Hairy Female Models...Tips needed!

[ChrisAdval]

In web resolution you can barely tell in the web standard photos you can't see the hairs on a female model's arms, but in print sizes 8x10 or bigger I think you can. Not that I have any prints to see for myself but when in post I could easily see it when I'm editing in high resolution and I don't remove the hair because its the entire arm. It's extremely annoying.

Solution I tried once was I asked the model to shave everything but her head for the swimsuit shoot we shot, she said she's not comfortable doing that (sadly)... so I let it go. I really thought all girls didn't have hair on their arms or legs or enjoyed shaving them, especially models... but eh... not this one sadly. What do you guys recommend like how to say it respectfully and convince a female model to shave all necessary parts to make the shot that much greater?

[OsmosisStudios]

Dont sharpen them. If it's unavoidable, try a softening layer over skin, erasing it from other details. Takes time, practice, and a boatload of patience, but it'll work out.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Dont sharpen them. If it's unavoidable, try a softening layer over skin, erasing it from other details. Takes time, practice, and a boatload of patience, but it'll work out.

aside from post, is their way to convince a typical model? I know the smarter models would understand and the smarter ones would already be shaved without asking... but they're rare in the MM community.. :\

[katia]

why the hell should a model have to shave? you're the photographer, remove it in post.

shaving is itchy, causes redness and irritation, bumps, ingrown hairs, etc. not to mention it just grows back more coarse the more you shave, which causes more redness and irritation, repeat repeat repeat.

[yulchick]

Originally Posted by katia

why the hell should a model have to shave? you're the photographer, remove it in post.

shaving is itchy, causes redness and irritation, bumps, ingrown hairs, etc. not to mention it just grows back more coarse the more you shave, which causes more redness and irritation, repeat repeat repeat.

totally agree with you here

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by katia

why the hell should a model have to shave? you're the photographer, remove it in post.

shaving is itchy, causes redness and irritation, bumps, ingrown hairs, etc. not to mention it just grows back more coarse the more you shave, which causes more redness and irritation, repeat repeat repeat.

Even the face?

When I look in the high res (while editing) I see hairs around the face and arms where most professional photos from model photography would NOT have hair (in print photos). I could edit them out and take an hour or more editing each photo and still keeping the realistic skin tones, but that’s too much time instead there is some way possible in convincing a model to shave necessary areas to make post run much more efficient. I wouldn't mind if I was being paid at all, but for TF shoots, thats a whole other story.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by katia

why the hell should a model have to shave? you're the photographer, remove it in post.

shaving is itchy, causes redness and irritation, bumps, ingrown hairs, etc. not to mention it just grows back more coarse the more you shave, which causes more redness and irritation, repeat repeat repeat.

Originally Posted by yulchick

totally agree with you here

Ok ladies, let's stop the perpetuation of this lie/myth/mother's tale.
Read here... I'm sure there are plenty other reliable links.
I'm not denying the itchy/irritation/bumps.. just the "more coarse" fallacy.
If you'd like to refute, please point to another reliable source, not "www.becausemygrandmasaidso.com
Also, this explains why it seems thicker and coarser after one shaves.

As for the OP.. you have two options:
A. Suck it up, learn how to light in a flattering way (ie no sidelighting which highlights hair) and don't work with them again and try to fix it in PP
B. Be seen as a prick by saying, "if you're hairy, let me know because I don't want to shoot you unless you shave".

Not sure what else you can do.

I can see the MM ad now.
"Hi, I'm new. Look at my limited port. I want to photograph you TF*. Make sure you're shaved everywhere that might be photographed, else I don't want to work with you". I don't think that'd come off very well, because if you ask someone to shave, that's exactly how it'd be read (well, at least by me!)

Maybe in a while, when you've boosted your port and people are dying to work with you, you can be picky. Now, take what experience you can get.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Ok ladies, let's stop the perpetuation of this lie/myth/mother's tale.
Read here... I'm sure there are plenty other reliable links.
I'm not denying the itchy/irritation/bumps.. just the "more coarse" fallacy.
If you'd like to refute, please point to another reliable source, not "www.becausemygrandmasaidso.com
Also, this explains why it seems thicker and coarser after one shaves.

As for the OP.. you have two options:
A. Suck it up, learn how to light in a flattering way (ie no sidelighting which highlights hair) and don't work with them again and try to fix it in PP
B. Be seen as a prick by saying, "if you're hairy, let me know because I don't want to shoot you unless you shave".

Not sure what else you can do.

I can see the MM ad now.
"Hi, I'm new. Look at my limited port. I want to photograph you TF*. Make sure you're shaved everywhere that might be photographed, else I don't want to work with you". I don't think that'd come off very well, because if you ask someone to shave, that's exactly how it'd be read (well, at least by me!)

Maybe in a while, when you've boosted your port and people are dying to work with you, you can be picky. Now, take what experience you can get.

Would a beauty light work? (never used one) I didn't light the side when I was doing a high key shoot (all white background) it was from my right with an umbrella.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

aside from post, is their way to convince a typical model? I know the smarter models would understand and the smarter ones would already be shaved without asking... but they're rare in the MM community.. :\

This is asinine and ludicrous.

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

Even the face?

When I look in the high res (while editing) I see hairs around the face and arms where most professional photos from model photography would NOT have hair (in print photos). I could edit them out and take an hour or more editing each photo and still keeping the realistic skin tones, but that’s too much time instead there is some way possible in convincing a model to shave necessary areas to make post run much more efficient. I wouldn't mind if I was being paid at all, but for TF shoots, thats a whole other story.

Do you have ANY idea how long those photos spend in editing? How much work is done in post to get them like that? I'll give you a hint: it's considerably more than the time spent shooting.

[Rentham]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

"Hi, I'm new. Look at my limited port. I want to photograph you TF*. Make sure you're shaved everywhere that might be photographed, else I don't want to work with you". I don't think that'd come off very well, because if you ask someone to shave, that's exactly how it'd be read (well, at least by me!). Maybe in a while, when you've boosted your port and people are dying to work with you, you can be picky. Now, take what experience you can get.

That's pretty much it right there. While I wouldn't relish the prospect of doing hours of corrective post on a free shoot, the whole telling them to "shaving everything" angle can have a significant creep factor.

You're doing trade work with novices, many of whom will no longer be modeling in a month or two. It's a crap shoot and you take what you can get. Body hair issues aside, if you want to work with more professional models you have two options: pay them or improve your port to the point where they are seeking you out for trade work.