I noticed a few things that drove me crazy when I was on my hunt for a young blonde with light eyes and a certain look. So many people had bad or misleading profile images or a collection of photos that cast them as a type automatically. Don't get me wrong, a type is not bad, but if you're at all open to trying to work outside of that type, you need to be careful.
Tiffany had a great portfolio and a really great profile image. I have some experience modeling, more experience acting, and I have the added perspective of someone who has given paid work to a model found on one of these sites. So today's blog is about just that-- how to set your portfolio and profile up to get paid work off of these sites.
1. Your profile image should be a clear shot of you and your face.
You might LOVE that picture you had taken of yourself dressed as Harley Quinn, you might think that a tantalizing shot of your pecs will draw people in, but when someone has a specific look in mind and they are sorting through 940 profiles, they don't have time to click on every portfolio to see what else they are missing.
Your portfolio can contain artistic images, over-the-shoulder shots, profiles, and extreme close-ups. Your avatar should not be any of those things. Make sure that it is current to your look, not a really nice photo of what you looked like three years ago when you had short hair. Your avatar should give a casting director and instant, clear picture of what YOU look like. Period.
2. Have someone else take pictures of you with a decent camera.
Don't have a decent camera? Get images taken outside in daylight to compensate for poor lighting. Refrain from using "the angles" in a shot you took of yourself. If you can't get anyone to take your picture for you, why would a casting director or photographer want to take your picture?
3. Don't type-cast yourself unless you want to be typecast.
If every photo in your portfolio is an image of you bent over a car in a bikini, that is likely all you will be cast to do. That might make for a lucrative career, but don't be upset if you can't get artistic or high fashion work if your portfolio only shows one thing.
It's like a job interview-- dress for the job you want to get. If you have a portfolio full of vampire role-play images, you will be limited to castings on covers of horror novels. If you are only photographed in sun dresses in a field, you will be cast as sweet girls and never get edgier parts.
A simple photo in a black or white t-shirt is always a good standard for a portfolio. If you have sexy pictures, make sure you have something more conservative so that casting directors don't pigeon hole you as a sexual person.
Variety and simplicity are key. Let the creative people imagine you in the roles they want to fill instead of forcing them to see one extreme.
4. Be active in your photos.
Charisma is far more valuable than conventional beauty. Make sure that you are thinking and relaxed. If you are smiling, don't hold it so long that it looks strained. If your eyes are glazing over, close them and open them right before the shot. Breathe and think and you will become so much more interesting on camera.
5. Select your username wisely.
Putting your age in your username limits your profile to one year of activity. Likewise, putting something like "Vampiress"will type cast you and make you seem unprofessional. This is not an AIM Screen Name. If you want to be taken professionally, be professional. Some form of your name is usually the best bet.
What the following usernames say about a person:
19yearoldboi- Plans to drop out after one year?
nymphomama- Afraid to do porn
koolguy9119- Douche
vampiress- Only wants to do gothic shoots
6. Plan your profile, don't just type.
The profile blurb is basically your resume. It's good to show a little personality, but it's best to be concise and hit upon major hiring points. Hobbies are good in a list because someone might be inclined to cast you based on the fact that you actually play guitar, soccer, or roller derby. Experience is helpful and a list of desired photoshoots might entice a photographer to get a passionate model in front of his lens. It might also give someone ideas.
Lists are a great way to keep things concise and easy to read.
7. Supply as many details as possible.
Measurements, ethnicity, hair color, eye color, etc. should all be filled out HONESTLY. This will help you be found in an advance search like the Browse feature on Model Mayhem. If you have dyed black hair, don't list yourself as a redhead.
Sometimes advanced searches will exclude you if information is missing. If I look for a 23-26 year old brunette with blue eyes, and you don't list eye color, even if you fit that bill, I won't see your images! Fill it all out. Even your weight, ladies.
Also, pink and Kool-aid red hair are not "Red" hair in the sense that anyone would search. Those are "Other."
And I can tell by looking at your picture that you're lying. Don't say you're 190lbs of muscle when you clearly weigh 125. Don't tell me you're 33 if you look 43. Models are cast for what they look like, not the lies they tell.
8. Be clear about your comfort zones.
If you do not want to do nudity, state it clearly in your profile. Also, a great tip I got from Tiffany, if you are not comfortable meeting a stranger at their home studio alone (which you shouldn't be, be smart) you should state that you always bring an escort.
9. Be honest about your age and act appropriately.
Like I said before, if you are 43, do not lie and claim to be younger. Photographers will see, from your photos, how old you really look. If you show up for the photoshoot and you look ten years older because your images are all outdated, the photographer will be mad and it might hurt your reputation.
TEENAGERS-- please do not do overtly sexual images until you are 18. You do not understand how uncomfortable it makes someone over 21 to see a sixteen-year-old girl in a tube top licking a gun. Normal people don't want to cast real teenagers for sexual parts and you don't want those images on the internet in five years if you decide to do something besides model, tend bar, or strip.
10. Be honest. (Period.)
Don't lie. It will always come to light.
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