Finding The Right Photographer As a New Model

Information for anyone thinking about or just starting a career in the modeling industry. It's a very basic start to portfolio building and finding a photographer to work with.

Becoming a model in the fashion industry is the dream of many young women and more than a handful of great looking guys as well. But because the idea of making it into the top-level of modeling in the industry is so enticing, there is so much competition for those few top slots that turn models into the world's "super models."

When you are just starting, the challenge can be finding the perfect photographer who can help you build your portfolio. You need a portfolio that shows you at your very best to get your portfolio noticed by the agencies. This can get you the paying modeling gigs for fashion magazines and commercials.

The first consideration is your location. Do you live in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Milan, Miami or one of the other major fashion epicenters?

There, you will find some of the top photographers who have already made the contacts and networks that they need to get your portfolio to the main decision makers in the industry. If you don't live in any of these cities, don't despair.

You have a few ways to resolve this problem of your "out-of-the-way" location.

The first one is to learn as much as you can about the fashion industry, so that you know who the key players are. Then you can network with the photographers that you do know, they may be able to introduce to some of their network and contacts. This could be the first step to getting your portfolio noticed. This can be a daunting task if you don't have insider information.

The second but equally important way is to also network with other models you may know who have been in the business for a while. Using online resources to connect with models can help you head in the right direction. Talking with models that have had "somewhat" success in the industry is a great place to start.

If there are no photographers in your town or local area that understand the fashion industry to your satisfaction, then traveling to a major city may be your only option to find the right photographer. Please don't compromise your values on this. Just because a photographer is "well-connected". This is not always enough for a photographer to be qualified to help produce your portfolio.

Some tips on choosing the right photographer for you:

• The photographer has to know his equipment. Talk with him or her and discuss the types of images you want to see achieved for your portfolio. They should be able to discuss with you how they will achieve the particular "look" that you are looking for. They should be able to show you examples of how they have created images in the past.


• The photographer should have a good eye for the style you want, lighting, and composition of your shots. Look at their portfolios, so you can see that they know how to get the types of images for your shoot. Get references and endorsements from other models who have worked with them. You need to be confident that once the photo shoot gets started, you are in good hands.

The most important thing is, you have to feel confident with your photographer. Having images taken is a very personal event. Photo shoots can get long and difficult. My fashion shoots range anywhere from a few hours to an all day affair, especially if everyone is having fun and creating amazing images. Perfection is always hard work. The most important thing to come from these shots is your personality. This is going help to break you through the rest of the portfolios and get you noticed. If your photographer can pull that from you, they can take you all the way to achieving your goals and success in the modeling industry.