modeling is work

Filed Under Category modeling by souleye

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.

June 14, 2009 | 2 Comments  Tags: , , , , , , ,

from photography perspective

Filed Under Category photography by souleye

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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June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,