a lot more like "I would like you to look as awesome as possible."

10) STUDIO. This should be fairly common sense but just in case: keep your space clean. No cigarette butts and TRY NOT to SMOKE in the area. (I personally am terribly allergic to cigarettes.) Panties and clothes, clean or otherwise, don't need to be seen (or smelled... ick) by anyone other than you so put that shit in your laundry basket or away. Your floor? Should be clean. If you're shooting in your apartment it should NOT smell funky. There should be no porn on your walls or in any way visible (unless that's what you shoot..., that's a different story.) There should be nothing potentially offensive to the creatives you are inviting into your space. No notes, posters, articles of clothing, nothing. There should be no bondage gear or anything inappropriate and irrelevant to the shoot in the room. No offensive music (this means no rap about bitches and sluts, skanks and hoes, etc). Basically keep it clean.

5) Public Image. This one is rather important and applies to models and photographers too. Reputation is everything in this industry. I recently read an article about a photographer who shoots nudes... well, in the nude. The entire set is naked and it's supposed to make the model feel comfortable. Does it work? Maybe. I'm sure there are better ways. In the end: your reputation is everything. If you have an awesome rep and someone badmouths you, the chances of it actually affecting you are minimal. If you already have a bad rap then the more others pile on, the worse it gets. On the other hand... if you have a bad reputation and someone has a good experience working with you then great, tell them to tell everyone they know. Aim to always be in people's good books.

As per usual, a video ! This one is by Michelle Phan (are you sick of her yet?) and it's about the different ways to apply liquid liner. Hope that's helpful for some of you!

Be safe, be smart and of course: be awesome!
-Nicola Sasky

Modelling: The 5 Don'ts of Skin

It's bad enough that our parents lecture us but there are posters and billboards EVERYWHERE telling us to do this, don't do that! Be healthy, don't get old! Ugh, it drives me crazy! You should use the ad space for other things, perhaps a little positive reinforcement? Why not tell people they're awesome and perfect the way they are? Throw some Dove on that shit.

Anyway, there are a few things that you should avoid doing if you're a model or want to be. These are mostly based on what they'll do to your skin over the years. These couple of things age your skin much faster and while you may not see it at first, you will eventually notice a difference and by that time it's way too late!

#1 Alcohol: Yes, we all like to drink and party but most models don't actually do these things. Sure, they go out, but they'll usually drink water or juice. Alcohol dehydrates your skin and most people don't rehydrate themselves fast enough to prevent damage. I've been told that for every alcoholic beverage you should drink one glass of water but I'm inclined to double that and that's no way to get drunk (which is the point of drinking, right? To FEEL the buzz?). Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun but avoid drinking the night before a shoot!

#2 Smokes: These, like alcohol, aren't really good for you in general anyway (I know, "Yes mom!") but they're especially bad for your skin and will speed the aging process. And this isn't just about actually puffing on a cigarette, being in a room full of smoke or an area with large amounts of smoke will also dry out and hurt your skin. The toxins of cigarettes do all kinds of things to your body but the skin on your face, particularly your eyes, is thin and delicate and it's difficult to completely "fix" or restore this skin so be careful!

#3 Sleep: No, I don't mean sleep is BAD for your skin, it's really good for it! Especially your eyes. The tissue is thin and works hard all day keeping your eyes open. You need enough sleep to let it recover, recuperate. Lack of sleep leads to swelling or puffiness and dark circles (this is because the skin under your eyes thins, as explained above, and the veins come closer to the surface or more visible.). So get enough sleep! And if you can't sleep for whatever reason: cucumber is a girl's best friend! It's super hydrating and because you typically keep cucumbers in the fridge they're cold and will reduce the swelling around your eyes!

