The profession of a model is included in the list of prestigious ones today. But in reality, it is very difficult to achieve success in this area. In addition to being good-looking, hard work will also be required.
Nowadays, many people think that a fashion model career is a real pleasure. It must be said that such an opinion is erroneous. Natural beauty is just a springboard to help you take the first step. The rest of the work of the models is tedious and very painstaking. Apart from that, the modeling business is very competitive. Many girls are early denied in their careers. If a girl combines intelligence, beauty and perseverance, her career will take off. Aspiring fashion careers usually start at the age of 14. By the age of 16, models in Western countries are already professionals with experience in photography and fashion shows.
For most, this profession loses its attractiveness or it is supplanted by other interests. But some girls believe that a modeling business career is their vocation. A bright unusual appearance, an expressive look, emotionality, a magnificently built figure - these are the initial features in order to declare themselves as the queen of photo sites. What else does it take to become a professional model?
What requirements are important in fashion modelling industry?
The following will list tips, adhering to which, success will come without fail.
- Participate in a photo session for free, getting high-quality pictures for your portfolio from professional photographers. At the start of a career, this is a standard situation.
- You will often have to start your working day early in the morning. Photographers love to shoot during dawn hours. Getting up at 4 a.m. is no longer a rarity. So you need to have time to clean up in order to look good.
- Never be late for filming, negotiations, auditions at modeling agency, etc. A team takes part in the photo session, which includes not only the photographer and his assistants, but also a make-up artist, costume designer, and stylist. All participants are paid hourly, so the phrase "time is money!" - it's literally about the cost of every working minute of the participants in the process, including the photo model. If you neglect punctuality, responsibility and discipline, then the proposals will stop coming. Customers don't like late employees.
- In the course of some shootings in modeling agency, you will have to change clothes dozens of times, for example, for a catalog of clothes. Almost always you need to do this very quickly, each new image requires brilliant performance, which is very exhausting mentally and physically.
- There will be refusals. The appearance of the model may not coincide with the concept of filming or the idea of the art director. The photographer requires unique-looking models. Refusal to cast should not be taken as a personal offense - it is part of the job, the costs of the chosen profession.
- Knowledge of English is important and can come in handy in promoting a modeling career abroad.
What should a fashion model do before casting in a modelling agency?
There are several stages in the career of a novice model. It is important to:
Form the correct posture
One of the main professional skills of a model is the ability to pose naturally and freely. Not all poses are equally useful, you can familiarize yourself with posing by referring to catalogs, image and portrait photographs. In any case, experience and training are useful at any stage of a career; it is necessary to form the correct posture, positioning the head, arms, legs and body in front of a mirror.
Find a photographer or photo studio, preferably for free
Putting together the first model portfolio website is not an easy task, you need to find a photographer or photo studio where you can shoot, preferably for free. Amateur photos taken by a friend on a phone are not suitable for a high-quality lookbook.
You can find a way out of the situation with the help of the same novice photographer, who has just begun to conduct photo sessions, has high-quality technology and a burning desire to make a name for himself. The model should be prepared for the fact that out of 500 shots, 2 or 3 frames will be suitable. But they should be retouched, "cleaned" and only after processing they should be added to the portfolio.
Shoot a model test
This series of images does not belong to the model portfolio website, but should reflect the natural beauty of the model. The model test is needed for sending to modeling agencies and casting. For a start, 5 photos are enough. The collection should contain pictures in high resolution (full-length portrait, up to the thigh line). The model test is regularly updated, especially if adjustments have been made to the exterior.
How to Become a Model? A step-by-step guide for an aspiring fashion model
1. Be always active
2. Have a model look with appropriate parameters
3. Be charismatic
4. Find a modelling agency with good reputation
5. Take high-quality photographs and a model portfolio website
Anyone who wants to achieve success in a career as a model must show character. After all, in order to take part in endless auditions, hoping to make a name for yourself, you need stubbornness and the ability not to give up. Hard work, the willingness to constantly work on oneself, self-confidence - these are the character traits that are necessary for the future model. The work of a model requires a girl of iron discipline, high efficiency, the ability to remain calm in the suspense, as well as the ability to change an image within a few seconds.
Follow our rules and tips if you want to start a modeling industry:
Step 1. Be always active
Do you really need it? So, you should understand that this is primarily a business, that is, making money. You’ll have to run around the castings, get up at 5 am and go to bed at 1 am, work on the set and be away from loved ones. Are you ready to go through this to reach your goal? If so, let's move on.
Step 2. Have a model look with appropriate parameters
Girls need to be tall one and have appropriate modelling parameters:
- that is, at least 171 cm, and for high fashion - at least 175 cm.In modeling school, the most important requirement for a fashion model who dreams of working in shows is height. The girl must be tall, at least 171 cm. The height of the guys is 185 cm. High fashion is tougher, to participate in prestigious shows, models of girls with a height of 175 cm or more are selected. But there are some exeptions when the model may not be tall;
- as for the proportions, the volume of the hips should not be more than 90-92 cm, the waist - 63-64 cm. However, more and more models are choosing the acting direction for themselves, where the parameters of girls and guys are different. Girls who began to try themselves as a model from the age of 14 are more likely to build a career;
- the girth of the chest is not so important, the main thing is that it does not look "heavy";
- in no case should there be scars, piercings or tattoos on the body;
- it is desirable to grow hair long, this is very welcome. Hair color should be natural and structure not damaged;
- nails and heels should be well groomed;
- the face should be beautiful and bright.
