Directing Your Model...

Get them to talk about their own life. Steer it towards different types of events based on what looks you want. Tell them stories or jokes. Just interact, and you can steer what they can't do on command.

More or less continuous banter so that the model is never left feeling awkward and wondering what the photographer wants. Lavish praise - always shoot whatever pose the model hits and then make suggestions on improvements if necessary, NEVER be negative ("No! That's no good!" etc. - amazingly I have heard camera club types saying this). As in many situations, if you can get the model to laugh, you are well on the way to winning. Inexperienced models will do their impression of a photo model if left feeling vulnerable and without direction. Shoot a LOT of pictures with beginner models - keep the session flowing. Concentrate totally on the model - do not fiddle with equipment.

What Jeff said, I was going to write the exact thing without even reading his. You must build that relationship however brief or seemingly meaningless.

Both of the above are good. I whole heartedly agree with David's "never be negative". If you are getting one expression, then it's possible the model thinks they are doing the only "model" look out there. I sometimes tell a nervous model to not worry about it, and give me whatever they think of-- if it looks bad, I remind them I can delete it; but I can't add what they never give.

I'd also work on my vocab for what you want. I had a situation where I was shooting lingerie for a catalog bid, and all I got was "sexy", when I needed "light and happy". I had to remind almost every model of this several times-- the key is to be gentle about it and positive. Oh, and always confident, or they will be nervous.

I wholeheartedly disagree with the previously posted methodology. I work with models who expect to sign with a major agency and book national campaigns as a direct result of their time and money spent with me and they learn quickly and in no uncertain terms before hiring me exactly what to expect. Think more profanity laced in your face men's college basketball coach and less kindergarten teacher at art period.

I rarely shoot more than 5 or 6 frames at a time. I direct every aspect of the model's position from jaw line and eye direction to the angle of the fingers. I control hair, any makeup, clothing, props and backgrounds. I fiddle with exposure constantly. I rehearse, and when on location we walk through each set up before we unpack and I tell them exactly what they will be doing. The how, the why and the rationale behind it. To spend one minute shooting images that are useless is a waste of time and resources and condescending to the intelligence of the client who hired me.

With suitable prep I have few problems but I'll call someone on a mistake immediately and in my opinion that shows far more commitment to the task at hand than coddling them along. Models also learn faster and can depend on praise to be genuine. They love that- knowing exactly where they stand and how they're doing in relation to the people who came before. There are only so many minutes of great light in a day and there is work to be done.

My clients are expected to be able to go directly from working with me to a four figure a day job and they have to be able to get it right from day one- even if the shooter turns out to be of the spray and pray do it variety.

Dennis, if your technique works for you, great – I just didn’t know that the Marine Corps trained fashion photographers. I find your comments about a wasted minute strange – one minute to get the model relaxed sounds like a good investment to me. There is no question of “spray and pray” – I know what I want and whether a shot is good or not, but my response to mediocrity is to tell the model “That’s good, but let’s try something better!” rather than “That’s garbage – drop and give me twenty!”
I have to say that your technique is totally at variance with that of all the other pro shooters I’ve ever known. In point of fact I used to find I’d get what I wanted with just one roll of 120 (10 shots), but I would unhesitatingly expend more film or memory card if necessary – the cost of this in relation to the overall cost of a shoot is insignificant. Yes, models with sufficient experience to be ready to turn pro should be capable of delivering on demand and taking direction – the OP is not working with this type of model but with complete amateurs

The OP is new to shooting models and doing TFP. I'm wondering how successful Dennis's style would be prior to him having credentials and a portfolio. At no time during a shoot do I not instruct them on what I want.

In addition I started to see a problem in my work when I did control every aspect of a models pose-- all my shots started to look a like. I found it much more successful, for me, to allow them to pose and correct the parts I didn't like. I also found that after striking a pose, telling them "no" then led me back into having to tell them everything to do again.

I just didn’t know that the Marine Corps trained fashion photographers

Touché.

My clients are expected to be able to go directly from working with me to a four figure a day job

Congratulations! Pat yourself on the back a few more times!

I'm wondering how successful Dennis's style would be prior to him having credentials and a portfolio.

Not at all. Dennis just likes to tell everyone how important his shoots are and how irrelevant theirs are. Notice that there isn't the least bit of help offered to someone fairly new to this.

I am only chiming in because after reading everyones comments to Dennis's "Drill Sergeant " model technique approach, I found this thread just hilarious, it gave me a good chuckle. I almost fell off my chair after reading Dennis's "model techniques".

I will have to admit my model techniques have always been the exact opposite of Dennis's "Drill Sergeant" approach. I think most other professional photographers techniques are the opposite of this approach as well. I have always been encouraging, soft spoken...ect. But maybe some really really bad models out there need or deserve something like this just to get them back in line and to take modeling seriously...then maybe they would appreciate the correct way of model direction?