Hey SG-Land,
I'm really interested to hear from photographers and models on here what works for them to get the best out of a shoot?
I was working with someone yesterday who I perceived as shy (doesn't mean she is, just how I perceived her), and so before the shoot met for tea and biscotti that was so hard I thought I'd break a tooth (what's the deal with that, why's that pop. now?!).
I shared times where I've made mistakes and looked foolish, and showed I was comfortable with those experiences, and that they help me to grow. This really helped conversation flow, and for the model to relax. We ended up getting shots like this one: