Every aspiring photographer needs to practice. If you are just starting out, or even if you have more experience and just want to hone your skills, you will need the opportunity to improve your technique and build up your portfolio. You will need to be able to source models to help you out and get the shots you need.

It might be worth asking family and friends whether they would be willing to help you out and act as a photography model. This will give you the chance to practice working with lots of different people in different situations. Just remember to remain professional – it can be easy to let standards slip when working with people you know.

Take photographs at events. This is a great opportunity to work on your skills, and you will have lots of chances to take natural photographs of people in action. This puts you in a more lifelike situation and avoids you having to ask people to pose for you.

Contact modelling agencies if you would like to try working with some professionals. They may have some new models on their books who are also looking to expand their portfolios and who would welcome the opportunity to work with a photographer. You might even be able to get some work via the agency if the shots you get are good.