So you Want to be a Model? "How do I become a model?" "For as long as I can remember, friends have told me I should become a model, so how do I start?" If a day passes in which I don't receive at least one email asking one of those questions, then I check to see why my email is broken. Its easy to sit back and daydream about the riches and fame in the life of a working model; chauffeured limos, designer clothing, travel to exotic places, being paid thousands of dollars to just pose for a few photos! That sounds like a nice life! But how to get that life? What is the secret? Where can I be discovered?
The problem is, people usually don't think of the other side of that "life of glamour". In fact, does it really exist? What about the other side, the responsibilities of being a model. What about getting up at 3:30 to be on location well before sunup to get that early morning light? What about constantly watching your diet? Not having much of a real social life because you have be asleep by eight PM to be up by 3 AM to make that 5 AM location shoot? What about the boyfriend or husband who is made insecure by your career? Rejection - constant rejection is a fact of life in modeling. Even the superstars are rejected for assignments for a myriad of reasons. The survivors are those who are able to develop a thick skin and not let the rejection become personal.
OK, in spite of all of the problems involved, you want to give it a try. What should you do first? First, give some thought and honest self appraisal as to your modeling 'look'. Do you look like a model, if so what kind of modeling is right for you?
When most laymen think of modeling, they think of a specialty called editorial fashion. Editorial is sort of the flagship of modeling and where the modeling superstars are bred. These are the models walking the fashion runways in New York and Paris and with their faces on the cover of Vogue. This is also the smallest and most difficult area of modeling to enter and the one with the toughest requirements.Unless you are a woman in your teens, 5' 8" to 6', ultra slim (unhealthy slim) and beautiful, no, more than beautiful, exotically beautiful, living in New York City or Miami (during the fashion season) and who is willing to sacrifice everything in her life other than modeling, then editorial fashion is not for you. Editorial fashion is much more than a career, it is a style of life. For men, the requirements are pretty much the same rules apply, be 6' tall, with well developed musculature and drop dead gorgeous. Certainly there is fashion work in the US outside of Manhattan, but if your goal is to be a full time fashion model, that is the place to live. While fashion is certainly the most demanding area of modeling, it is also carries the greatest range of pay. A super model might be paid thousands for a fashion show, but cover on Vogue might pay around $300, but brings tremendous exposure and recognition within the industry.
The next class of model falls into the area of commercial print models; height requirements are a little looser and it is open to many other body types. Here, we have the catalog fashion models and the faces you see on product labels and in magazine ads; these are the women, men and kids seen in the J C Penny and Sears catalogs. No one knows their names and they are not superstars, but they are what I call the journeymen models. This is where we find the largest amount of work and often the best pay. This is where we find the 10 year olds and the 80 year olds selling hamburgers and the sexy ladies selling lingerie.
Another sub-set of modeling is found in those who do TV commercials. I call this is a sub-set because it includes both super stars and commercial print models, star athletes and actors, celebrities and the unknown. Pay can be lousy, but can also be outstanding.
So with this little overview in mind, how to begin? There are in general, two types of models, those with agency representation and those who are looking for representation. Modeling agents are the interface between the model and the client who does the hiring. They are also the gate keepers, they insure payment and represent the model throughout the industry. Many agents are ethical, businesslike and legitimate representatives; others are not. In general, an agent's income is from a commission paid by both the model and the client, usually between 15% and 20% of the models fee. A similar percent is usually paid by the client. An agent is responsible for a great deal of industry marketing for the model, but the model is responsible for specific marketing. An agent arranges 'go-sees' (interviews) for the model and hopefully gets her or his face before the clients. It is possible for a model to work on a free-lance basis and market her or him self, but this is a difficult and expensive road to follow.
In major market cities, agents tend to be specialized, with some specializing in editorial fashion and other in commercial print work. In major market cities, NY, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, etc, there is enough work for agencies to support themselves on commissions alone. In other cities, unfortunately that is not the case, they tend to make money from the models, not from the clients. They sell modeling schools (totally unnecessary) , portfolio packages, etc to make a business profit. Some charge models high fees for representation, a practice I personally consider to be unethical.
To start in modeling, some rather specific things are needed. Hopeful models need to understand one very important fact; a model is not an employee, he or she a is self employed business person, an independent contractor. A model is responsible for his or her own success or failure. An agent is like a temporary employment agency, they can get the leads, but it is up to you to get the job.
One of the first things a hopeful new model needs is to understand that a professional approach needs to be made to an agent. an agent needs to see how you look, both in person and on film. Most agents have what is called an 'open call day, either weekly or monthly, in which anyone can walk in without an appointment, for an evaluation. Others prefer that you send photos to them, so they can see your look before any personal contact. Most will say that a Polaroid or a snapshot is sufficient. Others prefer to see that a model is sufficiently motivated to have prepared a good presentation, with professional photos. Would you wish a potential career to be based on a Polaroid or a snapshot made by uncle Jim?
There are thousands of photographers and agents who make a living from shooting "portfolio packages". They are generally a waste of time and money. You will ultimately need a full portfolio, but not really before finding agency representation. Some photographers will be more than happy to shoot a portfolio for you, charging from $400 to $1000, but as a hopeful model you don't need that. Most legitimate agent don't expect you to have a finished book as a beginning model. Most legitimate agents will give you a choice of several photographers, who shoot in a style they need, for you to choose from.
