Le Preview Brutte: How Trust with Your Model Leads to Hilarious Photos

Hey, my friend! I'm so grateful that you’re dedicating a little time out of your day to read my post. Thank you so much. In a world where time is the most valuable resource, knowing you're spending it on me is incredibly rewarding.

Portraits, as I’ve mentioned many times in my articles, are a combination of many factors. One essential element is the magical alchemy that develops between the photographer and the model.

Every set is different, and every relationship between the team members is unique. And that’s what makes it so wonderful.

Today, I want to share something funny that perfectly illustrates what I’m talking about.

Jessica and I have been shooting together for quite some time now, even though it’s become harder lately to plan and create together. She’s a fantastic model—she knows herself well, and she’s perfectly aware of how to pose, using her body and expressions to their full potential. This makes every set both easier and richer.

As I got to know her better and that alchemy between us grew stronger, I realized the best way to shoot was to do it almost seamlessly. Instead of stopping every time she moved around, thought of a new pose, or tried something before getting to the final pose, I just kept firing one shot after the other. Not really a burst, but more like following the flow of her thoughts and experiments.

This approach now allows me to capture incredible shots—spontaneous and full of feeling. It’s as if they weren’t really "posed."

On the other hand, I end up with a lot of funny images: eyes half-closed, mid-sentence, or nearly toppling over while trying to strike the perfect pose.

These are the first images I send her after the set. We call them "Le preview brutte" ("The ugly previews").

Normally, these aren’t the kind of images you’d post. But we have so much fun and are so in sync when shooting together that we agreed they had to be shared.

By the way, she always makes funny stories with them on Instagram 😊

So here you go, a bunch of our outtakes. Have fun 😊

Take care and talk soon!