Two Models, One Studio Day and a Lot of Outfits
Heidi and Vaiva arrived at the studio with more outfits than we could realistically get through, which is exactly the problem I like to have on a model portfolio shoot. Alongside their own individual pieces, they had brought matching and complementary outfits, so the shared looks would work as pairs rather than two separate people standing side by side. Having that much to choose from meant we could get through four or five joint looks plus individual looks for each of them in one session, covering very different themes, from bright citrus prints to monochrome pinstripes, a newspaper-covered set and a finish that turned into a small birthday party.
Why a Joint Portfolio Shoot Works
The aim of the day was to build up both of their portfolios with a good spread of themes. Sharing a session is one of the most practical ways for models to do that. It splits the cost of the studio time between two people, and each model comes away with a wider range of images than a solo session of the same length would usually give, because the shared looks add a whole extra strand to the portfolio. Pictures of two models working together also show something a solo frame cannot: how you respond to another person, how you hold a pose that depends on someone else, and whether you can keep your own presence in a shared shot.
There is a simpler benefit too. While one model is changing or taking a moment to reset, the other can be working, so the day keeps moving without anyone standing under the lights for too long. Over the years I have learnt that being in front of the camera is much harder work than most people assume. Plenty of people think it is just a case of standing there, but a good portfolio image asks a model to perform a little, to take on a role for each look and hold it. That is tiring. Even a natural smile comes easily to some people and takes real effort for others. Proper breaks between set-ups make a noticeable difference to the images at the end of the day.
The Shared Looks
We opened with a pair of matching citrus-print dresses, lemons and limes on white with blue detailing, and built a small set around them with a wooden table, a bowl of fresh lemons and limes and a patterned screen behind. It was playful from the first frame, with fruit held up to the eyes and plenty of expression, before we moved the two of them onto the grey backdrop for some seated, back-to-back shots.
From there we went monochrome. Heidi and Vaiva wore complementary pinstripe tops, one mostly white and one mostly black, with cat-eye sunglasses and red fingerless gloves adding a flash of colour. That look worked both as a double portrait and as a set of solo frames for Heidi. Another shared outfit was a pair of tops made from patchwork neckties, photographed against a light background so the colours and patterns of the ties could do the work.
The newspaper set was the most involved backdrop of the day, a wall covered in newspaper pages. Heidi wore a dress printed in black and white newsprint and Vaiva a black leather skirt, with a folded newspaper and a fashion magazine as props. It gave us a mix of solo and paired frames with a strong editorial feel. A busy background like that needs the models to hold their own against it, and they did.
Individual Images for Heidi and Vaiva
Alongside the portfolio work, both of them wanted some images of their own. Heidi was turning 30, so part of the day was given over to a birthday feel. She wore a pale blue tulle dress with a long ruffled tulle wrap on the grey backdrop, and later Vaiva joined her in a white tulle dress so the two of them could finish the shoot together in party hats. That last set is some of the most relaxed work of the day, because by then everyone was comfortable and simply enjoying it.
Vaiva’s individual images were shot against black. For one look she wore an oversized white graphic T-shirt with red fingerless gloves, and for another a white corset-style outfit with ruffled sleeves and sheer red gloves, with the red carrying through from one to the other. I was pleased she chose me to create those images for her. When someone wants photographs of themselves for themselves, rather than for a particular job, choosing who takes them is a personal decision, and I do not take that lightly.
Hair, Makeup and Styling
Heidi and Vaiva did their own hair and makeup, and the outfits all came from them too, including the matching and complementary pairs. That preparation shaped the whole day. When models arrive with the looks already thought through, the time in the studio goes on the photographs rather than on working out what to wear next.
What Made It Work
We have now worked together on a few shoots, and it shows in the images. The first time you work with someone there is always a period of settling in, working out how they like to be directed and how far they want to push things. With Heidi and Vaiva that stage is behind us. Comfort levels are better and confidence has grown, and they are now quicker to try an idea, to push a pose further or to laugh at the ones that do not work. You can see that most in the shared frames, where the ease between them comes through in their expressions rather than having to be posed.
Having someone you know in the room also helps. A laugh between set-ups takes a lot of the pressure off, and the looser, more natural shots from the end of the day come directly from that. I would much rather a shoot ran like that than felt stiff and formal.
Model Safety and Chaperones
Because they came together, Heidi and Vaiva acted as each other’s chaperone for the day, and that is an arrangement I have always preferred. I think chaperones are an important part of model portfolio shoots, and in my experience the best version is a trusted person who is also a peer, someone you can relax and have a giggle with. For younger or newer models in particular, that makes a real difference to how the day feels.
My position on safety does not change from one shoot to the next. There is no physical contact between me and any model during a session. If a pose needs adjusting, I describe it or demonstrate it from a distance. I encourage every model to bring a chaperone, whether that is a friend, a family member or another model, and the offer is made before every shoot. If a photographer refuses to let you bring someone, or tries to talk you out of it, treat that as a serious red flag. There is no legitimate professional reason for it. Your safety should never be something you have to negotiate, and the right photographer will be glad you have someone with you.
Model Portfolio Photography in Suffolk
My studio is at Base Business Park in Rendlesham, on the former RAF Bentwaters site, a short drive from Woodbridge and Ipswich. There is room for several set-ups in a single day, from plain backdrops to built sets like the newspaper wall, which suits joint sessions where two models want plenty of variety. I work with models from across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and the wider East Anglia area, whether you are putting together a first portfolio or adding to an established one.
I am already looking forward to the next shoot with Heidi and Vaiva, and to seeing what they bring with them next time.