#4 Sun: Those of you that know me know I'm about as white as I can be without bleaching my skin and that's because I'm terrified of the sun. UVA rays are what age your skin the most while UVB rays are what give you a sunburn. The two are incredibly damaging and not all sunscreens are made equal. SPF only protects again UVB rays so you need sunscreen with PA for UVA protection, so be sure to read the labels and make sure you're protected against both. I know, some of you LOVE tanning and being golden but there's a better way to do it. Well, two actually. You can use a fake tanning method such as spray tan or heaps of bronzer or, if you can't live without sun, be smart about it. Use a mild sunscreen and build it up over time while maintaining your skin. Tanning oils are a way to basically turn yourself into a piece of fried chicken (human). And another thing: the moon reflects light from the sun, that's why we can see it glowing brightly at night. Do you know what else to moon does? It reflects the light back onto us, how else would you see it? You have to wear sunscreen 24/7 if you want to be properly protected (sounds tedious, I know but there are really awesome mist sunscreens that take two seconds to apply and you'll look kind of like Sailor Moon while doing it...). So slap some of that stuff on! (If you do get some sun and want to help reduce the color you should cut a piece of aloe and apply it. It will help reduce the color and repair/hydrate the skin!)

#5 Caffeine: Caffeine dries out your skin, like alcohol and it's really only a temporary fix for that sluggishness you feel in the morning. Try eating some berries as soon as you wake up or having a glass of juice. The natural (healthy) sugars will help give your system a jolt. Follow up by eating something protein-y like almonds or yogurt. Green or white teas are also good alternatives to drinking coffee and they have a much lower caffeine count. Green and white teas also have anti-oxidants in them which will help your skin bounce back from daily damage. You should also avoid using products like under-eye creams that have caffeine in them because in the long run, they'll worse the condition of the fragile skin around your eyes. Instead: use cucumber! It really is magical and natural.

That's about it from me and this isn't meant to be judgemental as I'm guilty of doing a few of these on occasion (except the sun... I've got that one down to a T), it's really meant as more of guideline to help you treat your skin better. Try to incorporate these things into your daily life slowly, make them a part of regimen and soon you'll do them all the time!

Here's my "tutorial" video for this post. It's another by Michelle Phan and it's about sunscreen! She explains the differences in UVA and UVB, what to look for in a product and what SPF/PA really mean.

Be safe, be S-M-A-R-T, be awesome!

-Nicola Sasky

Prep! Personal Grooming and Other Fun Things

One very important thing that even pros can forget before a shoot is personal grooming. You're overbooked, or you just forgot that you hadn't gone for a wax in a month and uh oh, you've got to leave in ten minutes! Yikes! Hopefully this will serve as a checklist when you start prepping for a shoot. I like to give myself about an hour, hour and a half before I have to leave so I'm not rushed.

Obviously you should try to get a good night's sleep before you have to shoot/walk. It'll ensure that you're in a good mood, easy to work with. It will also reduce the dark circles and bags under your eyes (this can be helped with a couple slices of cucumber).

If you like to drink tea in the morning: be careful. I'm sure you tea drinkers know that tea is a diuretic AKA: it makes you pee a lot. It can be really annoying if a model has to pee every 10 minutes. So have a cup just don't go too crazy!

Okay so, Grooming:

- CLEAN FACE (No residue, no nothing. You are definitely allowed to take it off when you get to the location but you should be able to get it ALL OFF). UNLESS you are doing your own makeup.

- NAKED NAILS (hands and feet). Clear coat is fine but aqua blue nails are a great way to mess up a shoot. (This can be a huge pet peeve for photographers since they rarely keep remover on hand. It's not their job, it's yours!)

- Manicured hands and feet. This means buff, moisturize, etc. Your nails should be filed (they can be long OR short) or filled (if you have acrylic/gel/fake nails). Toe nails shouldn't be crazy long: no one wants to see that.

- Clean, dry hair (unless otherwise specified).

- Do I need to say bathe before a shoot? If you're a tad sweaty because it's summer that's fine but hit the shower before a shoot if you can help it. Or do that thing where you wash yourself with a sponge/cloth and a sink.

- Try not to wear perfume. If you've just come from work or whatever, that's fine but you have to try to be scent free!

- SHAVE YO PITS. And legs. And whatever else you need for the shoot. This means bikini line if you're wearing lingerie. Nude modelling generally means the whole shabam but you can always ask the photographer if you're unsure/uncomfortable going full Braz!

