1) Respect the venue and the venue organiser. If there are off-limits areas, leave them off limits no matter how tempting! Tidy up and leave the area as you found it and stick to the ground rules to avoid getting the group a bad reputation.

2) Respect the models and what they wish to shoot, act only on their suggestions and don’t force your own agenda on them (EG semi nude / risque work). Comments that might seem playful could be taken the wrong way, and coercing a model to disrobe when they didn’t intend to is a surefire way to make it their last group shoot. If the model does want to shoot topless or semi-nude, rest assured they will let you know, it’s not your place to ask!

3) Respect other photographers. If they are shooting, let them finish and don’t interfere. If they have come up with a shot or a location you didn’t think of, don’t get jealous and try to steal the show. Let them finish and do your own followup in the same spot when they’re done. Or, just TALK to the photographer, and come to an arrangement to work side by side. Distracting models and interfering with a setup wastes everyones time and leaves both photographers with mediocre shots with models not knowing which lens to look down.

4) Respect the clock – there are more photographers than models, so be mindful that there are other people waiting to shoot and don’t use too much time. Test your light setups with spare photographers and not models, so that you can let the model be elsewhere being productive! No point taking 30 minutes of a models time to get your light right when she could be spending that 30 minutes on a finished setup getting some useable portfolio work!