Nude Modeling: Before You Start - Part I

by Henna N, photo by Lone Shepherd

Alright folks, so here is the first installment of my advice to new models or people considering nude modeling.   Like I said before, I’m breaking this up into sections, so that its not just one long piece of text. Because I have a tendency to write a lot. (I talk a lot too…its a problem.)  I’m the kid who turns in a 10 page paper when the professor asks for a 5-7 page one.  Hah, anyway.

This section is: Before you Start: Part I.

I. Once you are naked on the internet, you are naked on the internet for good.

So you are considering nude modeling, and you haven’t actually started yet.

One of the most important things to realize is that with the nature of the internet and instant sharing and blogs and all that jizz-jazz, is that when you put a picture online, it will most likely be accessible for years and years to come.  Especially with nude work. People love nude pictures. Even if they don’t fit the definition of porn.

Zen Allure How-To Guide

Welcome to ZenAllure! You’re only a few easy steps away from your own branded web page. Just so we’re clear this’s a service from Model Insider and takes advantage of MI’s tools to make this work. That means you need a Model Insider account to make your free website. We’re not asking you for money… we offer more features to supporters, but our free account still has more features than any other networking site. If you like us enough to give us money we won’t object though, and you’ll get all sorts of extras! Your support helps us bring you things like this.

So if you’re already an MI member click HERE to get started building your ZenAllure - but DO read the rest of the page, there’s important info (and sneak peeks at upcoming features) you need to know!

If you’re not part of the hottest Model/Photographer network yet, click HERE to set up your Model Insider profile (a fast & easy process with no wait for approval) and then come back. We’ll wait!

All right, you’re ready to go. Just follow these steps!

Meet and Greet Etiquette: How to Treat a Model

by Roxana Hire on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 4:56pm ·

Photography Meet and Greets offer wonderful opportunities for networking between models and photographers. These events are also great for beginner photographers and models to practice and learn from the pros.

After one of the recent events I attended, I was sitting around with other models talking about how the day had gone. Many of them had the same complaints about how they had been treated. They were shy about speaking up about this behavior because they were new to modeling and thought that "that is just the way things are' in "the industry." Honestly, I do not know about "the industry" but I DO know how I want to be treated at a Meet and Greet, AND I know how I DO NOT want to be treated. To this end I have written an etiquette primer for new photographers.

If you follow these rules you will have a very good reputation with models and we will be happy to work with you again.
If you do not follow these rules, we will do our best to avoid you and tell our model friends to do the same.

MODELING IN CHINA

written by: Michelle Mousel

I get a lot of questions about modeling in China, "What is it like?", "Is it a good place to work?", etc etc. I've decided to write a very decisive, coherent article about it so you everyone can better educate themselves on this market and make responsible decisions accordingly.

I will give you a breakdown of the *typical* situation and this will all be in reference to MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

Before we begin. DISCLAIMER: What are my credentials? I don't claim to be an expert. I'm not an agency. HOWEVER, I have spent over a year and half working in China both freelance and under agency contract with several of the top agencies and I can speak Chinese, which better enables me to understand the clients directly and better negotiate and navigate the industry there.

So you wanna work in China do you?

This article contains much good advice from Roger Talley (Model Insider Member Emeritus) that can also be found at his site, NewModels.com. He is always pleased to answer questions in the forum.

Types of Modeling Scams

The world of modeling has been around long enough that it has been infested with all manner of low-lifes.  These are the companies that promise great things for you with no intention of delivering anything of real value.  Some of them look real; others rely on no more than hype and bluster to separate you from your money:

Model “Exposure Books”

The Pitch:  A model or actor pays to have their pictures put into a book or magazine, the book is to be sent around to Casting Directors and/or agencies who would “discover” their new talent by finding them in the books.

The Reality:  These books look something like a legitimate agency marketing tool:  the headsheet book.  Nobody ever explains why a fashion agency in New York might want to “discover” a 5’4” model in North Platte, Nebraska.  But never mind that - send in your pictures and your money and take your chances.  A few of this sorry breed of entrepreneur actually do produce the books and deliver them to some casting directors and agencies, where they hit the wastebasket within minutes of arriving at the office.

So I am doing a casting for publication right now and there are a few tips I feel I could share with models about when and if you are ready to submit for a casting, and why it can hurt your career to submit to castings you are either not right for or not yet ready for.

Some things you should be aware of in any casting situation:

1. The person doing the casting is likely looking through dozens to hundreds of responses. This means they most of the time do not have time to think of you as a human being, they only have time to think yes or no.

