What's Your Technique Before Snapping The Shutter?

[davidrimages]

I'm interested in hearing what the majority's opinion is on this.

This is what I do, keep in mind I don't have alot of experience and I shoot mostly females and sort of looking for the posed sexy/glamor look which isn't a natural pose.

I always tell the model that I will shoot on the count of three- my rational is it gives the model time to control their blinking, suck in their stomach, wet their lips, just to prepare in general, etc.
I also seen where photographers say nothing and just shoot. I kinda think this is unfair to the model because they have to hold the final pose while you adjust the framing, maybe change your position and settings, etc. Meanwhile the model is trying not to blink, and everything else they do waiting for you to snap away.

Probably there isn't a clear-cut answer to this but I am interested in hearing how you guys are handling this situation.
Thanks in advance.

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[Swisstony10]

For me, it depends on how much direction I'm having to give to a model. If I'm giving lots of direction, and having to be very detailed, I do it while I'm looking through the viewfinder, so that I'm ready to shoot at the precise moment they hit the right pose (and often a frame or two just before and a couple after). I don't pose them, get them into an awkward position, then compose, focus, shoot. I chatter away almost constantly, in fact, either directing or encouraging, and that way it becomes almost like a conversation, and the model gets to the point where they don't really notice the shutter clicking and the flashes firing (and that's when the really good pictures happen).

If a model doesn't need much directing, and is doing lots of stuff instinctively, and we're feeding off each other for inspiration (my favourite kind of shoot), then my eye is glued to the viewfinder, and I'll be chatting, joking, making them laugh (or trying to stop them laughing when we want serious-looking shots), and telling them how fabulous they're looking..

Russ.

[Beccah]

I'm very much a beginner, but what I love most is really natural looking shots. I've always been inclined, even with my old little point and shoots, to take lots and lots of pictures, and try to do them where people aren't paying too much attention to me.

If I were looking to do glamour/sexy shots though, I would probably do a bit of that, and some where I gave the model chance to prepare too.

Wait.... which button is the shutter again?

[cphoniball]

Not that I've shot with a professional model before, but one of the things that makes a model a "model" is that they have that ability to hold a pose indefinitely. So it's not necessarily the photographer being rude, it's just what's kind of expected of the model.

[Raoul Isidro]

Highly paid pro models will get instructions from the photog and for about 1 to 2 minutes will pose and move freely for the required image. Example: "I want you to crawl towards me with sexy manacing eyes.." the photog would instruct. The model will try to do that for about a minute or two. About 100 images would have been snapped in the process.
"I want you to take off your scarf and let it fly away..." (electric fans used here)
"I want you to take off your shoes very slowly..."
Models who are not so experienced will have no problem when you tell them... " OK, one... two... three... *ka-ching!*"