ItsGemmaEdwards

So…you read my last blog explaining how I became a Staff Photographer for SG and it’s left you questioning how you can become a photographer for Suicide Girls…Read on for five easy steps to get there!

Before we get into this, please first ask yourself why you want to shoot for Suicide Girls because this has been a really long-winded progression for me with quite obvious beginnings. If you’re an amateur photographer and you want to shoot for SG just because you want to see girls naked, please just don’t. There are enough creepy photographers as it is and we definitely don’t need any more giving the industry a bad name. However, if you’ve passed the creep test, then do read on…

1. Build yourself a relevant portfolio. Pictures of your cat, weddings, landscapes etc generally aren’t going to cut it when you want to talk a model into shooting a full set of nude images with you. They have absolutely nothing to go on to show that you know what you’re doing, other than that you can physically use a camera. They are ideally going to look for work in your portfolio that’s similar to what you plan to create with them.
2. Collaborate with models where possible. Use sites like PurplePort or ModelMayhem to find models you can work with in this style, start off with just shooting for fun before you begin shooting full, seamless strip-down sets. Collaborations like this, or TF as we call it (stemming from TFP: Time For Prints) essentially means all the parties involved are giving their time for free to receive images of their work for portfolio use. This can mean you, the model, a hair or make-up artist, stylist or anyone involved in the creative process that goes towards the end piece.
3. Work with professional models if possible, pay them if you can. This will really help you get to grips with your side of the job when you’re working with a model that knows what they’re doing. There’s so much more to nude photography than just clicking you camera. Hair, make-up and styling can all make a huge difference, as can posing but with a model that’s got these things down, you can focus on framing, lighting and practice giving direction as well as your retouching skills afterwards. Giving direction is really important even if you’re working with professional models as they literally cannot see what you see. One of the most common and positive pieces of feedback I often receive from girls I work with is how comfortable they felt shooting with me, that they forget they were naked and loved the whole process resulting in them feeling great about themselves by the end of their shoot. Whilst this says nothing of my technical ability, I believe it’s probably my strongest selling point when girls book me again and again.
4. Get a Suicide Girls membership. Preferably you are already a member on Suicidegirls.com and know what it’s all about, if not, you should try it. You’ll be able to see sets, get tips from other photographers and use the forums for advice – there’s specifically a group for Hopeful photographers to post their work and chat about all related issues. Hopeful photographers is how we refer to those shooting and submitting SG sets for member review that are not Staff.
5. Submit your first set. Once you’ve found a willing guinea pig, shoot and submit your first full set – hopefully it sells and you get paid, but if not (and it’s likely not on your first go), it’s all a learning curve and at least you can get critique, see reaction to your work, you’ll have a model to testify to how ace you are to work with and start getting your name out there! Not to mention relevant material to promote on your social media platforms (that you should definitely have by the way, the one that works best for me is Instagram) and add to your portfolio.

You’ve done it! Now it’s just a waiting game but you can continue to shoot and submit sets, as long as you submit something every few months your membership will remain free which is another added bonus. If you want further advice, you can email photographycoordinator@suicidegirls.com with a link to your portfolio and to get some chat going – once SG have gotten to know you and had enough positive feedback from girls, they will have no qualms in setting you up with local models looking for a photographer. The safety of the girls comes first, so please don’t be offended if you feel that you aren’t on their trusted list of photographers because it takes time – they like to speak to multiple people you have worked with and know before making that decision.

However…Becoming a Staff Photographer is much harder and an invite-only position. SG will only consider you for Staff if you have already had at least ten sets purchased by them. They will look out for reliable Hopeful photographers they know and trust that submit consistent work. There’s no magic formula or easy ladder to climb with obvious steps, but it’s something to strive towards and hopefully you’ll get there.

Good luck! Leave any questions in the comments below, and please do follow the blog to be kept up to date 🙂 I will leave a couple useful links for information below.

Photography Guide

Photographer FAQs

My SG Sets

What Is ‘Suicide Girls’?

How Can I Become a Suicide Girl? Pros and Cons.

How I Became A Suicide Girls Staff Photographer.