When To Spend
While you should never pay an agency any actual fees to represent you, it is important to note that models today are usually required to cover their own actual start-up expenses. This includes test photograph sessions, makeup, hair styling, headshots, composite cards and modeling portfolios. In addition, it is standard for agencies to ask their models to help cover some—or all—of the costs incurred in representing them. This runs the gamut from placing their photos on the company website to sending out marketing materials.
That being said, here is an important warning: Some of the biggest scam agencies that exist today will offer to represent you and then will send you to their own makeup artists, photographers and printers, so they can get a cut of the money you pay for these services. This is not a legitimate way to do business. Legitimate agencies will be able to provide you with a list of suggested vendors but should not force you to go to one specific place or make money themselves off of these services. A real agency usually makes its money from its client bookings. Period.
The Modeling Portfolio: Your Ticket to the Top
If nothing you’ve read so far has scared you off from your dream of being a model, then you may be ready to consider going to the next step, which is hiring a photographer to take professional photos of you. You will need these photos for several things, including creating your modeling portfolio. This portfolio is really a “look book” that spotlights you in your best light and ideally should represent you to prospective clients and sell them on why you would be the perfect choice for their jobs. You may decide to get a portfolio after getting an offer of representation from an agency, or you may use your portfolio to try to wow an agency and get their interest. Both cases are appropriate.
Your best bet in researching photographers it to look for one who specializes in working with models. This is important, since it means he or she will be able to give you guidance on how to get the best photos. If you are working with an agency, the agency can also guide you on what looks will best meet the needs of your market.
Understand that for your portfolio, you want to include a range of photos that show you in different clothing, poses and situations. This means you should bring several clothing changes to your photo shoot, and even consider changing your makeup and hairstyle accordingly for different angles. Just make sure, though, that any pictures you include in your portfolio genuinely do look like you, so the client who selected you from your book won’t be surprised when you show up in person for the job.
