online photographer reference checking (for what they are worth -
better to email other models the photographer has worked with, and to
check out the quality of work a photographer produces)
you probably don't need to go to modelling school, most won't make you a
better model and few photographers care if you have been to one or not - see
should you go to a modelling
school - newmodels.com. Most models learn on the job.
The far majority of people wanting to be models will only make pocket
money from it (unless you do art nude work which will give you more regular
paid work) - so unless you have what it takes to make it in the big league,
you would be well advised to see it as a great hobby and keep your day job.
like any industry their will be those unscrupulous agencies and
photographers who just want to exploit you either financially or worse, so
BEWARE, and see my safety
for models.
catwalk fashion models are usually required to be 5'8" to 5'11" tall and
look impressive on the catwalk with clothes draping elegantly, shorter than
this and you are unlikely to be chosen by the main fashion model agencies
such as Chadwicks.
if you are shorter than 5'8", you don't need to learn how to do
the runway walk.
classic female commercial print / "editorial" models are
nearly all at least 5'6" tall while males are nearly all at least
5'11" tall
the taller girls can do virtually all the commercial jobs that the
short ones can, but the reverse is not true.
in general, there is not a lot of paid work on the internet for
fashion or editorial genres - if you want to work in these areas, you
probably should seek an agency in a big city
just being good looking and being told "you should be a
model", doesn't mean you have the "look" the agencies are
currently after.
model agencies provide work for magazine cover models, while talent
agencies provide work as TV extras.
best to approach agencies in mid teens,
preferred size is 8-10, minimum height requirement usually is 5'8" which is
173cm, there are always exceptions. A portfolio will only be helpful if it
is what the agency is looking for - you may not need a portfolio - avoid
wasting your money, but a good portfolio is worth paying for.
watch out for agency scams - if you have to pay a
lot of money, think twice - if they send you an unsolicited email offering
work overseas if you pay them to buy you airfares then generally treat it as
SPAM.
you don’t get paid to go to castings, test shoots or auditions, so a
great deal of a model’s time is spent on things like go-sees that don’t
actually make them any money. And nobody pays your expenses to get to
these things, either.
if you want to get into magazines like Vogue then
your chances are small but you may have a chance if:
you are under 15 years and 5'6" or
taller, or,
you have the "look" they currently
are after, or,
you are already well-known.
glamour swimwear and lingerie models:
tend to be 5'0" to 5'7", aged 18-28, and more
curvy than fashion models, filling a bikini better, good skin, and usually
need to be pretty but don't need to have the "look".
if you have an out-going personality with good people skills, and
particularly if you are 5'6" or taller then promotional work
may provide additional regular income although the pay is less at about
$20-30/hr.
Tavia
Spizer from Brisbane is an internet glamour and art nude model who does well
internationally
successful art nude models need good skin with few blemishes (ie. scars,
stretch marks, etc), and although the typical stereotype is a classical
dance student with graceful flexibility and often red-brown hair and fair
skin, the genre allows for a range of body types including the more
voluptuous fuller figure Rubenesque model and even middle-aged and elderly
models.
Anne
D from Canberra, Eliza
from Brisbane and Katy
T from UK are internet models who get lots of work from this genre
alternative culture models such as goth, etc, but these models are
generally most successful when they also live the life of these
sub-cultures.
this means Time For Prints or Time For CD, in other words the
photo session should be of mutual benefit for both the
photographer who provides either prints or a CD of digital
images (preferably without watermarks and of good size and
quality), in return for the model offering his/her time.
this is often a cost-effective way for both models &
photographers to add to their respective portfolios, but each
need to be a little selective as their is no guarantee a
photographer can produce the desired quality images and the
model may not have sufficient experience or self-confidence for
the photographer's requirements.
this arrangement is also a potentially good way for beginning
models to gain experience, even with amateur photographers but
they may wish to have some control over what images are used
and for what purpose, as unflattering photos published may
adversely impact a model's prospects. This needs to be discussed
BEFORE the shoot and as long as both parties are reasonable,
then it can be a win-win situation for both.
in some situations, a beginning model may be best served by
paying a professional photographer for photos for her portfolio,
although TFP with such photographers may be possible.
experienced models generally will not benefit significantly
from TFP unless the photographer is likely to be good enough to
add to the quality of her portfolio.
as a general rule, TFP work is only for each person's own
portfolio. Both parties should discuss commercial use and
perhaps should consider a clause in the model release that
further negotiation may be required for future commercial use.
in some cases where the images may be able to be used
commercially such as for calendars, the agreement may be TFP/TFCD
plus a share of any profits to be paid to the model.
in general, if the agreement is for TFP, then most models
would usually prefer to select their own images and have
8"x10" matte prints on photographic quality paper with
copyright information confined to the rear of the print. It
would be usual to expect 2-3 such prints to be provided for each
hour of the shoot.
in either case, the copyright resides with the photographer
and the model is usually granted use of the images for their
portfolio use only. If the model is given digital images then
although they can edit the images themselves they MUST get
permission from the photographer before they can publish them.
paid work:
most paid work from internet model sites is for photo sessions
with internet photographers who either:
do not wish to do TFP as they feel either that cannot add
anything for the model or the photography they wish to do is
their own personal project, or,
are not experienced enough that models feel TFP would be
worthwhile, or,
have commercial projects such as books, calendars, etc
remuneration rates:
in general, fashion sessions are usually about $30/hr,
swimwear/lingerie sessions $40-60/hr and implied nudity/nude
sessions $50-120/hr depending on experience and use of
images.
