Supermodel Resource

Adrianne Fox – surely you’ve heard of her? What you may not know is that she had absolutely no success with her first few pictures. She tried to impress agents and prospective clients for one whole year without any success.

The first photo is what she was trying her luck with. Finally she decided to change it and glamorize it to portray herself as a fashion model. The second photo on the right is what she came up with. And within one week of using the new photo, Adrianne landed herself a number of modeling projects. She began getting calls from magazines for modeling. Within one month of showing her new photo, she got 5 big modeling contracts. This is how important and effective your photo is.
Now lets just analyze the 2 pictures for a minute. The first photo is a close up, but not a very good one at that. The lighting is also wrong. The focus is also incorrect giving the impression of a novice having clicked it. Not only that, the picture fails to highlight the model’s feature, instead making her look rather unattractive.  The second picture on the right does her more justice. It makes her look like a serious model. Always remember that a client will book a model for a project only and only if he or she looks like a model should. This is especially important for print modeling assignments. Something that’s not your very best is not going to bring many modeling contracts your way.
Now the questions worrying you will be how to get such highly professional photographs and how big a hole will it burn in the pocket, right?

Amazing photos are the prerequisite for any fashion model. A well put together portfolio is your greatest asset when it comes to magazine and print modeling assignments.

Have a look at the 2 photos – they are of the same model! The first picture obviously landed her no jobs. The second photo, which was professionally done got the same model 7 assignments in just 6 weeks! – That’s how effective a good modeling portfolio is.   In the modeling world, your looks are your assets so you need to highlight the prettier features of yourself. If you’ve entered the modeling world and feel that you are not getting your fair share of modeling assignments, its time to think about your photographs – they just might do the trick.

The first thing to do is to check whether your photos are any good or not. And not just good, your photos need to be great to land you modeling assignments. Put yourself in the client’s position and take an unbiased stock of your entire portfolio. Your photos will create the first impression with the client so make sure the impact is powerful. If the first impression isn’t too great, the battle is already half lost. Does your photograph have that ‘WOW’ factor? Does it look attractive enough for a second glace? If not, you need a change of photographs. As an aspiring model you can always ask others for advice and their opinion and include those in your plans. But here you must right people and more importantly, those who will give and honest and professional opinion. Don’t take opinions from people who just want to be nice to you because clients certainly won’t be nice. They are all professionals and want their money’s worth – its business!
You must make your pictures look like that of a professional fashion model. It should look straight out of a fashion magazine. If you are unable to present a highly professional image to your clients, chances are that they are will not be your clients! If you are pretty in real life, it’s not enough. Your photographs need to show that you are better than beautiful. If your model pictures don’t do you justice, modeling jobs will be hard to find. Model promotion is all about getting noticed by those who matter and then making a lasting impression on them. Your photographs must want to make them pick up the phone and book you for their modeling assignment.

Your primary aim must be to create such a portfolio of photographs that will impress clients. You need to have the best possible set of photos to showcase to a large number of clients. Only this will help you win the best modeling opportunities.

Here is a list of things you should never have in any of your photos in your modeling portfolio:

• You should not be wearing a hat or sunglasses or have hair on your face.
• There should not be any photos that are blurred or grainy.
• The photos should have the right amount of light – not too dark nor too bright
• The background should be simple and uncluttered (a picture of you in your bedroom definitely won’t do)
• Crop the images well so that you are the main focus.
• Do not include any webcam photos at all.
• Don’t edit the photos or add any text to them. It should not have a border also.
• You should not have photos of you looking to one side.
• There should not be any props or pets in the photos.
• The photos should ideally be of you only. No other person in the frame.
• Don’t try and make a collage of photos. Have one in one frame.

Modeling portfolio is all about marketing yourself to make the clients feel you are the best.

Try to do it to the maximum extent to increase your chances of being selected. With all the proper tricks and of course your talent, you can make a name in the world of modeling.

The most important thing to consider is a head shot. Spend much of your time in creating the best headshot. Take your headshot in color picture and see that it is clear and is of best quality. Keep a friendly expression on your face and wear a sweet smile. A good head shot can win you the assignment while a bad one will make you loose it.

Try to keep maximum pictures in the portfolio in color. You may be having a best black and white picture. Of course do include it in your portfolio. But see to it that most of the pictures are in color. The clients are very particular about your looks, color and complexion. Hence sending all the pictures in black and white will not help.

Some photographers use cloth as background. Cloth or muslin if used make your pictures look unprofessional and are rarely used for model pictures. Hence do not shoot with a photographer who uses them.

Choose proper backgrounds to make the photo more natural. You may select some good locations with natural scenery. Some of them may be taken in a studio with proper background which appears like a natural location. It doesn’t matter if one or two pictures have a plain sheet of paper as background. But see that not all pictures are like that.

Most of the photographers provide you with a make-up artist. Shoot with such photographers. It’s never a good idea to do make up on your own, whatever perfection you may have. If your photographer doesn’t provide you with a make up artist, you can get it done by some expert you know or choose some other photographer who can provide you with a make up artist.

Another important factor is your outfit. Never use same outfits in different pictures. Try to use different types of outfits to show how well you look in all types of outfits. Also pose differently in different pictures.

Remember commercial modeling requires you to look natural, just like an ordinary person. So don’t take all the pictures just like a model. Try out some natural pictures as well.

In commercial modeling you may be required to suit various roles, may be doctor, cook, parent, grandparent, teacher, electrician or many more. Hence you can try to take your pictures posing as something else rather than just posing like a model. If you show yourself as a model in every picture, then there are fewer chances of you being selected for commercial modeling.

You may consider the type of company you are going for. Like if you are creating your portfolio for some health product, you can take some pictures posing like a doctor. If you are applying for a company manufacturing shampoos or hair conditioners, you can pay more attention to your hair.

Try to put more of your positive things in your pictures. Like, if you have beautiful eyes, you may take a photo which highlights your eyes. Or if you have very good figure, you can try outfits which display your figure well. You may be having a very sweet smile. In that case you must have a photo posing with a smile.

Hide out the negative things you have. Some drawbacks can be hidden with proper make up. Others, you can avoid showing them in photos.

Take at least one full photo. Mention your height, weight, color of skin, hair color, eye color and all other required information appropriately. But, of course leave some space for the agency to put their logo and sticker.

Through your photographs, try to show the real you. Make the client feel that you are the right model they have been waiting for. Shoot with an experienced person who can get the best out of you and not with a person who just does his job commercially for money. Your faces in the pictures need to make you appear “fresh new face” which can arrest the attention of the whole market.

Moreover, shoot accordingly as per the requirements of the client. Like when you are targeting a cosmetic company, you need to give special preference to skin, hair etc. Else if you are aiming for a garment industry, you can take the photographs with different outfits to show how well you can display the outfits. Needless to say, the pictures you send should appear as if, right out of a top magazine.

You can even take some great shots with a digital camera.

Most of the aspiring models aim for commercial print modeling. Well, the good thing about commercial print modeling is that they don’t need the portfolios at all. Almost 90% of those who aim for commercial print modeling are never asked for a portfolio. Although model portfolios are nice to have and can give a good impression of the model, model portfolios are not considered to be important for commercial print modeling. All that is required is that the model should listen and pose as per the agent tells.

Most of the commercial print agencies like receiving a good composite card usually called comp. These composite cards increase the chances of being selected by the modeling agency. The pictures on the comp are just like those on model portfolios.

Different agencies have different styles of having pictures on comp. Hence you need to have a look at the comp cards of the models of the agency before doing one for you.

Here are some of the helpful tips while applying for commercial print modeling or small market agencies.