Step 3. Be charismatic
Appearance is half the battle. Undoubtedly, looks are an important factor in the modeling business. However, having charisma and character is also essential. The model should be characterized by the following qualities: purposefulness, charisma, sociability, hard work and moderate modesty.
Step 4. Find a modelling agency with good reputation
Finding a modeling agency that might be interested in a “new face” is an important step towards a modeling career. The best place to start is with the leaders in the modeling market. On most sites, you can find a contact form - a questionnaire, to which you are asked to attach photos.
Which modeling agency should you send your resume to and how not to get caught by charlatans?
- It is worth doing a little research. Collect information about all agencies in a search engine.
- Look at the girls on the site. They should be beautiful, with experience and a good set of professional shots.
- Study the agency's news feed - read about their achievements, what kind of work the girls do, where and how much they travel. The lifetime of the agency is also very important - the more it is on the market, the more experience, clients, models, the better the reputation.
Now feel free to fill out the form. On the website of each agency there is either a registration section or contact information where you can send a questionnaire.
Of course, meeting the requirements is not enough to achieve what you want. It is hardly possible to count on a fluke, according to which a scout - an agent specializing in the search for new faces, accidentally notices an outstanding beauty and invites to work in a well-known agency. You need to make an effort, try to make yourself known and learn the basics of professional skills.
Step 5. Take high-quality photographs and a model portfolio website
The role of the model portfolio website in the early stages of a career is very important. It is necessary to take several high-quality pictures in which the girl can be viewed multifaceted from all sides.
- It is important that the photo is free of jewelry, bright makeup and retouching.
- In daylight, such photos can be created at home. In this case, it is desirable to have high-quality equipment.
- Every experienced fashion model knows that the portfolio should not contain any nudity and eroticism, even if the agency requires it.
Before starting a career, it is worth remembering that the results of photo shoots will be available to everyone on the Internet, and it will not only be face shots. You also need to understand that the quality of a photo or video will not always be flawless or highly artistic, the copyright for some photos will belong to brands, photographers, photo studios, and sometimes individuals.
Surely only one thing can be said - it will be impossible to control the content with your photo. If at a certain moment, you want to change your modeling career to work in the office, you won't be able to remove the pictures from the network, because they will find fans, and ordinary users for a long time to come.
What photos should be on a model portfolio website?
Not all photographers, studios and modeling agencies ask to send portfolios, some prefer to see working pictures from advertisements, image photo shoots or catalogs. This is not a reason to refuse to build a portfolio.
It is necessary to include at least 30 pictures in the personal book of a model, some agencies may ask for more materials, so the lookbook should be constantly replenished and updated.
The model portfolio website should include:
- Portraits. The gallery needs to include several portraits, some in nude make-up tones and a part with bright makeup.
- Pictures in full length. The goal of this gallery is to unleash the full potential of the model. Professionals believe that the section should contain at least 20 shots of different images in order to reflect all the beauty and professionalism of the model.
- Snaps. Photoshoot in a swimsuit, no make-up. It is carried out on a full-length white cyclorama. Shots are taken from the front, profile, from the back and ¼ turn, include close-ups in versions with loose and pulled hair.
Now let's get down to the creative part. You need to take a couple of good pictures in which you will be visible. Pictures are divided into 2 categories: snaps and photos themselves. Snaps are your "technical" material. In these photos you should be what you are in ordinary life. This is a set of 6 photos: 3 full-length (front, profile, back), 3 portraits (the same). You can also play with emotions - show a smile, anger, etc. These photos should not have any retouching, makeup or jewelry. They are made in a swimsuit (to show the figure) and black high-heeled shoes. In daylight, they can be made at home on any digital camera - for this you need a person who will take pictures (not necessarily a photographer) and a solid background (you can hang a sheet).
By the way, for a successful career as a beginner model, you can create your first professional model portfolio on our website.
Is it neccesary to study to become a fashion model?
Those who are interested in what it takes to become a model know that most often the first career step will be studying at a modeling school. The selection takes place on a competitive basis, the courses are designed for approximately 2.5 - 3 months. Students receive theoretical knowledge and practical skills:
- study defile - work on stage and podium;
- get an idea of the components of the modeling business - casting, contracts, management;
- improve the ability to show oneself during filming;
- gain knowledge of cosmetology;
- master the basics of acting.
Of course, studying in fashion model schools does not guarantee a successful career. Industry professionals warn newcomers against the fact that some educational institutions do business with the desire to get into the world of fashion - they receive payment for training, preparation of a portfolio, but in fact they do not give a start. But large agencies indicate that graduates of their schools make up about half of the annual replenishment of the workforce.
Fashion model work quite often brings a good fee and new acquaintances with potential customers, journalists of fashion publications and TV channels. For a model, self-confidence is important not only during the period of working on the camera, but also in life.Our site will help you create your professional model portfolio that will definitely be remembered by the employer.
Our site will help you create your professional model portfolio that will definitely be remembered by the employer.
FAQ
Can you become a model without education?
Some agencies prefer to work with the model from scratch, rather than retrain her after a bad school. Indeed, one can become a model without a model school. But if you feel the need for training, choose schools with a name and a good reputation.
How many years do you need to study to be a model?
The study lasts about 2 months, and if the student decides to become a photo model, he can concentrate only on photographing. If the goal is to become a model on the catwalk, then fashion shows and choreography can be preferred.
How to become a model if you are short?
You don't have to be tall and thin to be a successful model. Girls and guys with a height of 165 cm and even below can enter into contracts with modeling agencies.
What parameters should the 2022 model have?
This year, almost all over the world, the parameters 90/60/90 have lost their relevance. Customers more often choose models with a unique appearance (for example, large moles or "plus size") for cooperation.
