When I first started out in portrait photography, I used to beg everyone I knew to sit for me so I can play around with light setups. This got old for many of them because it required them to be there for a long while. Nowadays I’ll ask my teenage kids to sit for me, and they have the attention span of no more than a minute.

Then it dawned on me. When I was in art school, we used wooden modeling figures to help us with our sketches. So why not use something similar for my photography.

I researched and found out that many well-known photographers use mannequins to help them achieve their lighting visions.

The key to purchasing a mannequin that will help you nail perfect light and shadow representation on the face and body is to invest in a realistic looking mannequin. A mannequin with Realistic looking eyes, quality plastic to more accurately represent skin tones and light reflected off the skin, makeup and hair. The better quality mannequins that are made for photography modeling are more expensive but definitely worth the money.

I ordered on, and I’ve been using it to come up with lighting setups and looks before my actual paid shoots. It’s been remarkable in terms of time management and educational value (Light experimentation).

I can be working on my setup for hours, and I know my great model will stand there for as long as I need her to, and with no complaints.

If you want a model for test shoots who will always be on time, won’t charge anything, doesn’t need to be fed, and won’t whine about posing for a long time. Invest in a good quality mannequin. You’ll thank me for it.