We turned to Evgeniy Kirillov (@evgeniykir), a master of studio lighting, a leader in Russian ratings among photographers and a teacher at one of the largest photography schools, to learn about his work with models.
1. What do you remember about the models you worked with?
Most of all I remember the model Varvara Samolkina. With zero portfolio, she co-authored a portrait that won many photo competitions. She has incredibly large and luxurious eyes, a lot of patience and gratitude. Of course, models with great dedication are remembered. When, for several hours on set, a person endures a very “cheerful” studio temperature, hugging a heat gun. Or long-term shooting in water, where streams constantly flow down your face with your eyes open. In particular, the ability to withstand various uncomfortable shooting conditions impresses me.
2. What do you focus on when conceiving and implementing the idea of a photo shoot?
The idea of a photo shoot is always a combination of my aesthetic ideals and observation with reality. It is very important to analyse references: What exactly do I like here? What can I implement with my team? And where it’s just the crazy beauty of the model or the charisma of the actor that “makes” the whole frame. I also focus on my technical capabilities: location, lighting, access to unique specialists (designers, makeup artists, stylists, etc.), choice of models. Often, a model’s defining feature can inspire an entire shoot: luscious hair, a sharp chin, ethnicity, or a long neck with prominent collarbones.
3. How to jointly achieve high-quality results?
Trust and respect. I sincerely believe that every member of the team should approach the preparation and process of filming with maximum dedication. But beyond this, it is important to make decisions and choices of colleagues. Even if there is some inconsistency: not all team members are equally pleased with the brightness of the makeup, the details of the image, the angle or the lighting design. We teamed up for this shoot, we chose each other, which means it is unacceptable to interfere in someone else’s area of responsibility.
4. What is the comfort of working with a model for you?
Models have a hard time on my shoots! When I’m working on a beauty portrait, maximum control over the light is important to me. Accordingly, the model has virtually no freedom of movement. She must maintain the selected head turn, body tilt, collarbone tension, gaze and facial expression for minutes. But not everyone is capable of this, since the majority are accustomed to having freedom of movement, and every minute change of posture and facial expression is only welcome. Models most often hear two words from me: “hold” and “a little bit.” Well, “beautiful”, of course! In my language, “a little bit” is literally a movement of a couple of centimetres. Therefore, I feel comfortable with the model firstly due to her perseverance and self-control. I really appreciate it when a person is sincerely interested in the result, when the model is immersed in the process and begins to feel the subtle “tunings” of the pose: where to tense the muscles and where to relax, where to raise/lower the chin or move the body forward… In addition to the notorious responsibility and respect, I can’t get over someone else’s time and energy. These are the basics, without which there is nothing further to talk about. There is one more physiological nuance: photosensitivity. Sometimes I point a constant light source directly into the girls’ eyes, and tears and regular blinking can greatly complicate the process. So, plus one more point to the comfort conditions during the shooting.
5. Do you think being photogenic is human nature or the skill of a photographer?
Being photogenic itself is a combination of natural data and psychology. Inner strength, calmness and energy mixed with beauty always give a win-win result on a shoot. The photographer’s merit is to present and reveal this photogenic quality as effectively as possible. But a photogenic element can be created! The problem is very simple to formulate and difficult to implement. It is necessary to see the most beautiful and interesting things in the model and accentuate this with light, angle and image… What are the good things about TOP models? They give the creator an unlimited field for realising his plans. No matter how you take them off, it will be beautiful or at least interesting. As soon as a conditionally non-photogenic model gets into the lens, it sets the photographer certain limits in angles, light, etc. On the one hand, these are limitations, on the other, more complex working conditions, which often lead the photographer to cool, unexpected solutions! Personally, I really appreciate the portraits that I made contrary to the original data, creating that very photogenic quality.
Text by P. Sopova
Photo provided by E. Kirillov
