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Field Guide · Volume 01

Dante T9

The Photoshoot Companion
NYC Photography · Modeling Agency
Sony A7III Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Sigma 105mm f/1.4
SWIPE UP
Behind every frame
About this guide

Hey, I'm Dante.

I run Dante's Models, an NYC photography studio and modeling agency.

This is the field guide I built for myself. Every shot I know works. The exact words I say to models. The camera settings I never change.

I made it public because the photography community gave me everything when I started. This is me giving back.

If you find it useful: follow @dantet9, come work with us, or just shoot something beautiful.

— Dante
Sten Rademaker on Unsplash
01 · Before the shoot

Prep checklist

i
Batteries3 charged Sony FZ100. One in body, two in bag.
ii
SD cards2x 64GB UHS-II formatted empty.
iii
Both lenses35mm on body, 105mm in bag with caps.
iv
Reflector + release5-in-1 reflector. 2 signed release copies + pen.
Conor Luddy on Unsplash
02 · Camera baseline

Sony A7III

ModeAperture Priority
AFWide + Eye AF on
DriveContinuous Lo
ISOAuto 100-6400
Min SS1/200s
EV+1/3 stop
FileRAW + JPEG Fine
David alvarado on Unsplash
03 · Lens strategy

35 or 105

Sigma 35mm f/1.4

Environmental · Story · Wide

Walking shots, full-body, mall corridors, anywhere context tells the story.

Sigma 105mm f/1.4

Portrait · Compression · Bokeh

Headshots, close-ups, intimate framing. When she is the story.

Section I
Capitulum Primum

The Park

Open light, organic textures. Natural shade and golden hour for the keepers.

Shayan Ghiasvand on Unsplash
PARK · Shot 01

Sitting on grass

Golden hour, low angle
105mm f/1.8
Say to her
"Sit cross-legged, lean back on your right hand, chin down, eyes follow my left shoulder."
Get level with her or below. Eye-level kills awkwardness.
Sun behind her, halo on hair. Always.
Single-point AF on closest eye.
Marcel Strauß on Unsplash
PARK · Shot 02

Walking the path

Movement, environmental
35mm f/2
Say to her
"Walk slow, look down at the path, then up to my right ear, hold three steps."
Continuous AF, eye-tracking on. She is moving.
Walk her toward open shade. Never harsh sun.
Drop to one knee for the leg-line stretch.
Austin Ramsey on Unsplash
PARK · Shot 03

Under trees, open shade

Soft modeling, no nose shadow
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Turn shoulders 45 right, head back to me, gentle exhale, soft eyes."
Edge of shadow facing open sky. That is the spot.
Watch for green color cast from leaves.
f/1.4 to fully separate her from the trees.
Junior Moran on Unsplash
PARK · Shot 04

Flowers in foreground

Layered depth, dreamy
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Crouch behind these flowers, look past my left ear, drop chin a touch."
Shoot through flowers. 6 to 12 inches from foreground.
Decide: flowers in focus OR melt them. Don't half-commit.
Meter on her face. Skin tone first.
Section II
Capitulum Secundum

The Mall

Architecture, repetition, glass. Indoor light. Turn corridors into runways.

Younes Barri on Unsplash
MALL · Shot 05

Near the escalator

Architecture as line
35mm f/2
Say to her
"Hand on the rail, turn 30 degrees, head back over your shoulder, slight smile."
Escalator diagonal as leading line to her face.
1/200s minimum to freeze the moving rail.
Stay at her eye level.
Sasha Sashina on Unsplash
MALL · Shot 06

Glass window light

Window as softbox
105mm f/2
Say to her
"Palm on the glass, look at your reflection, hold, now to me, hold, now down."
Window IS the softbox. Let it wrap.
Shoot at slight angle to dodge your reflection.
Multiple looks. She moves, you don't.
Chi Lok TSANG on Unsplash
MALL · Shot 07

Mall corridor walk

Vanishing point energy
35mm f/2
Say to her
"Walk away from me, hands in pockets, don't look back, halfway glance over right shoulder."
Vanishing-point composition. Lines pull eye to her.
Repeating columns equal visual rhythm.
The glance is the keeper, not the walking-away.
Benjamin Wedemeyer on Unsplash
MALL · Shot 08

Bokeh lights

Christmas-light treatment
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Lean shoulder on the wall, weight on left hip, head against the wall, eyes to me."
Lights 10+ feet behind her. Bigger bokeh balls.
f/1.4 turns point lights into circles.
Watch green or orange spill on skin.
Section III
Capitulum Tertium

Creative

Silhouettes, reflections, scale. The shots that feel directed, not just taken.

