TIPS FOR ASPIRING MODELS

• USE A FEW HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS OVER QUANTITY
  A few really good images on your online portfolio serve you far better than a lot of mediocre images. Show only your best images.
  
  
• SHOW HOW YOU LOOK, NOT THE CLOTHING
  Most photographers and agents will be more interested in how YOUR look, not what you're wearing.
  
  
• USE A FEW HEAD & BODY SHOTS HIGHLIGHTING YOU
  You need are a few good headshots which show your face and hair, plus a few 3/4 and full body shots which show your figure. The attention should be on YOU, you don't need to prove you have 12 different swimsuits or 27 different dresses!
  
  
• TAKE A FEW OUTFITS ON TEST SHOOTS
  On a test shoot, take along a selection of simple outfits. Chose things that make you look good and that you are comfortable in. Solid colors or simple patterns are best. Avoid anything too "busy". A T-shirt, blouse, jeans, skirt and a dress would be a basic wardrobe. Basic black and white are always good.
  
  
• EMPHASIZE YOUR FIGURE - AVOID BAGGY CLOTHING
  If you have a good figure, make sure you show it - don't just wear baggy clothes. Swimsuits and lingerie are always good. Take along some accessories. A hat, a scarf, a necklace, a bracelet, sunglassest - you get the idea. Small things that can make a shot look "different."
  
  
• LEGITIMATE AGENCIES PAY YOU - DON'T PAY UP FRONT FEES
  Most legitimate model agencies get you work and pay YOU, they don't demand you don't pay them. Agencies that charge you to be listed with them are generally making their money by getting your sign up fees, not by getting you work. Although some of their models may get work through them, generally such agencies don't have a good reputation.
  
  
• IF YOU DON'T DO NUDES - MAKE IT CLEAR
  If you don't do nudes, communicate 'NO NUDES' very clearly in your listing, or you may get interest that is a waste of energy since it doesn't fit your career goals.
  
  
• MAKE SURE YOU & THE PHOTOGRAPHER UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
  Make sure that you and any photographer you're working with are on the same wavelength and that you're both clear on what you're shooting. For example the term "glamour" can be interpreted in many different ways. To you it might mean sexy shots in jeans and a T-shirt, to the photographer it may mean Playboy nudes. Similarly "erotic" doesn't usually mean sexy. It often means "X-rated adult".
  
  
• BE PROFESSIONAL, BE ON TIME, REPLY TO EMAILS & CALLS
  Be professional. Reply to email and phone calls promptly. Be on time. If you have to cancel a shoot, do it as soon as you find out you can't make it. Never just "don't show up". If there's some sort of emergency on your way to a job, at least call the photographer to apologize for not being there as soon as you can. Don't get a reputation for being unreliable.
  
  
• CHECK OUT PHOTOGRAPHERS & HAVE A FRIEND CALL YOU AT A SHOOT
  Check out photographers who contact you. Look at their website for samples of their work to make sure they shoot the type of images you are interested in. If you don't know them personally, it's a good idea to take a cell phone along with you on a shoot and arrange for a friend to call you at a pre-arranged time, just to make sure all is going well. Make sure someone knows where you are going and who you are shooting with.