- Remove all personal jewelry and items UNLESS YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO OTHERWISE. This doesn't necessarily apply if you have body piercings but usually applies to rings, necklaces and earrings. So feel free to leave your derm in!

- Moisturize! Your skin will look smoother ("softer") if it's freshly moisturized versus looking rough if it's dry. This isn't a huge deal if you forgot/ran out of cream yesterday but it's always a good idea to lube up.

- Eyebrows: tame those bitches. I don't mean pluck them so thin you basically have to draw them on, but avoid having pet caterpillars taking up real estate on your face. (Apparently clarification is needed on this note. Caterpillars do not mean thick brows, they mean out of control brows, ie: the dark hairs under your brows or between them. There is nothing wrong with having thick brows.)

- Belly button lint. This is mostly a joke but we all know that sometimes a little piece of fluff can get caught in there... Okay, I lied. It's entirely a joke but come on! It's funnnyyyyyy.

So that's grooming. Now dressing before the shoot. Keep in mind that if you are shooting nudes or anything where a lot of skin is to be seen, that lines from your clothes will be obvious on your skin. This is the reality of skinny jeans and tight fitting clothes so try to wear loose, comfy clothes. Wear PJs if you want, go nuts, just keep in mind what you're shooting. Bras in particular are nasty for lines (because most girls wear the wrong size, but that will be covered later) as well as thongs/g-strings. Tights, socks. Jewelry can also leave lines (friction on your skin, the camera picks up EVERYTHING... Yes, everything) as can things like glasses. I'm not saying don't wear your spectacles but try to take them off a good half hour before you shoot as skin can take anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour to calm down. Know your skin and take precautions accordingly. :)

Your kit bag should already be packed and ready to go but in case it isn't you should grab that list and put you kit together! Pack your snacks, supplies, everything you need for the shoot (including any special additions discussed with the organizer of the shoot). This is your chance to pack any wardrobe you're supposed to be bringing.

If you have time to spare you should sit back, relax and have a quick bite. I find it's always a good idea to have something light before a shoot, sort of like breakfast. Berries and fruit are great for this, so are nuts or "healthy" cookies. Anything that won't make you feel bloated, tired or icky. Avoid dairy if possible!

And now I will share yet another Michelle Phan video, this time about bloating. She has some great tips! I personally love mint water, it's tasty, fresh and tingly (oh my!).

As always: be safe, be smart and be AWESOME!
-Nicola Sasky

Your General Model Kit

This is a general list of things you should have for any shoot. There are a few things that are different in other genres and they will be covered at a later date, when I write up posts about each different type of shoot. For now, this is a basic kit for models doing fashion/high fashion/glamour/portraiture/lingerie/pin-up/bikini shoots and shows.

A note about the list: photographers DO HAVE PREFERENCES. Some prefer open-toed shoes to pumps, some prefer you be lubed up and shiny. I am absolutely not saying that you do not need to bring whatever the photographer says as this is a BASIC kit.

To start things out, there are a few things that are mandatory to any shoot/show, regardless of style.

- ID: No matter if you are or aren't the age of majority, you should always have ID on you. ALWAYS.

- A chaperone/assistant: This is for your safety. The photographer can provide the assistant but there should ALWAYS be a third person. (This does not mean another model in a shoot involving multiple models.)

- Lip balm! (Mucho grande importante!)

- A 1L bottle of water. I cannot stress this enough. Most photographers will have some sort of drinking receptacle and a tap but that doesn't guarantee it's tasty/cold water. A bottle will save you the trouble of having to ask.

- Snacks. Nothing that can dirty the set, leave a mess, make crumbs, smell super icky/funky. Almonds are a good bet, just be careful if anyone on set has a nut allergy. Rice crackers (the thin, hard kind) are an excellent snack as they can fill you up just enough to get through a shoot. Cheese is another good snack. Absolutely NO berries.