Milo Weiler on Unsplash
CREATIVE · Shot 09

Silhouette, sunset

Shape over face
35mm f/5.6
Say to her
"Sideways to sun, arch back, raise one arm, hold the body line."
Meter for sky. Let her go dark.
Profile shape matters more than her face here.
Window: sun 1-2 finger-widths above horizon.
Guillaume Bolduc on Unsplash
CREATIVE · Shot 10

Backlit golden hour

Rim light, halo, glow
105mm f/2
Say to her
"Back to sun, slight forward lean, hair caught in light, look up to me."
Spot meter on face. Background blows out clean.
Rim light on hair and shoulders. That's the shot.
Reflector under chin to kill nose shadow.
Els Fattah on Unsplash
CREATIVE · Shot 11

Reflection in glass

Double image
35mm f/2.8
Say to her
"Look at your reflection, do not smile, just observe, breathe out slow."
Focus the reflection plane, not the glass.
f/2.8 keeps both her and reflection sharp.
Darker interior behind glass equals cleaner mirror.
Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash
CREATIVE · Shot 12

Environmental scale

Tiny human, big world
35mm f/2.8
Say to her
"Stand small, look up at the building, hold, now to me, hold, now back up."
Her at 30 percent of frame max. Scale tells the story.
Diagonal building lines equal kinetic energy.
Frame off-center. Golden ratio thirds.
Section IV
Capitulum Quartum

Close-ups

Beauty, eyes, hands. Tight crops where every micro-expression matters.

Ben Scott on Unsplash
CLOSE-UP · Shot 13

Beauty close-up

Eye-to-lens, soft
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Look at me, drop chin half an inch, exhale, relax jaw, half smile."
Single-point AF on closest eye. No exceptions.
1/250s minimum at 105mm.
Crop tight: top of head, bottom of chin.
Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash
CLOSE-UP · Shot 14

Flowers near face

Feminine, narrative
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Bring this flower up, lips touching the petals, eyes closed, breath out."
Flowers near face sells without explanation.
f/1.4 partially melts the flower. That's the look.
5 frames. Pick the perfect mouth shape.
Peyman Farmani on Unsplash
CLOSE-UP · Shot 15

Wide-brim hat

Shadow as composition
105mm f/1.4
Say to her
"Tilt brim down to half-shadow your eyes, lift chin slowly, hold when I say."
Hat equals instant mood. Sharp jaw, hidden eyes.
Hat shadow becomes composition element.
Reflector under chin lifts the shadow slightly.
Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
CLOSE-UP · Shot 16

Candid laugh

Authenticity over composition
105mm f/1.8
Say to her
"Don't look at me. Look at that bird and laugh at it. Ugly is fine."
Burst 8 frames per laugh. Keeper is in there.
Never say 'smile'. Give her an action.
Real laughs squeeze eyes. That's the keeper.
Aiony Haust on Unsplash
04 · Variety

Six angles

Eye level
Honest. Your default.
Low
Power. Long legs, strong jaw.
High
Bigger eyes, slimming.
Side profile
Drama. Jaw, neck, lashes.
Over shoulder
Intimate. Moment, not portrait.
Full body
Story + fashion. Use 35mm.
Jakob Owens on Unsplash
05 · Directing

Five phrases

1

"Don't smile, just exhale."

2

"Look past my left ear, soft eyes."

3

"Lean weight into one hip."

4

"Slow blink, then look up."

5

"Forget the camera, follow my finger."

Anna Blake on Unsplash
06 · Directing

Hands

→
Never dangleIdle hands ruin every frame.
→
Give a jobHair, hip, jaw, pocket, glass, hat.
→
Soft, never tenseTense hands kill portraits fast.
→
Side, not backOf the hand. Slimmer, elegant.
Andrey Zvyagintsev on Unsplash
07 · Reading her

Body tells

!
Crossed armsAnxious. Give her a wall.
!
Tight shouldersNervous. Roll yours, she mirrors.
!
Mouth-only smileGet her laughing. Real smiles include eyes.
✓
Soft jaw, weight on hipShe is in it. Shoot fast.
Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
08 · The 30-minute trick

First 30 min

1
15 min of throwawaysTell her: "I'm calibrating light. These don't count."
2
Show the back2-3 times. Pick good frames. Brain logs: this is working.
3
Watch the shiftShoulders drop, jaw softens. Now shoot the real frames.
4
Never show badConfidence is the #1 portfolio asset she leaves with.
Allec Gomes on Unsplash
09 · Session flow

90 minutes

0:00
Greet + releaseSign before any photo.
0:05
CalibrateLight tests, build rapport.
0:20
Look 1 · EssentialsTee + denim, walking.
0:35
Look 2 · BeautyClose-ups, 105mm.
0:50
Look 3 · FeminineSundress, softer.
1:05
Look 4 · AthleisureMovement, fitness.
1:20
Look 5 · ElevatedPolished. Hand shots.
1:25
WrapShow 3 keepers. Thank.
Matthew Kwong on Unsplash
10 · After the shoot

Post flow

1
Same day backupBoth SD cards → laptop + cloud. Twice.
2
24-hour sneak peekText 3-5 unedited shots. Builds excitement.
3
3-5 day delivery15-25 edited finals via Drive or WeTransfer.
4
Build her profile4-6 best frames on dantet9.com.
5
Pitch within a weekSend her shots to 2-3 brand contacts.
If you found this useful

Come work with us

→
For models
Apply to be represented
→
For clients
Book a session
→
For photographers
Follow @dantet9
End of Field Guide · Volume 01

Dante T9

dantet9.com · @dantet9 · castings@dantet9.com

"The portrait is not in the lens. It is in the trust between you and the person across the frame."