2. The casting call is only the first step, after the first go through your images will be sent onward and upward. You might have 2-30 people looking at your book and deciding if you are the person they want.

3. in the event of a group shoot, or a shoot involving several models the models must also look good together as a group

Let’s start with two observations:

1. Far too many models here have portfolios that leave the viewer wondering, “what does she look like”? It’s not unusual for me to look at an MI model’s portfolio and still not feel I could reliably pick her out in a lineup. That’s not good. If you want photographers to hire you, you need to give them the information to make good decisions. And that means having a good, clear, close, evenly lit picture of your face.

2. Virtually every working mainstream actor and model has good headshots. There is a reason why they are working.

That said, lots of you have now already received everything you need to know about headshots. The remainder of this post is really only for three classes of people:

1. People who aspire to be working actors.
2. People who aspire to be mainstream fashion, commercial or glamour models.
3. Photographers who shoot “portfolio pictures” for any of the above.

Welcome to the world of internet modeling! Your profile is your introduction and resume, so it's important that it be detailed and complete.

Here are a few things a lot of newbies leave out that are really helpful to have:

• What are your REAL stats? You are not 100 years old or 10 pounds, and your height isn't measured in your heels. Put in real and accurate stats. Some models will put in their age as 100 years because they don't want to show up in searches. If this is you, ask yourself why you're signing up at a profile site in the first place. If you are not here to be seen and network maybe this is not the place for you & you’d prefer something like MySpace or Facebook which allows restricted profiles.
  
  
• What is your schedule? What are your abilities?
• Are you willing/able to travel? If so, how far?
  
  
• What are your modeling goals?
  
  
• What types and genres of modeling are you interested in pursuing?
  
  
• Do you have any piercings or body modifications? If so, what and where are they, and can they be removed or covered? If you have tattoos, are you comfortable with the photographer asking that they be covered? Would you reject the suggestion that they be removed in post production?
  
  
• What is your current hair color and style? If you show more than one hair color in your portfolio we need to know which you have now, as well as how it's cut. Consider including an image marked as "latest" to show your current look.

Safety In Internet Modeling

By James Glendinning/ SilverLight Esoterica Photography

Hey folks, how about some REAL, VALID safety tips for models? (these are for Internet modeling, not agency work)

If you're under 18 and not an agency model (they operate differently) always take a parent or legal guardian with you. A boyfriend or girlfriend or sibling is NOT ok. First off, your parents should know about and support what you're doing or you shouldn't be doing it. Second, the photographer probably will want or need papers signed that require a parent or legal guardian, and there are specific legal requirements someone has to meet to fill that role. If you can't tell your parents what you're doing...you shouldn't be doing this. You have bigger problems.

If you are under 18 and the photographer says "Come alone" that is the exception to automatically assuming there's something creepy going on. If you're under 18 and they say that, there probably is something wrong. Why chance it?

What is Due Diligence in the Internet Modeling and Photography Environment?

By Curt Burgess, PhotoworksWS

In the debate about the usefulness of an escort for safety purposes versus doing one's due diligence the question often comes up about exactly what is involved in the due-diligence process. First, in wondering if you even need an escort, find out from the photographer if a make-up artist, stylist, or other staff will be present. If so, consider if you really need an escort. But what is meant by due-diligence? It is commonly known as "doing your research," "checking references," "doing your homework," "using common sense," "having a clue," or "being an adult" among other things. Due-diligence is the process that you undertake to verify the quality, professionalism, and safety of a prospective experience with a photographer. This is a list of some possible steps to take - nobody would need to do all of these. You need to assess your concerns and interests to determine what specific steps to take.

So what are the specific behaviors entailed in the due-diligence process? Here are some of the possibilities to consider:

 

This article contains much good advice from Roger Talley (Model Insider Member Emeritus) that can also be found at his site, NewModels.com. He is always pleased to answer questions in the forum.

So you just got an email asking if you'd like a choice modeling or photography assignment, congratulations! Unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Every day, hundreds (if not thousands) of models, photographers and makeup artists receive these emails. Often they say that they saw your portfolio online and they want to hire you to model clothing, or walk in a fashion show, or shoot or do makeup for a wedding. They offer great, though sometimes not outrageous pay, and assure you that all will be handled for you. If you respond, you typically find out that they will send you a check for the full payment plus additional money that you should forward on to someone else. Often they'll state that they'll send you money for travel which you should wire to their travel agent. Or, perhaps, they'll tell a model that she needs to wire the extra funds to the photographer. Either way, the check turns out to be fake and you're out the money.