On to your kit. This includes a variety of things, as you'll see, that you should have in your kit bag. This bag is supposed to be packed and ready to go at all times. This saves you from scrambling when you have a last minute shoot. This is mostly for ladies but some of these things applies to the guys too.

- Foundation/Powder.

- A neutral/nude lipstick and a red lipstick. (These are your most common colors!)

- Makeup brushes.

- Everything you need to make a smokey eye.

- Everything you need to create a neutral eye. (Audrey Hepburn is a great reference for these)

- Brow filler. This should match your hair color.

- I shouldn't NEED to say this but MASCARA. Black, not clear. (Unless you're under 16 but even then...If you're unsure: have both.)

- Hairspray

- Bobby pins/hair pins

- Hand cream/lotion

- A fork and clear packing tape. (This applies mostly to runway shows or anything where you aren't using your own shoes. Sometimes floors are really slippery. The best way to avoid falling on your ass: apply a layer or 5 of packing tape and rough it up with your metal fork)

- A headband. Preferably not the hard plastic kind but rather a soft, bandeau style headband. The kind you get at American Apparel or Lulu Lemon. (There, I said it.)

- A hand towel.

- A shitty handkerchief/scarf (something like this that you can tie around your neck and can get makeup on it and be washed easily!).

- A pair of black heels. These can be almost any height as long as they are more than 2"s. These should be standard. STANDARD.

- A pair of black OR nude flats. These should be plain, not sparkly or flashy or fancy.

- Baby wipes/makeup removal method-thing.

- 2+ pairs of pantyhose. I say + because two is the minimum. One pair black, one nude/flesh/naked tone. Ideally you should have a backup pair of each, just saying... but those bitches are easy to tear.

- Black AND nude bra that can be strapless, matching panties or thong. (Preferably both!)

- A robe, if you're shooting lingerie/nude/implied/boudoir/pin-up. Basically if you're nearly naked you may want something to cover up with.

- Black-safe deodorant. Dove makes one of these that leaves no residue! CHECK IT OUT.

- Scissors. You never know when you'll need them!

- Industrial double-sided tape/fashion tape. You can usually get this at your local art supply store.

- Contact lenses. This is only if you wear glasses normally and would like to not be blind during a shoot!

- Your "lady" bag. I know, really? But you should always keep these things on hand!

So there you have: the basic modelling kit. That should cover almost everything, excluding anything a photographer may ask you to bring such as specific shoes or wardrobe.

And now for a video! Here's a neat one by Nee. Her channel is primarily about hair styling but also features a few nutrition tips! This video will show you how to create an "irregular" braid. I'm a fan!

Be safe, be smart, be awesome!

-Nicola Sasky

Safety!

I'm a HUGE advocate for model safety. I have very strict rules when it comes to my own personal safety and since my first... let's call it "Eye Opening" experience (nothing too terrible, just horribly uncomfortable!) experience as a young model, I did some research to find out the best ways to stay safe when it comes to shoots/shows/etc. This is my basic list of things that help me feel safe during a shoot.

Do Your Research: I almost always research a photographer/creative before I work with them. I check out their work, see if I'm interested in working with them, and establish whether or not they're already known for being creepy. This is very smart and helpful and can include asking models that the photographer has worked with for their opinions. Most models will take the two minutes to convey if they photographer is awesome or creepy.

Meet First: I like to invite the photographer or creative to meet with me first. This way I can immediately suss out any sketchiness and that way you know what the photographer looks like! (This is oddly important) If you're underage, bring a guardian to this meeting. They will need to meet the photographer, sign any documents (modelling release) and it's good to have someone you know with you. I personally like to meet in crowded places where I feel safe, like Starbucks or Second Cup. Anywhere you can sit down and talk but there's enough foot traffic that if something happened you could get away!

Tell Your Parents: Or rather tell someone where you're going, who you're going with, how long you'll be there and such. That way, if for some reason you don't come home they'll have somewhere to look. Sorry, I know that sounds creepy but it's better to be overly cautious. I also like to give someone the photographer/someone on set's contact information, including a phone number that I will call beforehand to make sure it works. If you can: check in when you are with the photographer, give regular updates, let someone know when you're leaving and then when you get home. Facebook is great for that, so is Twitter! It's a good way to track where you are and now that cellphones are taking over it should be relatively easy.


