So,
with this I come back, know I have been away for too long. I have spent a few time writing this in my laptop to copypaste in my pages, wish this
helps to the young girls who write me asking for tips.. Greets!
I have been receiving several messages asking me for
modeling tips, and I can’t honestly spend my time answering to each one of
those messages, even though I sometimes feel identified with the ones who send
me those, I just don’t have enough time, and most times I can’t even read the
messages I receive unless they seem to be job offerings or interesting
proposals. I love seeing new messages in my inbox, even if I don’t answer or
even read them, just looking at those in general makes me feel supported, thanks.
But the thing here is (sorry, I am not a concise person and in my personal
profiles I am gonna be as long as I wish to be) that I am making my personal
tips to give my honest opinion of what is best to start into alternative
modeling. This way I can give this information to more people than I could give
otherwise, and since this message is made comfortably and with enough time, it
will probably be a lot better advice than it would be if I am just trying to
answer in two minutes a message from a girl.
Please, know that I have been into alternative
modeling for not even three years, so these tips are just the beginning of the
ones I am slowly getting to myself, this is just the beginning of the knowledge
I wish I’ll get when more into the industry and even if I was a 40 year old
woman who has been extremely successful, my tips wouldn't fit all the models.
These are just my beliefs about what is best, but it depends a lot in what does
a certain person want, how that person is; to say a couple. My tips are mine,
you can take them or leave them, I just talk from the experience I am starting
to have and the things that have worked for me, the stuff I have observed and
the goals I prosecute. So, you can read them, but don’t just take them all;
take a look of your own ideas about it and check if that would work for you, or
if this is really what you want. I truly believe it would be helpful, because
even if my tips aren’t for you, it’s always good to see what other models
think, and how they feel.
So, as a model who has only been into this for two
years and some months, but who has gotten some great public by her (my) own
way, I post these tips; comment them if you want, constructive criticism is
always welcomed.
First part is just to get into it and start getting
known, the second part is more about being professional and avoiding potential
problems either in a personal or legal way, or just uncomfortable situations.
Starting out:
Take a look of the photographers in your area, prices,
quality and how professional they are. Make sure you make a good starting
portfolio, showing your best (specially now that you are a beginner and you’ll
need more help with that). Try on different clothing, different poses, make up,
look… demonstrate you are capable of several
things, of showing different emotions, feelings, expressions, that you have
your own attitude. Practice that by yourself while you look for the ideal
photographer.
Once you have found him/her, hire a shooting and make
your portfolio.
Now that you have the portfolio, look for having more
experience and even more pictures. There are the TFCD/TFP shootings (Time For
CD/Time For Pictures), exchange shootings where nobody gets money but both of
them receive images that will be good for both of them. Now I was going to
start writing endlessly, but I better just set the points one by one to make it
clearer than a long generic story.
Signing
contracts:
Read deeply every contract you sing, and make sure there
is one in every shooting you have.
If it’s an exchange shooting, always get the ownership
of the images, and the right of using them for your own exposure; that the
photographer gives credit to you when he uses them for his own portfolio or
contests or anything. And if one of the parts gets money from the pictures, set
a percentage for the other part (for example: 70% for the one who sold the
picture and 30% for the other part). But not sold as exclusive, don’t lose the
right of using your own picture unless you made the picture specifically for
that proposal (that would be receiving money, so it doesn’t apply here in
exchange shootings). Never have an exchange shooting where they will later use
your image in something as serious as an exposition, require money if it’s the
case.
If it’s a paid shoot I leave up to you how much do you
want to get, not just talking about money, but about your rights: being
credited, owning the images, etc.
Working for
free:
Besides what I explained about the contracts in
exchange shootings, I only find this reason for working for free (besides a
favor for a friend or similar), and the reason is: it benefits you. I could
benefit you if it’s a work for something unpaid but with a great exposure and
being credited, if it’s with an important photographer, a shooting that would
enrich a lot your portfolio or a shooting you wanted for your own, and found a
photographer who liked it and made an exchange shooting.
If it doesn’t benefit you, don’t take the shoot. The
more shootings you have, the more experience you’ll get, but I personally find
pointless to be in shootings that will not be useful, it will always be there a
good enough photographer who would arrange a shooting both of you (yourself and
the photographer) will like; so better get one of those.
Get
experienced:
Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.
