Inspire Magazine Inspire Magazine Issue 101 | Page 7

Urban vs Street Modeling I f facades are the bones and body of a city, then the people are its embodiment of vitality. To point out, the soul of a city or suburb can be found in the locals. Indulging both people or locals and buildings in a single shot can make an impeccable and dynamic piece of art. A city literally lights up at night and taking a photograph during the evening can bring another contrast to the place. Some streets might look more alive during nighttime, while busy pavements during the daytime tend to become more deserted. Moreover, one of the key aspects of modeling and every photoshoot is inding the right locations that will be utilized on a regular basis but on the lookout for something new and fresh as well. This leads me to tackle two of the various sides in the ield of modern modeling opportunities: urban modeling and street modeling. It has been said that urban modeling is “a niche of the glamour modeling market, urban models cater to the urban / hip hop community. Famous names include Melyssa Ford, Buffe "The Body" Carruthers, Esther Baxter and Vida Guerra, to name a few. The market is relatively new, but incredibly popular. It is part glamour and part fashion or commercial. Further, urban modeling features a model to make his/her poses while being surrounded by the natural beauty of metro and urban concepts. This type of modeling activity is taken on location and uses the city as the background. It can be performed in natural broad daylight as well as with a lash during nighttime. Fashion modeling in an urban setting offers both the model and photographer the chance of taking street photography shots as well as more glamorous cinematic photos. Of course, it is not merely limited to shooting in the streets. One can also utilize many other venues for backdrops such as parks, buildings, train stations, hotels, cafes, restaurant and the like. Mind you, there are variety of locations that make the ideal backgrounds for urban fashion modeling. Also, there is the need to accentuate rather than focus on the model if the photoshoot is to focus on a certain product or article of clothing. The idea behind urban modeling typically captures the culture, norm, surroundings, styles and trends of urban areas while fashion is becoming an essential part of it as well. This makes it an ideal setup for those who do not want to be con ined to modeling inside of a studio. There is also a need of a model release form in urban modeling. EDITOR’S NAME Aaron Robinson .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5