getting models to look directly into the camera (pics)

[koolkat]

I agree with Mr. Blue.

I think especially with the POV blowjobs and masturbation shots.

[RawAlex]

I like models to look directly in the camera when they are alone or when they are obviously posing. I don't like models to look at the camera while engaged in a sex act, unless the idea is to draw the viewer in (say if they are making a running commentary about "so, do you think I should lick her pussy?" to get the viewer to be interested, or other POV style things).

I do think that banners, tours and such should all include powerful pictures of the model looking right at the camera. I think it helps to make a connection between the viewer and the model, and can help to draw people in.

Alex

[juggernaut]

I would be real careful with the eye contact. Some girls, pro's or not know themselves well enough to pull it off. But most don't in front of a camera. But here's something that happened to me during my very last shoot. The girl was smoking hot blonde pro model, in fact I still see her in a local TV car ad here. I shot her like 5 years ago and she is still working. Anyway she has a floater. Very very subtle. You can't notice it when looking at her face directly. But if she tilted her head or turned her head it was barely noticeable by the human eye. Until the camera flashes. I had 3 roll of film all end up in the trash because she looked like she was looking at camera with one eye and the wall with the other. Just be careful that’s all.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by juggernaut

...I had 3 roll of film all end up in the trash because she looked like
she was looking at camera with one eye and the wall with the other.

Damn shame you trashed those photos, I hear that the
"One eye lookin' at ya, one eye lookin' for ya" niche
is pretty hot.

[juggernaut]

I still have some. I just have to find them and scan and put them up. I admit they are kind of funny looking.

[juggernaut]

Originally Posted by juggernaut

I still have some. I just have to find them and scan and put them up. I admit they are kind of funny looking.

Ok had to use the way back machine. But I found her. Look at the left eye man I forgot how bad it really was I can't believe she is still working. Some of you from Jersey might see here in a local Mercedes commercial.
http://www.fullphotos.com/1.jpgIf the image does not come up try to refreash the page. I dont know whats wrong and i need to eat some food.

[susanna]

Jayman, the short answer is that you know your target audience more then we do.

One thing to note is what is on your tour? if its a huge pile of pictures of your girls looking right into the camera, success comes from having those same pictures in your members area. This is basic paysite strategy and I would have hoped you already knew this.

As for my opinion, neither is better. Grandma pointed out that it seems only women do this in hardcore. Solo male pictures probably do well ONLY BECAUSE OF THE EYES not the floppy dick or chiseled abs. Any picture with a gal looking at the camera probably does well if she has a submissive, "I want nothing more then to have your cock stuck in one of my holes" look. This is a huge marketing strategy...the submissive... fill me with cum...fantasy.

As for the posed question...what about a couples sex scene where the man looks direct into the camera? well it would instantly mean to me that she was only his conquest and that he has no intention of being intimate with her... I am wondering if the women in shoots who are not connecting with the man behind the dick in her mouth are secretly avoiding intimacy themselves.

[Seska]

Like others have said, it depends on your target audience. I also think it depends on the context of the shoot.

The way my husband and I tend to shoot our content is in a voyeur style so basically I am going at it with my partner(s) and he captures the action. We do not pay much attention to him. I think this style works well for swinger themed sites.

During webcam shows I interact with the audience so there is definitely eye contact made with them (well, through the power of the Net) and videos we get from shows reflect that. I also similarily make eye cotnact when I do a solo shoot but only for softer sets. If there is action then I tend to focus on what I am feeling.

If I am doing a themed shoot then I don't make a lot of eye contact. The fourth wall is left intact. Though I do enjoy some narration towards the camera if it works for the shoot. I think it can be funny but sexy and intimate at the same time.

[nekrom]

In my experience majority of males want to see the womans eyes looking into the camera, esp in blowjob scenes. It makes the surfer believe that they are in the movie with the model.

I also agree that female surfers and a small % of males like to watch a "couple" with camera as filming, not being stared at by models. And ya i'll also echo the focus on the male when aimed at female surfs, and keep the male model out, when aiming it at men.

