there are many types of modeling: editorial, commercial, glamour, alternative, part modeling, etc… we’re going to focus on two main types of modeling because they are the most important and subsequently the most thought after. at the top of the line is editorial modeling. it is the highest paid type of modeling and carries a lot of cachet because they are the models with the highest visibility. they’re on the pages of the prestigious fashion magazines, and they’re also the models who strut on the runway. that type of modeling is also the most selective. if you don’t meet the minimum requirements as outlined in the modeling requirements post, you can still do commercial modeling. commercial modeling consists of everything from pitching a product on magazines or tv, to being featured on catalogs. there’s a third category of modeling between runway and commercial which is lingerie. due to the popularity of the victoria secret fashion shows, there’s been a demand for models with curvier figures who are better known as victoria secret angels. they happen to be beautiful models who may not tall enough for runway models, but have an awesome look and enough curves to be flattering in lingerie. there is a lot of competition to be appointed a Victoria secret angel.

once you have determined what type of modeling you want to get into and made certain that you meet the requirements, all you need to do is have some decent pictures that show  your face and your figure, so that modeling agencies can see if they can find you modeling jobs. different agencies have different sets of requirements on what to submit and how to submit. you can even use a cell phone to take the pictures that you’re gonna send to the agencies. the only reason why you should use a professional photographer is to make sure that it’s done right and you increase your chances of being noticed. once you submit your pictures to the agencies, you wait. if they like you, they’ll contact you. if an agency contacts you, you can be all but certain that you’re gonna get modeling jobs. they’re in the business of representing models and they’ve got enough of a feel of what clients are looking for. so if they represent you, they’re pretty sure that you are marketable. that’s the easy part. after you get agency representation and you’re a new face, how long will it take before you land your first modeling job, is the hard part.

jenny is a comedy writer and comic actress from new york

an acting headshot is the first thing a casting director will look at when considering you for an audition. So your headshot should show you in the best light. hiring a professional photographer is definitely better than sending amateur headshots. a qualified headshot photographer knows enough about lighting, posing and industry standards to increase your chances of landing a role. In dc you should expect to pay between $100-$200.

choose a photographer who specializes in headshots rather than a wedding photographer. if you can’t find someone with a good reputation offline, try googling ‘headshot photographers’ in your area. sample a few, go to their websites and look at their work. additionally, you can check reviews from their past clients.

for a great headshot you should pose as if someone is looking at you. the secret to a great headshot is to show your personality. to be able to do so, you have to look natural, act natural. you want a casting director to look at your headshot and see that you are the right actor for the role in a matter of seconds.

alberto shows a lot of character in this headshot dated '10

don’t look contrived but give yourself options. try a couple of different looks, serious, smiling – different outfits and make sure the expression on the face matches the look. try subtle variations to give you the option of sending different versions depending on the type of role.

The focus of a headshot is on your face, so nothing should distract from it. solid colors and neutral background work best because they don’t take away from your face. temptation is great to try outdoors with urban or landscape backgrounds but everything should be kept muted and not competing with the face.

your headshot is normally a 8×10 close up picture of your face with your name printed at the bottom – glossy or matte. it can be either color or black and white, though color tend to be more standard these days. a resume can be printed at the back or attached separately. since actors headshots are your  ‘business cards’ you should always have them available.

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portrait photography is not simply sitting a person in front of a camera and shooting a few pictures hoping to get something unique. traditionally, photographers would almost rigidly sit the subject to achieve the perfect pose. early days portrait photographers used medium format film and slow camera speeds. so, they would take care of every detail to make sure they capture the right image the first time. the subject needed to sit still for the duration of the exposure.

with the introduction of 35mm film, fast aperture and sync flash, photographers didn’t have to conform to those rigid posing techniques. though there are times when people are immobile, constrained poses may look fake to a modern viewer. it’s also important to make people feel comfortable. pointing a camera at somebody and shooting pictures is an intrusive activity and can be intimidating to someone who’s not used to it or is shy by nature.

when a client walks into my studio, I try to talk to them in a relaxed and friendly way to help them ease into their comfort zone. a great part of my job in the studio is actually talking to people. I will try different forms of engagement by getting them involved with some little tasks that get them curious and less tense. I take a few pictures while still talking in a deliberate diversion tactic. if I can make the client laugh, then the real fun begin. at least I manage to make them smile. when the client is relaxed, they’re gonna reveal their real persona and I’m gonna take the very best pictures.