Chaperone: On my Model Mayhem profile it says that no questions asked: I will bring a chaperone. If you make it known that you will be bringing someone this will generally scare away a lot of creepers. This doesn't mean that you should "threaten" to have someone with you, you should actually bring someone if you can. Family, a girlfriend, someone. (I will write a post about chaperones, don't you worry!) Having a third person in the room can keep things from getting "dangerous", or someone acting inappropriate. This is an absolute must for me (unless I am close personal friends with a photographer). The important thing is that this extra person make you feel safe and secure at a shoot.


Assistant: Do NOT rely on the photographer to have an assistant. I was tricked into thinking there would be another woman on set and halfway to the shoot he let is slip that "he's away in Alberta with family". Two red flags: "he" and that the "he" isn't even there! Creepers will claim to have an assistant, usually female to make the model more comfortable, and often times be totally alone! If this happens: LEAVE. This is a really bad sign. REALLY BAD.

Okay so now to discuss some of the warning signs.

"No" to Chaperones: While there are a few established photographers that will ask you not to bring a chaperone, they are few and far between. If a photographer specifically asks you NOT you bring another person: run away! This is a really bad sign that they want to get you alone and take advantage of you (get your mind out of the gutter, it's not all that bad).

Won't Meet: Again, a bit of a gray area as some photographers won't meet beforehand. Sometimes they don't have time, but generally if a photographer won't meet with you beforehand it's because they don't want to set off any alarm bells in your head before they can get you alone! RUN AWAY. Or explain that you don't shoot with people you've never met before. This has served me very well.

You're Given Surprise Wardrobe: This specifically happened to me. I was told to bring wardrobe for myself, that I was responsible for that and then I was given a musty old jean shirt and told not to wear a bra. Very, very inappropriate, especially when you know the model is underage (I was 17!). Now, the photographer may happen to have some wardrobe with him/her that they think will work well with what you brought but anything that pushes your comfort levels, even a little, should be an easy no.

Messy Studio: Creatives can be messy, but this is a big no-no for me. Studio space should be clean, tidy, kept nicely for those who are going to be in it. If you see porn, or underwear or condoms/wrappers (big alarm for that one) I suggest turning around and running as fast as you can. These are all very bad signs. Now, if you've agreed to a shoot with a fetish photographer there may be underwear or porn lying around, even sex toys, but condoms (unless specifically being used as a prop or if you ARE shooting porn) should be nowhere to be found. Neither should tissues or obvious signs of intercourse (shabam my friends, shabam).

Research (It has to be said twice, really): Any warning signs, any negative reviews that turn up should sound the warning alarm in your head. Now, not everyone gets along but a professional model will not slander a photographer if he/she doesn't like them. That being said some people lack the maturity associated with a professional so one bad review in a sea of positive/glowing reviews shouldn't be too bad but more than one? I'd reconsider shooting with the photographer. I also suggest asking the model what the exact situation was and then I will make my decision. Inappropriate touching is an immediate no. Which brings me to:

Touching: A photographer should not touch a model, as it states in the Professionalism guide. There should be no reason as there should always be a third person that the model is comfortable being touched by. If a photographer touches you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable you can either say something or excuse yourself and leave. If it's a hug well, there are worse things, some people are huggers and it's easy to back away from a hug (I do it all the time). No ass grabbing/touching, no breasticle fondling, no grabbing of bits. Run away if any of this happens! RUN AWAY.

Language: A photographer should only be speaking to direct you or make polite conversation. Lewd comments about "dat ass" are totally inappropriate and are cause for leaving. No matter how small the remark, if you're uncomfortable you may leave. This also applies to insults.

If you're uncomfortable: have an escape plan. I've only had to use mine once in six years. It goes something like this: I ask my mother to call me. She does so and tells me that my dad is sick and she needs me to come home immediately. It's a safe excuse that no one will argue with. Family is family!