2cents
-N

[anasporn]

Grandma, keep feeling compelled! As a woman, one of my biggest complaints about bed partners is that they are so damn quiet!! If I'm going surfing for porn, I don't want to have the same problem LOL What's wrong with knowing the guy is loving it? That means the woman has skilz

[Simon]

I love it when the woman has skilz

What turns me off is when the guy doesn't... but still insists on running his mouth. I particularly dislike it when the guys keep asking the girls stupid questions that they're not even sure they're supposed to be answering. Or when the cameraman, outside the action, is giving directions you can hear. To me that just makes it look like no one there had a clue.

Oh yeah, another thing that's terrible... dubbing in sound later, with people making noises that are not quite synched to the action (and often with voices that don't quite match the performer either).

[MonsterPartners]

Who is looking at their eyes? LOL

[Ms Naughty]

Simon, I'm with you on dodgy dialogue and the camerman talking in the background. It feels... well, amateur. But not "amateur" in a good way. It can be distracting, and ruins the fantasy. Of course, gonzo is all about getting the camera guy/interview involved, so I can understand that, but if it's just a plain fantasy setup, stay the hell out of it!

Actually... again, this is just a personal opinion, and female one at that... I always find those "question and answer" things really creepy. Perhaps because the ones I've seen usually involve an interviewer or camera guy who sounds like a sniggering 16 year old, or some heavy breather in a trench coat. EWW!

[karomesis]

Grandma, keep feeling compelled! As a woman, one of my biggest complaints about bed partners is that they are so damn quiet!! If I'm going surfing for porn, I don't want to have the same problem LOL What's wrong with knowing the guy is loving it? That means the woman has skilz

anasporn, as a man, I will attest to making some serious noise. I have actually recieved complaints from the neighbors for the verbal proof of my intense satisfaction.

agree 100% with this. I hate to purchase a set of a couple fucking, and she looks like she isn't enjoying it, and swiveling her head around to look at the camera.

I like a balance between looking at the camera...some eye contact is very sexy....and some eyes closed looking like she is REALLY enjoying what ever is happening to her, and some looking at her partner (if she has one) in the shoot.

I think tease shots of solo girls where she is just starting to undress where she is looking right at the camera is really hot, but couples, or lesbian, less camera looking, more staring into the eyes of their partners, or eyes closed looking like they are screaming in pleasure. Ok, so I'm a woman, that is what I like.

hey, I say give them what they like, right? Nice program BTW
at last count there where 9+ million women veiwing porn on a monthly basis, If your program is on the money for what women want, then Your signups will increase dramatically.(which I think they will).

Also, I think that there are some men who feel the same way, me being one of them. That for the intensity of the situation to be conveyed correctly, both parties involved should be enjoying the copulation equaly. Obviously the film quality is important as well as other variables like the directors cinemetography. Some of these guys don't look like they know how to shoot anything, how will they ever convey the emotionaly intensity of an intimate moment between a couple?

[basschick]

i think it depends on the content. we're shooting bodybuilders posing, and sometimes it makes sense to have them look into the camera, but sometimes it really doesn't.

i like the feeling that a solo girl alone in her bedroom gives when she undresses and plays with herself as if the camera wasn't even there. i think it's way sexy. also - and this may be a female perspective - the second i see a girl supposedly in the throes of passion looking into the camera instead of at her partner or closing her eyes, i pretty much feel she's faking it.

as far as photographers who talk and talk and talk, that drives me fucking NUTS! i once talked to photogregg about this and he said without the talking, the scenes get boring. i disagree - i think that surfers want to focus on the girl or the sex, but that's only my opinion... and the opinions of all the members who wrote and asked if we could get the photographer to shut up *LOL*

Originally Posted by basschick

i think it depends on the content. we're shooting bodybuilders posing, and sometimes it makes sense to have them look into the camera, but sometimes it really doesn't.

i like the feeling that a solo girl alone in her bedroom gives when she undresses and plays with herself as if the camera wasn't even there. i think it's way sexy. also - and this may be a female perspective - the second i see a girl supposedly in the throes of passion looking into the camera instead of at her partner or closing her eyes, i pretty much feel she's faking it.

as far as photographers who talk and talk and talk, that drives me fucking NUTS! i once talked to photogregg about this and he said without the talking, the scenes get boring. i disagree - i think that surfers want to focus on the girl or the sex, but that's only my opinion... and the opinions of all the members who wrote and asked if we could get the photographer to shut up *LOL*

Good points.