mood is key in taking portraits. the only way you can create mood is through lighting. lighting helps the photographer project a very subjective perception of a person. many photographers have different approaches to portrait lighting but the objective should be to enhance a mood or modify it.  I shoot a few random pictures and give the client the camera so that they see themselves. while they’re looking at the pictures, I observe the expressions on their faces.  when you hear ‘I like this one!’ you know it’s a milestone. excitement starts to build up. pretty soon they start having fun like a kid at a beach party. I check the picture number and make a mental note of it. I give some suggestions, take more pictures. they loosen up enough for me to focus on gestures, mood, lighting adjustment to get the very best of their personality to show.

once they start seeing pictures that they like, anxiety starts wearing off. they look forward to more great pictures. they feel comfortable enough to suggest certain poses that they wouldn’t try at the beginning of the session. the shoot proceeds at a frantic pace. some clients who came in, expecting to be posed with strict directions are in for  a shock. I tell them that I don’t pose clients like a painter. a photographer can freeze motion in a split of a second. I  let clients move as freely as space constraints allow and also within the range of the lighting setup. one hour goes very fast but nobody’s minding the time that much. it’s very easy to get carried away but time is time and you got to be aware of it.

‘do you know how many pictures we took?’ – ‘I have no idea!’. easily over 200 shots have been fired. I exchange details as to when to expect the files for clients to make their selections and also deal with the business part of the deal. when I see them off, you can feel that they’ve had great fun and most of them share that feeling with you.

many a young girl aspires to be a model

with fashion projecting images of glitz and glamour on our screens, billboards and magazine pages, it’s hard not be fascinated by the catwalk of models on the runway, the gorgeous clothes that they wear and the brand names associated with status symbol. so, it’s no unusual to see girls in their teens or even older dreaming of becoming models. if you’re considering modeling as a career, you need to understand what it takes to be a model.
there’s the false notion that if you’re young, and beautiful that you have what it takes to be a model. being beautiful is not necessary for modeling, and it’s not a sufficient condition. contrary to popular belief, in spite of the fame associated with supermodels, a model is only accessory to the fashion that she’s wearing. so what is important is a model’s ability to wear the clothes of a designer and display them in their best shape and volume. this requires having a ‘perfect body’ by fashion industry’s standards. for the fashion industry it is more efficient to make the clothes a certain size. so the industry standardizes on what they determine is the is the perfect size. that size referred to as size zero corresponds roughly to 34-24-34 (bust-waist-hips). in addition to those measurements, the preferred height is 5’8″ or above.

editorial models are tall and slim

the girls who make the cut are the ones who will walk the runway in fashion shows and grace the pages of fashion magazines. those models are often referred to as editorial models from being featured in the editorial pages of fashion magazines. of course look is important too, because a model needs to have an attractive face and as a bonus a good bone structure that will help makeup artists create those awesome fashion looks that you see on the runway and on fashion magazine pages.
modeling is a very competitive field because of the stringent requirements. even when you’re selected, you are competing with hundreds of girls who are equally beautiful, all of them going after the same jobs as you. unless you’ve been discovered, you need to locate good modeling agencies, send them your pictures and hope to get a call from them. all you need is a headshot that clearly shows what you look like, a full body shot that also gives a good idea of your body shape. It’s easier when you’re younger because models, except for a few, have a very short lifespan. if you’re not living in a city that is a model market like new york, paris, milan, you may have to relocate because it’s very hard to be a model if you’re hundreds of miles away

a fashion look is that something called 'it'

from model markets where the agencies are located. once you get agency representation, they will try to find you jobs as a new face.
being a new face makes it much harder for you to land jobs because, unless you have that something absolutely irresistible, you’re gonna have to put up with a lot of rejection. in the modeling industry, your value depends on your experience. if you’re starting out, your agency will try to get you as many pictures from good photographers so that you can build your portfolio. until you get the cover of a big magazine it’s gonna be hard to get interesting jobs. building a good relationship with a photographer who has good connections can also be helpful for making the big jump. while you’re on the ‘fresh faces’ book, you get sent to go-sees, which are calls from clients looking for models for a particular job. weeks and months can go by and go-see after go-see you haven’t still landed a job. not time to despair. in the meantime, you need to pay rent, food and basic necessities… in some instances, an agency will pay for travel and accommodation but still the model may need pocket money for other needs.

posing is an essential skill for a model

though as a model you may get some training on how to walk the runway and improve her posing skills, there are also some physical and psychological qualities that can help make or break a model. if you want to thrive in a competitive environment, you need to be assertive, exude some confidence and have a positive attitude. a good personality can make people more willing to work with you. modeling can involve frequent travels, tight deadlines and sometimes shows that are back to back, long uncomfortable poses in harsh climates. so physical endurance and psychological strength can help weather the toughest challenges. if you think that you have all of that, you’re ready to take the plunge.