Now, creepers are USUALLY men but this doesn't exclude women entirely. They are rare but they do exist so always be on the lookout.

And lastly, a note about paid versus unpaid shoots and safety. If any of the red flags pop up, regardless of whether or not you're being paid, you are absolutely allowed to leave or tell the photographer to please stop. Money doesn't mean the photographer owns you (although some seem to think that).

Now, I normally try to post tutorials but I think we need something to lighten up the mood a little so... Present! And while this isn't a tutorial it's pretty damn funny watching a guy put makeup on a girl.

BE SAFE, BE SMART and as always: be awesome!

-Nicola Sasky

Michelle Olsen: Miss Harley Quinn

Michelle Olsen is a fashion photographer, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She's a close, personal friend and as such we've shot a few times over the course of our friendship.

So far I rather like asking photographers questions about what it is they do and the like so I shot off a couple of questions to Michelle and she sent me her replies back the next day! Yay! I was surprised at some of what she wrote, there were a lot of things that I didn't even know about her! Funny, since we're friends. Oh well, I learnt something that day for sure! So here we go, questions and answers abound!

How long have you been at this "photography" business?

I’ve been a photographer for almost 8 years, shooting mostly landscapes, pets, and miscellaneous garden plants. I started with Sony glass, and moved towards using a Nikon DSLR about a year before going to school. Upon starting my courses at the Centre for Arts and Technology (Halifax), I found that I wanted to shoot fashion mostly, secondary to portraits, and later on lifestyle. I’ve been shooting professionally for about a year and a half.

What would you consider to be your most used piece of equipment, camera excluded?

I’m going to assume that since the camera doesn’t count, lenses don’t count either. After that, it’s my Nikon SB910 equipped with a 22” Cameron beauty dish. It’s my baby, and it’s been through so much-- it even has the dent in the grid from when I banged it moving out of my parents house. It comes along to most shoots with me, and has seen me through some of my best work.

What would you do if you dropped your camera in a pool?

I’d lose it. My camera is my life, and there is no way I could replace any gear if it broke, got wet, etc.

If you could shadow any photographer in the world, who would it be and why?

Oh god I hate these questions. At the moment, I’d want to shadow Zhang Jinga (Zemotion), from New York. Her work is spectacular-- so emotional, moving, and creative. I can’t help but feel moved every time I look at it. If you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, you’d definitely better go check out the Motherland Series she’s been shooting.
Any other photographers might include; Steven Miesel, Emily Soto, as well as various photographers from Eastern Europe on deviantArt.

If you had all the money in the world, what would you shoot?

EVERYTHING. I’d travel everywhere on my to travel list and shoot at least one set in each location. I’d especially love to shoot some editorials in the abandoned theme parks in China, New Yorks Brooklyn bridge, the Santa Monica pier, The Great Wall of China, and Fushimi Inari temple in Japan.

What would you wear to a pirate's funeral?

I’d wear what I want, cuz a pirate is free. (I am a pirate!)

So there you have it, her answers to my questions! Now I'll throw up a few pictures from when we worked together. SO HERE WE GO:

This shot is from our first shoot together (I was in the middle of dyeing my hair red hence the icky color). We shot in Brian Larter's studio in downtown Halifax and yes, she threw flour at me. We then decided that the best way to get a proper cloud was to pour it on my face and have me whip my head around. All in all: pretty fun! Though I did have "bread dough" in my nose for a week after the shoot...

This is from our second shoot together, at the Center for Art and Technology. We had fun messing around, changing clothes and being somewhat ridiculous. Again: a super fun shoot!

I would highly recommend shooting with Michelle. She's fun, easy going and generally lets you do your own thing. She's also keen to work with new people and has a whole whack of crazy ideas just waiting to be shot! We are currently trying to shoot something that's been in the works for 6 months (mostly rescheduling... blegh weather)!

Michelle Olsen's Official Website!

So, lovelies: be safe, be smart, be awesome!

- Nicola Sasky