In general, a photographer employed by a modeling agency is not a good choice for your photos. You need to find a photographer who shoots in a style similar to the work you are trying to find. If you are seeking editorial fashion work, a commercial shooter will not help you. If you are seeking catalog work, editorial type photos will be a waste of time and money. Modeling is a visual business. Your photos are your business cards and your entry into the business; they are the medium by which you are judged for either work or representation. simply put, for a model, there is nothing as important as your photos!
When selecting photos to either send to an agency or to take with you when going to an open call day, there are certain styles to avoid. Don't show them yearbook or graduation photos, 'glamour' type photos, or 'portraits. Find a photographer who shot s in a style similar to the photos you see in magazines or catalogs. Don't fall for a sales spiel and buy an expensive portfolio package, a few high quality photos, done in the right style are all you need to begin to approach agents.
Modeling schools; save your money! There are some specific skills you will need to master, but they are far better learned 'on the job'. In more than 30 years, I've only come across one model who credited a modeling school with getting her started in modeling. she had modeled in Brazil, but when I met her, she was working as desk clerk in a motel. Modeling schools generally run about 5 or 10 years behind the industry, so what you learn is the way it used to be; you need to learn what is happening now! Short, low cost workshops and seminars can be good. You need to learn makeup at a professional level , how to read from a teleprompter, and so forth. These can be learned in one hour to half day workshops, rather than a thousand dollar modeling school. If you are still in school, rather than pay for a modeling school, I recommend classes in acting, modern dance or ballet and gymnasts, to help learn graceful and fluid movements.
Finally, there is glamour and nude modeling. Despite what many on the internet have to say, non-pornographic nude and glamour modeling are really not specialties, other than on the internet. On the internet, some photographers will tell you that you need nude photo in your portfolio and to be a pro, you have to pose nude. This is a lie! Certainly there is nudity in modeling and a willingness to consider posing sans clothing on occasion can pay well. But we are talking about discrete nudity, the type of nudity seen in perfume ads, for example. However, keep them out of your portfolio! The only exception is the established fashion model who has one semi-nude shot in her book, done in an editorial style. Nudes in a commercial modeling portfolio will probably cost you jobs.
When first approaching an agent, my suggestion is to have three to five high quality photos to show how you photograph. They should be in a style similar to the type of modeling you are seeking. Then be guided by the comments the agent makes to you. Sometimes they will refer you to a photographer for testing, sometimes they will make some suggestion for changes in your look. If you are contacting agents in a major market area and the agent requires you to attend their modeling school, look elsewhere. If they require you to use their in-house photographer, look elsewhere. If they require payment of substantial fees up front look elsewhere. If they require an exclusive contract, look elsewhere. These are all typical scams. In smaller cities there may not be enough work for the agency to support itself on commissions alone, so there may be other charges involved for representation. If that is the case, there is probably not enough local work to keep you busy on a full time basis. In this case, you have some choices to make, model part time or relocate.
There are certain legitimate costs which are the responsibility of the new model. Remember, you are not an employee, but a self employed, independent contractor. Like any new business, there are start up costs. First among these is a comp card. Comps come in a variety of styles and are usually a sheet of heavy paper with three to five photos of you along with your name, your stats and a contact phone number; usually that of the agent. Each photo should be in a different style, different clothing and different looks, with one being a very high quality head shot. The comp is the model's business card and may be the single most important item in the model's inventory. It is often the model's first contact with a potential client.
Of similar importance, agencies publish a "head book", usually on an annual basis. This is a bound book with head shot of all of the models represented by the agency. The agency usually charges the model to be placed in the book and the cost can vary from high to low. This is an expense most models hate paying, but without being in the book, many clients will never know you exist. This is a legitimate and important cost for the model.
Then there is the portfolio. A portfolio generally consists of ten to fifteen photos which show the model's range and abilities. No two should be similar and should be made by several photographers, showing different styles. The portfolio is a continuing cost, in that it is constantly changing and growing as the model progresses. Eventually the portfolio of a successful model should be made up of tear sheets showing published work. many photographer operate what I call portfolio mills, offering portfolio packages which cost from around $00 to more that $1000. These should generally be avoided unless the photographer has recognizable magazine and other publication credits.
Finding a photographer is both easy and difficult. Most photographers shoot weddings and portraits and do a great job with them. Unfortunately though, they often shoot in a style which is not what the beginning model needs. Find a photographer who works in a style similar to the photos you see in magazines and catalogs. A good agent should be able to provide you with a list of photographers whose work is in a style preferred by the agency and in keeping with their needs. Expect to pay for the photos; photographers have businesses to run and an overhead to maintain. They can't afford to do much free shooting, but many will offer deep discounts to beginning models. My recommendation is to shop for a photographers the way you would shop for a new car. Look at and evaluate their product and don't be afraid to ask for a discount.
Many photographers on the internet who offer photo sessions for models are students and amateur shooters who may not be able to provide the quality of work you need. Be careful when selecting a photographer from the internet. Always require references, make sure you know who they are and where they either live of do business and their phone numbers. make sure you see that they have an existing body of work. Most of the photographers there are legitimate, but some are not. If you are under 18 and photographer agrees to work with you without the full participation of your parents, avoid him at all costs! he isn't legitimate.
Good luck to you and if I can be of assistance, feel free to contact me.
Email me with any questions or to book your session., or call, (770)682-3666. Some Portfolio Samples Session Cost Back