Each year, I am bombarded by requests to work with me as a photography assistant.  From students to amateur photographers to people that want to go pro, everyone seems to want to know my “secrets” from working in the industry and they think they can be learned if they simply tag along.

Well, the good news is that I’m always looking for “qualified” photography assistants.  The bad news is my definition of “qualified” may not be what you think.

Here’s a recent inquiry someone sent me through my website:

Hi!  I have been studying photography at the College for Creative Studies and will be graduating next year.  I have been following your blog for while and I love your portfolio!  I don’t know if you are currently hiring any photography assistants, but I am extremely interested to work with you.  Can you tell me what you look for in a photography assistant?  I am just starting out and any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

A.J.

So, “What I look for” is simple enough.  Here it is in decending order:

1. Great attitude
2. Personable
3. Dependable
4. Dedicated
5. Technical knowledge of photography and equipment

That’s it.  In general I’m looking a reliable “people person” when I select assistants to work with me that are just starting out.  Technical knowledge and some proficiency with a DSLR is nice, but you need to be able to relate to people.  This is number one item simply because having a great attitude will get you through most challenges. Photography school and technical prowess behind a lens is not needed nor is it required for you to be success as an assistant.

If you’re interested in a being an assistant and helping out with photo shoots, please be sure to contact me online and let me know!  I’d love to hear from you

Senior portraits, senior photos and senior pictures.  They may go by many names, but one thing is for sure: studio photography is “out” and on-location lifestyle photography is “in” … in a BIG way!  There isn’t any reason to settle for an indoor session with with cheesy backdrops where there are so many incredible outdoor locations available nearby! Each year more and more seniors are giving their school’s selected yearbook cookie cutter photography “studio” an unequivocal “no” by choosing to have an outdoor lifestyle senior portrait session instead.  What are you waiting for?  Choose to LOVE your senior pictures!

My recent Class of 2013 senior pictures session with Ellen from South Lyon, Michigan was no exception.  For her senior pictures, it was very important to keep them clean and simple.  Even though she had to drive for an hour to get there, I think the results from the location we selected speak for themselves.  She was a blast to work with and her portraits are amazing and speak for themselves.  I absolutely love them!  I’ve been going through her proofs and they look incredible. I seriously had a hard time only selecting a few for her sneak peek post, but here are some of my personal favorites. Please be sure to check them out and leave a comment for her!

If you are ready to stand out and say, “No!” to the way senior portraits used to be done in a drab studio, please contact me online or call 734-776-0497 for a free consultation. I’d love to have the opportunity to work with you and give you the type of senior pictures that will make your friends jealous!

South Lyon Senior Pictures

Class of 2013 South Lyon Senior Portraits

South Lyon Senior Portraits Photographer

South Lyon Senior Portraits

South Lyon Senior Portraits Photographer

As a Metro Detroit model photographer, I have the opportunity to work with a lot of established as well as up-and-coming models throughout Michigan.  I first worked with Ashley last year for a shoot that would become the cover of the premiere issue of iT! Magazine Detroit.  She is relatively new to modeling but has come a very long way in a very short time.

As with all model photography, styling is absolutely key to the success of the photo shoot.  Attention must be equally given to hair, makeup, wardrobe and accessories for the overall look to come together.  In the case of this shoot with Ashley, a simple hematite choker worked great along side the leather top with nickel zippers and studded details.

Of course, it goes without saying, a great team is necessary to capture great images.  A GREAT hair stylists and makeup artists worked together to deliver these incredible images.  The “firey” hair highlights look absolutely amazing against her skin and the silver makeup really brings your attention to her eyes.  These images really show how the whole look comes together, but don’t let anyone tell you that is all you need to become a model.  A lot of hard work and PRACTICE goes into the process.

Model: Ashley Malinowski
Hair Stylist: Abby Duncan
Makeup Artist: Lauren Lea
Photography: Paul Manoian

If you are in Metro Detroit and looking for a model photographer for head shots or comp cards to help build your model portfolio, I would love to have the opportunity to work with you.  Please contact me online or call 734-776-0497 for a free consultation.

Metro Detroit Model Photographers

Metro Detroit Model Headshot Photographer

Metro Detroit Model Photographer

Metro Detroit Model Photography

CONGRATULATIONS, you have successfully nailed down a shoot with a photographer … now what? What should you pack? How should you prepare for a model photo shoot and the adventure ahead? Well, there are a few steps you should take in order to be in tip-top shape for your upcoming model photo shoot:

Step #1: Know the Concept
Step #2: Prepare your Hair and Make-Up
Step #3: Prepare your Wardrobe

How to Prepare for a Model Photo Shoot

Step #1:Knowing your concept includes discussing with the photographer exactly what kind of shoot this is going to be. Will it be Glamour, High Fashion, Commercial, Pin-Up, Theatrical or so on. When you know the concept, you are able to mentally and physically prepare how you are going to look and how you are going to pose. For instance, if it is a themed shoot, there is a very particular wardrobe and character you have to develop in order to knock the shoot out of the park. In juxtaposition, if you are doing more of a commercial look, you have more wiggle room. At least a week before your model photo shoot, call or email the photographer and make sure you know exactly what kind of images you both wish to create.

