YOUR SHOOT
1.) Bring an escort with you! Any trustworthy photography will understand, other-wise beware!
2.) Bring something to drink. (after all this is your job and it is hard work).
3.) Bring your favorite music, it will help you to relax during your shoot. (Remember not every one likes the same music, so bring a back up choice)
4.) Decide on a number of looks you want to do. Ideally, you should pick at least three and they should demonstrate a wide variety (so not all jeans and t-shirt shots!!). If you have a special skill, such as ballet, you may even want to consider taking some photos in your ballet outfit and even making a pose.
5.) Once you have decided what clothes to wear, make sure they are clean and put to one side for the shoot well in advance. Ideally, you should have decided upon your outfits and have them ready at least 5 days before the shoot.
6.) Look through fashion magazines and clothes catalogues and find poses you like. Practice in front of a mirror. If you are hired for a certain style photo shoot make sure to do your research. (example: 1940’s pin up) If you have not been hired for a certain type of shoot you should discuss what sort of looks you want with the photographer.
7.) Practicing modeling may feel weird at first but it is a must! What you think looks good in your head may not work out in real life...and you want to know that before you head to the photoshoot!
8.) Be aware of tanning before the shoot as tan lines can create problems.
9.) Keep your hair, skin and nails in good condition (make up likes a well moisturized surface). If you need a haircut, get one. Nails of both hands and feet should be of matching color and of a neutral color.
10.) Hire a professional make-up artist. If you are lucky, the photographer will sort this out for you but remember to ask if the cost of the make-up artist is included in the fee or if you have to pay extra. If the photographer isn't providing one, search for one in the same way you searcher for your photographer.
11.) The morning of the shoot, double check that your bag is packed and that you have money for travel fares and parking fees.
12.) Your undergarments should be of a skin tone color.
13.) When you are getting dressed, make sure all your clothes are on properly - as in no twisted straps, no buttons done up through the wrong holes...
14.) 48 hours before the shoot, call your photographer and make-up artist to make sure everything is still ok.
15.) The day before the shoot, make sure you get a good night's sleep and stay away from alcohol.
16.) Also try to laugh and smile as much as possible as it keeps your face muscles busy and lively. and this indeed is the best quality of a top model.
Enjoy your photo shoot! Listen carefully. Try not to be nervous but do acknowledge that feeling are normal...even models who have been working for years get nervous.
17.) Aim to arrive 10 minutes before you are due. Carry the photographer's number on you and give them a call if you realize you may be late.
18.) Once the shoot is over, pay your fees as required and write a thank you note to the photographer and your make-up artist.
As your modeling career progresses, update your images in your portfolio to reflect your most current work.
PORTFOLIO TIPS:
1.) Buy a folder to put your photos in. Most models prefer a hardcover book with ready attached plastic folders.
2.) Remember - your portfolio is not a photo album! If a photo doesn't "sell" you, don't keep it because you have a sentimental connection with it.
3.) Your portfolio should represent you as you want to be presented as a model. Try different combinations until you feel satisfied you have found the right one. While you should show diversity in looks and poses, you don’t want to many different images that may confuse or overwhelm a client.
4.) Make sure your images have the “WOW’ factor. (if in doubt through it out) If you only end up with 5 magical shots, that’s ok, it is better than using those that are just “ok”.
5.) You portfolio photos should be no older than a year. You should have photo shoots often to keep this updated. Don’t wait until the last minute as this could get expensive.
6.) Include both black and white as well as color photos.
7.) A safe number of photos to have in your portfolio is between 10-15. If you have done a lot of modeling it is ok to have 20 max.
8.) The eye is naturally drawn to the right side when looking at a portfolio layout so you’ll want your best images to be seen immediately, so make sure to have them on the right side of the book.
9.) Try to keep spare copies of the photos in your portfolio. If you should lose your portfolio you will have your spares in a safe place and not have to rebuild your portfolio.
10.) If you specialize in more than one type of modeling category, you can put together a separate portfolio for each and show them to clients accordingly.
11.) Tearsheets: These are pages taken directly from the published work you have appeared in. Tearsheets are vital to a model’s portfolio because it showcases actual work, which is very impressive to clients.
EXTRA TIPS:
Exchange of Service: the model gives his/her time and the photographer provides them with images from the shoot. Commonly referred to as a TFP (time for prints) or TFCD (time for CD) No money is involved, although a model release form may need to be signed.
Guarantee Top Quality: there is nothing wrong with paying a photographer This ensures that you get exactly the types of images you want. Money is a great motivator to get things done in a timely fashion. Many photographers put paying gigs as priority over free shoots.
WARNINGS:
You have a right to bring an escort with you! If your photographer/client is against this BEWARE!
You Get What You Pay For: Don't assume that if you pay the most it must be the best. Always ask for references and check out a photographers work whenever possible.
Cancelation Policies: Be aware that many photographers and make-up artists will have cancellation policies. In most cases if you do not cancel within 48 hours of your scheduled shoot, you will have to pay at least some, if not all, of the fee.
Make Up: Unless you are amazingly good at applying your own make-up, hire a make-up artist for the shoot. It is an additional expense but you don't want to pay for expensive photos only to have them ruined by poor make-up.
