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When to shoot?
Plan ahead! Always make sure to check the weather before going for a shoot. If you're looking to capture pictures during a bright and sunny day, you wouldn't want to wake up to a dark cloudy sky. If that's what you're going for then go ahead, but if not, plan for it! A small tip, for portrait photography, shooting during cloudy days gives a more pleasant light. The clouds soften the light on the subjects face so it's not too harsh. Once again, if you want to go for the bright harsh light "look" then go for it. The best times to shoot portraits are during sunrise and sunset, also known as "golden hour". The reason why is because the sun is at a super low angle. Therefore, the light casted on your subjects face is direct so you won't have unpleasant shadows created on the face. For example, if you shoot at noon, the sun is right above our heads. This means there will be shadows on the face of the subject. Plan your shoot accordingly and you will come up with the best results!
What camera gear to use?
As any photographer would tell you: "the equipment doesn't define the quality of the picture". In a lot of ways, this is true. If you give a 10,000$ camera to a beginner photographer, he won't know how to shoot any better. However, good equipment does help. For any beginners out there, don't get caught up in purchasing the right camera model. There are many brands out thre that will do the job just finr for you: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, etc. I personally shoot on a Sony and it does wonder for me. Dont't be afraid to experiment and figure out which is best for you. As for lenses, go for the basic portrait lens: 50mm focal length. You don't have to break the bank, just buy an affordable one and learn with that. As you get better, you will start to crave for upgrades and better equipment, but for now, stick to the basics!
How to make a model feel comfortable
As any portrait photographer, building a relationship with the model or the subject is very important. If the model feels uncomfortable, it will show in the picture. If she doesn't like the way you pose her, it will show as well. Certain poses and certain angles work for some and others don't. A lot of the photography work doesn't even have to do with the camera techniques. It's about you as a person and how you interact. A good tip would be to learn a few basic poses, poses that work for eveyone. Find maybe 3 to 5 go-to poses you can always rely on and build from there. As the shoot goes on, the model will get more comfortable. Don't be shy. You have to keep a conversation going while shooting. If you stay silent, the model will feel awkward becasue she doesn't know if he or she is doing well. Compliment, share your thoughts and ideas. In the end, portrait photography is a team work.