most models insist on at least a 2 hour session and cost
of transport if more than 30min travel or so.
some photographers may enter into an agreement to share
profits from any commercial project.
prints or images from the shoot:
in general, the photographer owns the copyright of all
images from a shoot, unless a client or model paid the
photographer for the shoot for private use.
if the model has been paid for a shoot, the model will
usually need to pay for any prints/images that she would
like from the shoot for use in her own portfolio.
tips on modelling from the model forums:
spend time in front of a mirror and practice making faces - get a good
repertoire of as many faces that you can get into easily that show different things - learn how much smile looks good on you and how much is too much.
work out what are your good features and what are your not so good
features and work on poses and be aware of types of clothing that are
flattering versus those that are not so flattering.
the most important aspect is often self-confidence, and this
usually requires:
as much experience in front of the camera as possible
practice facial expressions and poses in front of a mirror
modelling is acting and your face is the most important
communication tool
you need to know the feel of each successful expression so you
can pull it off without thinking, memorise what your smile,
laugh, frown & pout feels like.
your main smile should not show gums or have eyes squinted
experiment with expressions such as surprise, anger, etc.
practice nude so that you are forced to find aesthetic poses
for your hands without relying on pockets, etc.
look through fashion magazines, etc for ideas.
if you are doing a portfolio shoot to market yourself, what you
need to concentrate on is producing a range of expressions and poses
that show you can act and not just look pretty.
positive perception of your own body, realising nobody is perfect
and knowing how to make the most of what you have.
you feel secure & comfortable at the shoot
ensure you take
precautions for your own security see safety
for models
before a shoot:
communicate:
take extra time to ensure all parties understand the same with
respect to when, where, and what type of photos/genre/themes
will be done. Don't just make assumptions and worse, make sure
you respond to all phone calls / emails / etc timely.
if a model is getting paid for the shoot - either with
money or with TFP/TFCD arrangements, then it is generally
understood that any photos taken during the session could be
used for publication by the photographer. If there are certain
types of photos you do not want published or taken then make
sure this is communicated to the photographer BEFORE the event.
ensure you don't
get skin creases which take hours to disappear, thus most models
avoid wearing tight clothes such as socks, wristbands, watches,
tight shoes & underwear (if it is a lingerie/swimwear shoot),
and thus tend to opt for loose tracksuit pants, top and some even go
for ugg boots if its cold.
ensure clean smile & clean hair
if a makeup artist (MUA) will be attending:
she will usually prefer
you not to wash your hair the night before the shoot as it is
difficult to shape when its light and fluffy, but check with the
photographer in advance.
generally do NOT put make up on before
getting to the shoot and don't put any products in your hair
if you are doing your own makeup at the shoot, then usually
wear hair down, clean & tidy and apply the minimal amount of makeup that
accentuates your features, avoiding heavy makeup that you might
wear to a nightclub.
Eat and drink before the shoot to keep your
energy levels up but only something light
makes sure you get TWO good nights sleep
before the shoot else you may not be looking your best - bags under
your eyes is not a good way to market yourself!
if wearing a tan, ensure it is even - hands
and fingers are often critically important in a photo (& don't
forget your fingernails - depending on shoot, clean, natural nails
and nail polish or false nails according to shoot).
generally avoid false nails for art nude
shoots as they tend to sexualise the shoot and risk making it tacky
instead of classy.
make sure you get to the shoot on time
(preferably 15 minutes before hand) and
ensure you understand where it is, and what you will be doing.
if you are running late, phone the
photographer.
don't book anything for straight after a
shoot, the creative process of a shoot can sometimes go overtime.
what to take to a shoot:
essentials - bottle of water; lip gloss; sunscreen if working
outdoors
some models have a "model kit" which includes:
basic makeup & hair products
nude-coloured, black, and a white strapless bra & G string or
other underwear
black & a lighter coloured pair of closed toe & open toe shoes
a rule of thumb is that you can't
wear shoes that are lighter than your clothes - it draws
attention away from your face and outfit. A good choice for
shoe colour to go with the light-coloured outfits would
probably be along the lines of an off-white like bone or
taupe or a subtle silver or copper.
shoes in good clean order
freshly laundered and ironed/pressed
garments (on hangers if necessary) - even if you won't be
wearing them
mini sewing kit
consider bring props such as hat, sunglasses as these may add to
the shoot and give your hands something to do.
at the shoot:
tell the truth, if you are uncomfortable about something, let the
photographer know - they can't read your mind!
don't allow yourself to be co-erced into doing anything you don't
want to do. Set your boundaries and stick by them.
most models will need to do implied nude shoots at times (eg. head
and shoulders with no clothing visible so that jewellery can be
shown off, or even sensual shots behind towels, etc), but don't be
coerced into doing nude if that is not what YOU want, and if you are
doing nude shoots, don't be coerced into doing explicit shots unless
that is what YOU want. BUT be fair to the photographer, make sure he
is aware of your boundaries BEFORE booking the shoot.
"test shoots":
test shoots are those where a photographer shoots a series of
photos to ascertain whether a model is suitable for a particular job
or project he has in mind. The model is not paid and the
photographer should not use the resulting images commercially unless
contracted otherwise.
this is not the same as TFP and accordingly under usual
circumstances a model release should not be signed but a "test
shoot agreement" signed, an example of one is here courtesy of
Walter from the oz-model forums: test
shoot agreement document.
A few notes on makeup:
for temporarily darker skin check out theatre/TV makeup products which are
normally only used by professional makeup artists:
