How does a new photographer who is trying to build their portfolio get quality fashion models to test with ? I have been asked this question many many times. So I figured I would blog about it.
I will tell you how I did it. Back in the day there was no internet, well there was but it was all dial up and very very slow. Not many sites had made their way on the world wide web yet especially actual model agencies. So the only way to look at models to test with was to literally walk into t he agency tell the first person I saw that I was there to look at model zed cards to shoot for my portfolio. LOL the receptionist walked me to the woman who handled the “New Faces” board. Was I nervous ? Actually no I was not. I compare it to when a child is faced with a task and has never experienced failure so they don’t know what failure feels like. I had no reason to be afraid because I had no idea what to expect !
So I explained to the agent that I was a new photographer who needed to step up the quality of my portfolio / book with real models who had that model look. Now you are probably asking what did I walk into the agency with ? I had a book. I had photos of my sister who used to model and still looked good. They were mostly head shots. I had photos of her beautiful friends and they introduced me to their friends and so on. Of course what was missing was the styling, make up and that “fashion look” and I knew that. I even had some family portraits thrown in with some great portraits of children I had shot.
Now even though I didn’t have a book like Irving Penn, Mario Testino or Sante D Orazio it didn’t matter to them. What the agent saw was that I knew how to compose and light a shot. More important, I knew how to take girls that had no modeling experience, except for my sister and make them look pretty damn good. All that was missing was a good stylist, make up and hair. But the agent didn’t just hand over a bunch of zed cards and say here ya go take your pick ! She told me to shoot some more and come back in a month to show her more. It was just paying dues. She also told me to study fashion magazines. And this is THE most important part of how to shoot fashion. As a fashion photographer you MUST know fashion ! Shit, the term fashion photographer has the word fashion in it !!!
So I sat my ass in Barnes and Noble and looked at every fashion magazine that existed. I shot more and more and went back to that agent and she was impressed. She gave me one model to test out. From there the ball kept rolling. She did have alot of feed back for me and I did make mistakes.
My challenge to you all is to forget Model Mayhem, One Model Place and any of these online “anyone can be a model” sites, grab your balls and walk into an agency just like I did.
If you are interested in the feed back she gave me and find out what mistakes I made, just ask ! I look forward to your questions. This topic is covered heavily in my private fashion photography workshops where I teach you all you need to know of the ins and outs so you don’t make mistakes and you can walk into a modeling agency with confidence.