There are no "Golden Rules" in porn. In fact you will always find someone who likes it. The aim is to cover as many bases without diluting the whole thing and losing the penetration.

Yes there is a niche where the girl does not look at the camera, other than "Voyeur", but the girl must look very natural and still show something. Tough call.

Then there is the niche where the girl looks into the camera, but unless you have someone be3hind it who is motivating the girl to do more then "Look at the camera" it can be useless.

For couples work there is both themes, looking at the partner and at the camera. But both need to show something different. One is a girl hot to fuck the person she is with, the other is her teasing the onlooker yet still enjoying herself and her partner.

And there are people who like to here a shooter talking to a girl, problem is when the girl talks back with nothing in her voice to betray enjoyment.

Fortunately for those who understand porn there are no "Golden Rules". Except one.

It has to get a guys dick hard enough for him to get his wallet out.

But like great cooking, you might have all the ingredients for Coq Au Van, but if you don't have the flair to put them together all you will end up with is chicken stew with wine.

[KCat]

Originally Posted by basschick

i like the feeling that a solo girl alone in her bedroom gives when she undresses and plays with herself as if the camera wasn't even there. i think it's way sexy. also - and this may be a female perspective - the second i see a girl supposedly in the throes of passion looking into the camera instead of at her partner or closing her eyes, i pretty much feel she's faking it.

I totally agree. I do like some eye contact when it's presented in a "look at these hot photos I shot just for you! I was thinking about how hard your cock would get while I was playing" context.

My biggest turn-off are the very posed shots where the girl is looking right at the camera with a big cheesy smile on her face. I can almost hear the photographer in the background saying, 1 - 2 - 3 - SMILE! It's the Walmart of porn photography.

The sample shots of Raven, on the other hand, have a very sexy look, inviting the viewer to see more.

Originally Posted by KCat

I totally agree. I do like some eye contact when it's presented in a "look at these hot photos I shot just for you! I was thinking about how hard your cock would get while I was playing" context.

My biggest turn-off are the very posed shots where the girl is looking right at the camera with a big cheesy smile on her face. I can almost hear the photographer in the background saying, 1 - 2 - 3 - SMILE! It's the Walmart of porn photography.

The sample shots of Raven, on the other hand, have a very sexy look, inviting the viewer to see more.

getting a model to look into the camera with that thought in her head is tough. But we had to do it in the days of old for the magazines.

However tough to do when people want to buy sets for $10 or $200 exclusive. some exclusive shooters are forced to do 10 sets a day to make it pay. Some think shooting porn is a race.

In this business like all others you get what you pay for.

Content is not a level playing field. A good set can bring in 100 sign ups from a non Internet source. Don't bother asking me because I'm not telling you about it. The content is the first thing a surfer sees, it's what stops or makes him hit the back button, it's what makes him get his credit card out. It's what makes him stay or come back 6 months down the line. This is what keeps affiliates happy, the freebies are just to get him interested. The money keeps him.

So why do so many buy content on price?

[KCat]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham2

So why do so many buy content on price?

Because they can. If I have the choice of $10 non-exclusive or $200 exclusive, I'll take the $10 all day long. Some models, some sets sell very well & in my experience, the exclusive girls I use don't out perform the non-exclusive. That seems to be something that webmasters are more concerned with than surfers.

I think the way you have your stores set up is brilliant. I can buy a bunch of bargain basement sets & if my members really like one particular model, you can bet I'm going to hunt down more of her sets. I might get one or two for $5, but the rest are $40. Works well for everybody.

[Seba]

Personally, I like pics where the girl is not looking into the cam. I like being an observer

[american perv]

i like when the model looks at the camera, but not in every pic

[MarkTiarra]

I'm a fan of the eye contact, especially on oral shots. Doesn't need to be every pic by any means but it's good to have a nice selection of them in every shoot. Those type pics work great on tours too.