do I have what it takes to be a model?
do I have what it takes to be a model?
every beautiful girl aspires 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'
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 amodel
modeling is work
there are some activities of human endeavors that are fun. but insofar as people perform duties and get paid it’s work. unlike workers who are employed and gets paid a salary, a model is an independent worker who is hired on a contractual basis. she gets represented by an agency that is in charge of finding her jobs for a commission. as an independent contractor you must manage your professional activity as a business.
though fashion merchandisers are the ones who hire models, they only deal with models through agencies. so as an aspiring model, you must first seek agency representation. agencies are in the business of making money. the model is in the business of making money. if they agree to represent you, that’s because you are marketable. the agency will incur upfront costs in trying to promote you as a new model, it’s in their interest to make sure that you have the potential of a good return on their investment. the model as a self-employed business person, she should 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.
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 you look for photographers, one act of common sense is to have a conversation with your mirror. get you a copy of a fashion magazine and ask yourself ‘what is it that these girls have that I don’t have?’. if you don’t find any answers, you’re off to a good start.
from photography perspective
I’ve been involved with photography for many years. in many fields of photography, my interaction with the subjects is limited to before, during the shoot, and delivery of the photographic products. but with commercial photography the need is greater to make sure that the photos meet the requirements for the purpose for which they have been taken. usually the client has a clear idea of what they want and can communicate it to the photographer.
one area of photography where you have a lot of misconceptions is modeling photography. that’s the main reason why I created this blog: to help aspiring models get a clear understanding of how modeling works. if you’re an aspiring model, maybe you’ve been told by friends that you should model. with the newfound passion, you want to build a portfolio, you want to walk, and already see your name in lights…a little perspective about the modeling industry can help you understand how the fashion industry operates, what types of modeling careers are available and what the requirements are to become a model. I came to photography from a background of designing clothes. from that vantage point I have a full understanding of photography and fashion. this blog will help you get a better understanding of modeling so that before you sink hundreds of dollars into building a portfolio you will ask yourself first: do I have what it takes to be a model? as a photographer, I can give you the advice that you need to get started and provide you the services to attain your goals in your modeling endeavors.
this blog is not simply about modeling but all aspects of photography. so you will find up-to-date info about many of the fields of photography that I cover: acting headshots, portrait, fashion and product photography. I will also devote a section to post production: photoshop, airbrushing, special effects and printing of comp cards etc…
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