We produce many folios for models - both for
new aspiring models and for experienced models - male and female.
Many models who have a folio done do not do
themselves any justice. Having a proof sheet of a roll of film showing
poses in jeans and T-shirt doesn't cut it.
If your intention is to be a glamour model
and do swimwear, lingerie and or centrefold type pictorials then height
is not as critical but the right figure is important. Also, you
probably don't need to pay for a folio. Most magazines will need to
see some appropiate photos of you and most photographers will photograph
you and submit a few photos of you to see if the Art Director of the
magazine is interested in using you. In this way, by collecting some
of these photos, you gradually put a folio together. This brings up
another matter - photos you submit to magazines, etc, must be relevant.
There is no point in submitting bikini shots if you want to be a centrefold
- you will only have the photos returned with a request for additional
material. In a situation like this make sure the hair is done, the make-up
is right, the photos do you justice and make you look glamourous and
if you are wearing much more than a smile and birthday suit then you
are overdressed.
If your ambition is to be a fashion and/or
catwalk model then height is an issue. As one owner of a modelling
agency once put it to me "The difference between a beautiful girl
and a model is a model is tall". Unless you're almost tall enough
to play in the ruck in Aussie Rules then forget it.
The best way to know what a model needs in
her folio is to look at magazines such as 'Vogue', 'Cleo' and 'Cosmo'
and look at the full page ads. This is bread and butter work for photographic
models. While some of these advertising campaigns are mega-dollar affairs
which is going to be beyound your budget it gives you an example of
the looks and ability required of you.
If you have Cable TV then take a look at the
'Fashion TV' channel. In particular the 'Models', 'Photographers' and
'Midnight Hot' segments. You can learn a lot about what is expected
from you. We have a lot of this on video and dvd and we go over these
with potential clients. We try to accomplish similar quality in our
folios of models.
Try not to submit anyone photos that look
like they belong in 'Black & White Magazine'. This is a great publication
but demonstrates how good the photographer is - not how good the model
is. Fancy fish-eye lens photos of models does nothing for the model.
Within a realistic budget, you need changes
of clothes, hair styles and make-up. Very different looks. You need
something formal, something casual, swimwear, lingerie, studio, location,
colour and black & white, or your own and with an other model. This
is what we produce in our model folios. We work with and for the model
to achieve the ideal result - you are our client just the same as an
advertising agency or magazine would be.
One of the advantages of the digital revolution
is that film, film processing and proofing costs no longer exist. While
it may involve more computer time for the studio it is possible to shoot
much more material and give back to the model a CD or DVD of many excellent
images. The best of these can be enlarged by the studio or simply taking
the CD to a digital photo shop and getting inexpensive A4 size enlargements.
This is our recommendation. We have few examples of our work here as,
while the images are meant to to be seen to promote the model, they
are not really meant to be exposed on a web-site. We always ask permission
before using anyone's photos.
It is essential that models consider getting
a video done as part of their marketing. A video shows that you not
only 'look pretty' but can actually model/act and can correctly walk
down a catwalk/runway. We don't do video but have associates who excell
at this art. We can supply VCR cassettes as well as CDs and DVDs complete
with chapter navigation.
We can organize hair & makeup and have
half-day and full-day competitive rates. We also try to find new models
suitable work and inform them of agencies they should join.
