From the model’s perspective
You “love” to model, or you “would love” to model if someone would give you a chance. You are intelligent
enough to realize that New Mexico is NOT the fashion or glamour capital of the world, so highly lucrative
opportunities in this field will probably be few and far between. You have a “regular” job, and are not reliant
on modeling to pay the rent and put food on the table, so you can approach this desire to model without some
pre-teen, fantasy expectation of immediate super-model status.
If you already have one, chances are your portfolio could use some serious updating, but the prices for new
head shots and portfolio shots are really high! Sessions with a professional photographer can run from $200$2,000. Of course you can always find “someone” who will shoot you for less, but will you get the level of
quality you need to show yourself and your talents off in their best light?
Keep in mind, the purpose of your portfolio is NOT to get you the job, but rather to get you the interview for the
job. Don’t fool yourself, even here in New Mexico, the competition for good paying modeling jobs is fierce!!
That portfolio needs to be top notch. If you’re not getting calls, maybe you should take a closer look at the
quality of the images in the portfolio you are using to present yourself.
Let’s assume you have reviewed your current portfolio and noticed a problem, but you just can’t afford to pay
to have new shots done. Once again, this is the perfect situation for a collaborative solution. Perhaps you can
find a professional photographer who is willing to trade his or her skills for yours, but here is where it gets
tricky. If you jump on Facebook, post a “selfie” posing in something scant, and say, “I’m looking for someone
to take sexy pictures of me” you will have more “takers” than you can count. In this age of digital cameras and
cell phones, EVERYONE is a photographer!! You may get photos, but they will pale beside professionally shot
and edited images done by a professional. You will have new photos in your portfolio, but their poor quality still
won’t get any of the calls that count.
If you are going to ask a professional photographer to give up the time needed to shoot and final-edit photos
of you on a “trade for” basis, you better have something special to offer in exchange. You need to come up with
a concept, or idea that the photographer may be able to sell, or have published - or think of something unique
the photographer might want to add to his or her own portfolio. Believe me when I tell you, the prospect of
adding headshots of you, attractive as they may be, to their portfolio will not be much of an incentive.
Once you have an idea, RESEARCH the photographers in the area, see what they shoot and compare it to other
photographers to be sure they produce the quality and the photographic style you have in mind. You can even
use the “Photographer” section in this issue. If you were actually paying the $2,000 shooting fee, you would
be VERY selective where you spent your money. Approach it in the same manner and select ONLY THE BEST.
Contact the photographer and lay out your idea. If there is an interest, you will know right away. If not, move
on to #2 on your list. Once you find a photographer who is interested, meet, discuss, work out all the details....
then shoot. You wind up with top-shelf images for your portfolio without having to lay out a bucket of cash, and
the photographer gets some images that “might” sell or be published. It’s a WIN-WIN! It’s COLLABORATION!
Returning to the theme of this article, Perceived Value, the parties in this “Trade For” transaction both have
to think there is some REAL value in the arrangement. An old adage says that in a successful negotiation,
BOTH parties walk away thinking they got the best part of the deal. You, the model, have to think you got some
incredibly valuable photographs by just trading a little modeling time for them, and the photographer has to
be excited having just shot a gorgeous model and got some shots that might sell or get published. There is
definitely REAL VALUE here...for both parties involved...everybody wins!!
Let me know how you feel on this subject. Drop me a line at [email protected].
Until next month, have a happy and safe Halloween!
Dave Stabley
Editor/Publisher
NM CliQ Magazine
NM CliQ Magazine | October 2015
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