Try to have shootings constantly, if serious work
doesn’t appear, arrange TFP shoots to get experience, remain fresh, be active,
know more people in the industry and get more images. Maybe one of those images
is the one that will get you a job (or lose it, NEVER take a picture you could
regret). This is why I recommend to…
…establish
your boundaries:
Before you start on this, take your time to think
about what do you want and don’t want to do; specifically the amount of skin
you want to show and how to show it (it’s not the same to shoot for a beautiful
and delicate nude than to wear a bikini and pose with open legs and squeezing
your boobs). Set this, and never pass the boundaries unless you are a hundred
percent sure of it. It’s up to you, but make sure you’ll not cry later your
decisions. As a model who is starting through internet, you will have a hard (more
like impossible) time while trying to erase all the proofs of the pictures you
took.
Take a look at
the photographer’s work:
When a photographer contacts you for a first time,
take a look at his/her portfolio. Not only the quality of the pictures (that
would be related to the “working for free” tip). But of what does that person
look for the images, if that goes for you; or, being clearer: make sure that
person is in fact a photographer and not a person who pretends to be one. Ask
if you can go with a friend to the shoot, if the answer is “no”, don’t accept
the shooting. If the photographer seems to be obsessed with nudity, or anything
that could be related to “sex”, don’t accept as well (expect phrases such as “it’s
nothing wrong with nudity” or “your body is really beautiful, you are not
really doing your best if you cover it”). If they say it once but accept what
you don’t want to do, it’s Ok, or if they just leave; but those who try to
convince you aren’t usually nice people. A lot of photographers are just guys
who bought a camera to have an excuse to see innocent women naked in front of
them, or worse things.
If you are not too busy, try to meet the photographers
in public places another day before the shooting and get to know them a little;
also talk about the shoot.
Be professional:
Make sure you
arrive early enough to every single shoot you have. If you find it
impossible, give them a call, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.
Don’t change
your appearance without letting the photographer know. If
you arrange a shoot, don’t change your appearance it the period before it, and
if you plan a change, tell it to the one who wants to shoot with you so they
will decide if they still want it.
Be confident,
always have in mind you are the model; a human, but a professional. Relax and
believe you are giving your best. Confidence makes miracles; if you are
extremely nervous or feeling shy, try to break the ice a little; don’t focus on
that, it will only make things worse. And remember, the photographer is another
human who could be nervous about shooting with you.
Don’t be a
diva. I personally hate people who want everybody to be
licking their asses and mistreating the others while they wouldn’t accept any
treat slightly bad to them; or not just slightly bad, just any way of treating
that wouldn’t be saying “you are the best and the only and I would do anything
for you because even your shit is worthy”. Ewww, hate it! You will never be the
best, the most beautiful, the most nothing (not even bad things). So be
confident, make yourself be respected
in every way possible; but don’t think you are over (or below) anybody.
Bring your own
makeup, there will usually be makeup artists, but just in
case they don’t show up, bring some basics to put makeup yourself. It’s also
good to have a little knowledge about applying the makeup and styling your
hair; that way it would be easier for you to have shootings as you wanted.
Sometimes, when I have a look in mind it doesn’t matter how good the MUA
(makeup artist) is, it doesn’t look as I pictured so I feel disappointed. When
I imagine a whole shooting and ask for it, I usually want to be my own stylist.
(But, of course, going back do the “don’t be a diva” point; never act as if the
makeup artist had no clue; if he/she is there, is because he/she got there, even
if that way of working isn’t one you like).
And…
As the last comments (I could be here writing and
writing endlessly but I think that’s enough): Don’t get disappointed, it’s hard to reach the top, but even more
if you get disappointed.
Protect your
intimacy: if you are gonna try to get known through the
internet, better don’t use your real name and make your modeling accounts
different to your real accounts. If you are gonna make a profile in some
website and they ask you for an email, put there the modeling email only, even
if the email is not going to be shown.
Keep learning,
looking. You’ll never know enough.
Comment me what you thinjk about the tips.
Pictures shall be added to make this more apparent, so here I post a couple of pictures by Raquel Jaramago (Jaramatography), make up by Silvia Gil, make up by Helen and the other models are Eva Modelimage (Nazi Nurse) and Mary (retro nurse).
Greets, have a nice week! Today I am not putting a song I like, this post is dense enough.