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long hours at the makeup chair and hairstylist

when you see models in fancy designer clothes strut their stuff on the runway, it’s easy to fancy it’s all glitter. modeling is viewed like no more than fun activity that makes a lot of money. an aspiring model often suffers a lot of hardships before she gets represented by an agency. like any business, modeling requires work. as an independent contractor she must manage her professional activity as a business.

though fashion merchandisers are the ones who hire models, they only deal with models through agencies. so an aspiring model must first seek agency representation. agencies are in the business of making money. the model is in the business of making money. if an agency agrees to represent a model, that’s because she is marketable. the agency will incur upfront costs in trying to promote a new model. it’s in their interest to make sure that the new model has the potential of a good return on their investment. the model as a self-employed business person, should have good business sense. observing certain rules of business is the best guarantee of success. before the model gets represented, she needs to sell herself to the agencies. enter the photographer.

long photo shoots with impossible poses

though there are some notable cases of models being discovered in most unlikely places, usually models do need to send their pictures to agencies. the photographer is in the business of taking pictures to make money. many models are contacting photographers to take pictures tfp/tfcd (time for prints/time for cd respectively), a barter system that has its merits and its drawbacks. the merit is that if the photographer wants to test some ideas, he may want to find a model who’s not charging him and accept pictures in exchange for her portfolio. in each barter system the parties involved receive something of value. the drawback is if a model has very little value to offer an established photographer, she may only find unskilled photographers willing to work with her. inversely, an established model will not likely consider working with an unproven photographer.

for an aspiring model, before looking for photographers, one act of common sense is to have a conversation with her mirror. taking a hard look at oneself is a good start to evaluating one’s potentials. there are magazines that set the standard for fashion. vogue is one of them. getting a copy of a fashion magazine, looking at the models who grace the pages and asking oneself ‘what is it that these girls have that I don’t have?’ may be a natural next step. after determining you have what it takes, you’re off to a good start.

picture of a model with natural look

there is a misconception between model photographer and fashion photographer. though I’ve been involved with photography and fashion for many years, it’s only recently that the distinction became clear to me. both model photographers and fashion photographers shoot models but the difference is in the purpose. while the fashion photographer is hired by magazines or designers to photograph their clothes, the model photographer primarily shoots models. in fashion photography, the purpose is to sell clothes, so even if the model is wearing the clothes she’s only an accessory. her role is limited to giving shape to the clothes by wearing them in a way that makes them desirable. a model who is starting out needs to show potential employers that she’s got what it takes to be a model: size, height, look, etc…

in order to do so, she needs to take photographs that she will send to agencies she’s seeking representation with. so when a model contacts a photographer for her modeling pictures, she’s not trying to sell any clothes, rather, she’s trying to sell herself. in this case, she’s the subject and the clothes that she’s wearing are only accessories. a lot of aspiring models fail to understand that simple fact and talk about their portfolio pictures with layers upon layers of fancy clothes, makeup, hair etc… most agencies are not interested in none of these artifices. all they want to see is if you’ve got the look, the height, the slim figure and some other aspects such as a well proportioned body, good skin, etc..

a good understanding of those differences can help the photographer

• check to see if model clients meet the requirements for the modeling areas and markets that they’re targeting.
• gain the expertise to provide effective consultation to aspiring models and be of service to them, rather than just trying to sell them something that is often useless.
• focus on how to better take pictures of models by bringing out their most salable  assets, so they increase their chances of getting noticed by agencies.
• establish himself as an authority in the field that people can come to and refer when there’s a need for expert advice.

it will also help the model

• have a source to refer too when she’s needs advice on what she needs to do to start her modeling career.
• find the photographer who’s got a clear understanding of what her needs are so that she can get products that she can use.
• avoid wasteful choices by purchasing just the products and services that she needs and increase her chances of success without a bloated bill.
• get the confidence and security that she’s getting value for her investment and start educating herself that modeling is a business, and like any business, you need to spend money sometimes to make money.

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