Daily glam done by industry professionals, traveling to a different county every week, parties with celebrities, and designer label clothes; all things new models aspire to be able to achieve. While there are many amazing moments, modeling at a high level requires a ton of behind the scenes hustle. Modeling as a full-time career is quite a gamble. Because models are considered independent contractors, they lack many of the protections reserved for full-time employees.
You also have little to no job security. Imagine that your job is going on a series of job interviews day after day. Even when a shoot is a straightforward eight hour day, the travel, networking, social media upkeep and admin side of emails continues into their free time.
There is a lot of standing around in the cold stroking the egos of some horrible and some much nicer people, whilst dragging heavy equipment to difficult locations in not too comfortable clothing. Your skin is regularly caked in thick makeup and your hair is often back combed and bleached without care — as long as it looks good for that day on set, the long term effects are regularly ignored.
Pervy comments and snidey remarks are sadly almost part of the job description. It seems using your body for work puts models in the same bracket as prostitutes to some, a disappointing and extremely old fashioned opinion of the general public. Touching models without asking is also a controversial topic, with many in the fashion industry considering it their right to grope clotheshorses when dressing. Bending your bones into bizarre contortions and holding them for more than a few minutes, takes its toll on your muscles the next day, no matter how much you warm up before.
Cold locations where shoots are often nine hours long, especially cripple the bones! This is the first part of a two-part story. Stay tuned for more true confessions of being a model. Jen Brook is a fine art and fashion model, as well as a freelance photography writer. Follow her work on her Tumblr and her Facebook Page. It is also hugely beneficial to spend time with a professional photographer since they can give you real-world advice on exactly what other photographers and directors are looking for from their subjects.
The first step to a successful career is to find a qualified, experienced agent. It is extremely important to make sure the agencies you are considering working with are legitimate.
Do your research! Checking out the websites of agencies you are interested in will help you get a sense of what types of models they look for, the jobs that their clients have booked and their overall professionalism.
There are often references or recommendations online that can help lead you in the right direction. Reputable agencies will never have a cost. They make money if you book a job, and only if you book a job. The most essential photos for you to have are simple digitals. Try to get pictures of yourself with little or no makeup, a very basic outfit with minimal accessories, and shot using natural lighting.
It is important for the agency to see both your face and body so make sure to include a wide angle shot that shows your body and a closer in shot of your face. Wear fitted clothes to allow the agency to see the basic shape of your body. If you are hoping to land swimsuit or lingerie gigs, you should include those photos as well.
Play around with angles and poses to find your most flattering look to send to agencies. Plan on a similar approach when attending open modeling calls; your clothes should be well-fitted and hair and makeup should be minimal. If you have prior modeling experience and have professional pictures from past jobs, those are great to include as well. However, if you are just getting started, it will probably be well worth the investment to spend the money on a professional photographer for the purpose of getting high-quality photos to submit to agencies.
From there, if you can afford to invest in quality, up-to-date photos each year it will be a huge benefit for you. There is more to modeling than just looking pretty in front of the camera. It is a business first and foremost, so it is critical that aspiring models treat it as such and approach it as they would any other job, with professionalism, grace and resilience. There are many great benefits to being a model. It can truly be an amazing opportunity to do what you love, meet really great people — whether they are photographers, designers or fellow models — and explore cities all over the globe.
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