Step #2: Preparing your hair and make-up is essential to the success of your model photo shoot. To start, as discussed, know the concept of the shoot. This will aid in narrowing down your choices of looks. Next, analyze your portfolio and decipher what looks you wish to add. In blogs to come I will go further in-depth about the hair and make-up tools best for each look, however, I will tell you now that there are two objects that I believe are essential for any concept you are going to shoot: Eyelashes and Hair Spray.

In order to take your look to the next level, choose a pair of eyelashes. For Pin-Up looks, thin long lashes will make your eyes appear rounder, giving you that “Doe-Eyed” look for the men at sea to dream about. On the other hand, a thick, mid-length lash will lengthen your eyes, creating that mysterious, sexy, “come-hither” look. Whatever length and thickness, adding eyelashes makes your eyes pop, making your images that much more memorable.

For your hair, hairspray is a MUST have. For a photo shoot, hair has a direct connection to your confidence level. You spend your time and energy preparing it for the shoot and, when you get there it falls or moves or frizzes or what-have-you and your confidence is shot. Hair spray eliminates fly-aways (those little disobedient hairs that stick right up like Alfalfa from The Little Rascals), and holds you hair in tacked so all you have to worry about is the camera.

Step #3: Preparing your wardrobe is the final touch that can make-or break a look. If you are doing a 1940’s Hollywood look with a 2010 short cocktail dress, the you have missed your mark, my dear. Make sure the wardrobe is appropriate for the theme. Also, if you have an image in your head that differentiates from the look the photographer wants, clashing may occur. So, to eliminate this, make what I call a “Goodie Bag.” This goodie bag includes at least five different outfits, different pairs of shoes and jewelry that you believe best encompasses what the concept you will be shooting. This will not only impress the photographer, but it will allow you to nail at least one look that you AND the photographer will love.

Also, make sure you put on and practice posing in every outfit you have in your goodie bag. You can nail an outfit, but when you put it on and freeze up because you have no idea how to pose in it, then the shoot is compromised. So, put on each look and try at least five different poses to ensure that you can, in fact, rock the hair, make-up and the concept for your shoot.

As always, stay positive, stay confident, prepare your look and you will be great.

Lots of love,
Rachel B.

I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of established as well as up and coming models as a Detroit model photographer.  I love having the opportunity to collaborate with a group of talented individuals to create something special that will truly stand out in a model portfolio.  Along those lines, the photo shoots I enjoy most are the ones where I have total “lighting freedom” am able to bring an edgy, moody feel to the session.

The capture great images, it is critical to work with a GREAT TEAM!  The ballet dancer model photo shoot images below would not have been possible if everyone involved was not on their A game … especially the incredible model!  Regardless of a model’s professional photo shoot experience, not everyone is physically capable of performing as a ballet dancer.  It took years of training to hold these poses!

Model: Dee Evasic
Hair Stylist: Ashley Malinowski
Makeup: Cristina Gherghinis
Photography: Paul Manoian

By keeping the lighting simple for this ballet dancer model photo session, I was able to capture some incredible shots with very dramatic lighting.   I only used two Elinchrom soft boxes for this series of photos.  I absolutely love these images and it was very difficult to only select a few for this blog post.

If you are a ballet dancer in Metro Detroit and looking for a model photographer to help build out your model or ballet portfolio, I would love to have the opportunity to work with you.  Please contact me online or call 734-776-0497 for additional information.

Ballet Model Photographers in Metro Detroit

Ballet Dancer Model Photographers in Metro Detroit

Ballet Model Photographer in Metro Detroit

Ballet Models Photographer in Metro Detroit

Ballet Dancer Model Photography in Metro Detroit

“Spring Forward” is here which means Mother’s Day is only 2 months away!  It seems like everyone truly believes Mom likes fuzzy socks, but the truth is she would LOVE displaying her family in a a piece of award-winning photography hanging on a wall in her home!

This year, we are once again offering our  incredibly popular Mother’s Day photography special (a first in southeast Michigan back in 2010): a 1 hour on-location family portrait session that includes an 11″x14″ fine art canvas mounted to a stretcher frame for only $195 and a spiral bound “Brag Book” with 10 proofs that Mom can carry in her purse and show off to her friends!

