By: Emmanuel Abazu
As a model, your profile and your portfolio are your resume.
Every shoot you have, whether it be TFP or paid, is a job in which the
interview process happens before someone even contacts you, so they need to
both be well maintained. Here are some tips in the creation and upkeep of both
to help you stay marketable and appealing to the huge community.
Your profile-keep it concise with
relevant specifics
When writing your profile, the most important factor to keep
in mind is remaining concise. A client views your profile to learn your style,
whether you TFP or only accept paid projects, and where you are located; they
are primarily interested in any information that pertains directly to your
availability, willingness to participate, and suitability to their project or
portfolio. While how you came to be a model. What inspires you, and the sort of
adversities you may have overcome is of high import to you yourself, it ends up
being filler that client must skim through or skip entirely. If you feel it
absolutely necessary to detail these things, keep it at the end so that the
important information is still easily accessible.
One of the less attended and more important pieces of
information in a model portfolio is one of the more difficult parts to admit.
You need to be completely honest about your physical appearance, and clearly
state any tattoos, scars or any alterations you may have had done. List them as
honestly as possible (adding pictures can help) and try to avoid any
sugar-coating. At the end of the day, remaining honest about the full condition
of your body ensures that those who approach you for concepts do so with a
complete understanding of your appearance, and that the resulting images will
benefit all parties involved.
Your portfolio – General Modeling
Keeping tight quality control of your portfolio is a must.
While updating your portfolio with every new image you receive may seem
appealing, you can overload your client with too many images or risk repetition
by posting multiples from the same set. What you like the most may not be the
best image to advertise yourself as a model, so think of your portfolio as a
sales pitch and make sure your promoting yourself with the very best. It can be
exciting to receive 10 new image from the same shoot, so if you are too excited
to choose just one, sit on them for a few days until you c an look at them more
objectively, from a business standpoint.
Understand your strengths, as well as your weakness, and
show a potential client that you can find your best angels. For example, if
you’re flexible, get photos that accentuate your flexibility. If you have a
great face, make sure to get some amazing beauty shots. You are using these
images to convince someone to use you for their project over anyone else in
their area; keep in mind what you are selling and make sure it is accentuated
in your portfolio.
You also need to make sure your portfolio shows all the
aspects of your look that client may be interested in; your face, your full
body, and any particular parts of you that are specifically excellent. If you
have magnificent, graceful hands, for example, keep an image in which they are
the main focus in your portfolio. Different “looks” are also good addition to your
portfolio, by sharing with clients your command over facial expression.
In short, focus on images that show you off as a versatile,
Self-aware model.
Your portfolio – Freelance
Modeling
As a freelance model, diversity is incredibly important. Try
to have a photo or two that appeals to anyone you are available to work with;
include as many different genres and styles as you would be available to shoot.
While many clients will be primarily interested in your overall look, some will
skim and check to see if you have done something similar to what they’re
looking for. It is in your best interest to market to both types.
Your portfolio – Aspiring Agency
Represented Fashion Model
If you are more interested in becoming an agency-represented
model and booking work that way, models can still help develop a beginning
portfolio. Be sure to figure out your goals honestly, and check with the
agencies in your area beforehand to see what they like from a submission for representation,
as building a portfolio is not always necessary to earn agency representation.
For example, a fashion model usually needs no portfolio, but a commercial model
can sometimes require a more develop book.
If you do end up testing model as an aspiring fashion model,
you will typically want to focus more on getting “blank slate” beauty shots and
fashion images, and retouching work that is not too obvious. A freelance model
is interested in attention-grabbing opportunity, while an aspiring agency fashion
model is interested in accentuating their features as the main focus without
crazy makeup or stylish. Keep an eye out for the many people that use this site
for fashion editorials and creative as a way to network, and use model mayhem
to continue testing for an updated book, but your focus will likely be tear
sheets and agency representation.
Remember that these are guidelines, and agency you are
looking to become signed with may have different requests. Keep the lines of
communication open, and don’t be afraid to check their website for more
information on submissions, or even just ask directly for advice from agency
representation or a local model that has already signed with them.
UP NEXT: PREPARING FOR PHOTO SHOOT
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