Our fine art canvases are created by peeling the emulsion of a photographic print and bonding it directly to the canvas.  The canvas is then laminated to protect it from scuffs and scratches as well as provide UV protection.  Finally, it is mounted to a stretcher frame and is ready to mount in a frame.  This is not a print!  It is truly a piece of art that will grace any wall in Mom’s home!

Give Mom a Mother’s Day gift this year that she will never forget.  This special is being offered for a very limited time and will only be available to the first 5 families that book and schedule a session before April 1st, 2012 to take place before May 31, 2012.

If you are interested in booking a Mother’s Day session or additional information, please contact us online or call 734-776-0497.

I love being a model photographer in Detroit!  In gives me an incredible opportunity to collaborate with a group of talented individuals to create something special that will truly stand out in a model portfolio each time we meet.  Some of my favorite sessions have a dance theme to them since they contain a creative edge that simply isn’t present in other types of model photo shoots.

As I’ve said hundreds of times before, it is critical to have GREAT TEAM to capture great images!  The model, styling and photography are equally important in the process.  Of course, the ballerina model photo shoot images shown below would definitely would not have been possible without an incredible ballet dancer regardless of a model’s professional photo shoot experience!

Model: Chelsey Korte
Hair Stylist: Danielle Capaldi
Makeup: Cristina Gherghinis
Photography: Paul Manoian

I only used two Elinchrom soft boxes for this series of photos.  Even with extremely simple lighting, the end result provided very dramatic lighting for a great ballet model photography session.   All of the images from this ballet model photography session turned out great and I had a very difficult time selecting only a few for this blog post.

If you are a ballerina in Metro Detroit and looking for a model photographer to help build out your model or ballet portfolio, I would love to have the opportunity to work with you.  My Detroit Michigan model photography experience includes model headshots, model comp cards and model portfolios. Please feel free to contact me online or call 734-776-0497 for additional information.

Ballerina Models Photographers in Metro Detroit

Ballerina Models Photographer in Metro Detroit

Ballerina Models Photographer in Metro Detroit

Ballerina Model Photographer in Metro Detroit

Professional actor head shots represent you as an actor and your professional BRAND.  Consider your professional head shot is often the only thing standing between you and a call, this is not an area where you want to skimp.  Presenting a bad actor head shot is often worse than not presenting one at all.  This is even more important for child actor head shots since then need to be updated every six months!

So, what makes a good head shot GREAT? Here are our Top 4 Tips to consider based on our experience in providing professional actor head shots in Metro Detroit:

• You need to look like a professional – there can’t be anything amateurish about your head shot.
• You need to have a mainstream look – appealing to the masses is extremely important.
• You need be properly styled – don’t underestimate how important it is to fashionable for the current times.
• You need to look natural – agencies avoid overly retouched images like the plague.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to work with Lauren and Evan for their child actor head shots.  They were amazing kids to work with and we were able to get a number of brilliant images for their child actor head shot portfolios.  I had a very difficult time selecting only a couple for their session sneak peek, but selected a couple of my favorites to include below.  Special thanks to Kristy at One Salon for the great styling!

Are you ready to put your best image forward? If so, please use the form below to contact us online or call us at 734-776-0497 for a free head shot consultation.

Metro Detroit Child Actor Head Shot Photographer

Metro Detroit Child Actor Headshot Photographers

Metro Detroit Child Actor Headshot Photographer

Metro Detroit Child Actor Head Shot Photographers

Over the past couple of years, clients have regularly asked me about registering for photography workshops in Metro Detroit area. I will be offering a variety of workshops in 2012 that cover a wide range of topics for amateur and professional photographers including the basics of operating a DLSR camera to model lighting concepts!

I am in the process of creating a series of Metro Detroit workshops for the year and have a number of polls to help ensure the right level of information is shared. Poll results are completely anonymous.

If you are interested in registering for a photography workshop in Metro Detroit, please be sure to sign up for my email newsletter! Also, please feel free to contact me online with your photography workshop suggestions.

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a great 2011 and have an even better 2012!!

Thank you to all of you who have made 2011 such an incredible year for Paul Manoian Photography. I am ever grateful for all of your blog comments and email.  If you haven’t already, please be sure to sign up for our email Newsletter this year ( The signup form is over there —–> ).  Also, I’d love to connect with you on Facebook as well.

So, why is tonight’s blog image of an engagement ring?  Simply because tonight is the single, greatest night for wedding proposals! Please be sure to let us know if you say “I do” tonight!!

Detroit Wedding Photographer