Amanda Beard talks about her fashion and fitness photo shoots, photographers and what she does to get ready and how she deals with them. Amanda is one of the more popular and best known athletes doing modeling.

Amanda seems to be doing fitness modeling and swimsuits, of course. She talks about having a more athletic body and shows off a great bit of Red Bull.

Posted: August 7th, 2008 under Fitness Modeling.
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Most people are familiar with high fashion modeling, but few are familiar with the dozens of other types of models and modeling jobs that make up the majority of paid modeling assignments. Here are a few tips for aspiring models.

Do your homework

Learn about the different types of models and try to figure out where you fit in. Be objective and realistic. Know your exact measurements and figure out what kind of modeling suits you best.

If you are of average height, then focus on work that may be geared towards your height. Many girls dream of being high fashion runway models, but most do not have the height needed to be successful. You may be the most beautiful 5’2” goddess around, but at 5’2”, your gorgeous face will not be enough to land a gig on designer runways during fashion week. Always be honest and realistic about your chances. The last thing you want to do is put a lot of time and effort into something that is non-attainable regardless of your efforts.

Find your fit

Companies hire models of many different shapes and sizes, not just 5′10″ 18 year old girls. Models are paid to show off a product and that product may not always be clothing. Companies employ models to show off everything from hair color to toe nail polish.

Once you start researching the modeling field, you will begin to see different modeling opportunities.  If you have a very athletic physique, you may be perfect for fitness modeling. If you are very curvy and have a more voluptuous shape, you may want to look into plus size modeling. If you have amazing hands, legs or feet, you may look into parts modeling. Remember, no matter what type of modeling it is, you must match the physical requirements such as height, weight, skin, hair, teeth, etc.

Get another opinion

Once you find the modeling niche you wish to explore, try to get a second opinion. If you know any experts or agents, ask them for their opinion and what type of modeling they believe you may be well suited for.

Make sure you are photogenic

This may be a bit obvious but there are many girls who look stunning in person, yet can not translate that to film, just like there are many girls who seem plain, yet take stunning pictures. Being pretty is not enough to make you a success, you must look amazing in person and in pictures.

Get an agent

Once you’ve identified the type of modeling you are suited for, you should be able to find an agent that specializes or represents your niche.

Be persistent and thicken your skin

As you pursue your new career, you will most likely find a great deal of rejection and even some criticism. You need to be able to take rejection without breaking into tears. Keep in mind that there are many models going after the same jobs and you will be rejected many more times than accepted. You must have a good deal of confidence in yourself and the drive and determination to keep going. Be persistent, eventually you will begin getting the jobs you want.

Network

As you begin your career, you will meet other models, agents and photographers. Networking is a great way to find out about upcoming jobs and industry events. People will often choose someone they already know to work with rather than someone new, especially, if you are charming and a pleasure to be around.  The more people you meet and talk to, the greater your chances are of getting work.

Posted: July 17th, 2008 under Modeling Articles.
Comments: 1

This runway here seems a bit unsafe and that model, really looks unhappy. Sarah Welch is the model that falls into the hole that is right above a swimming pool.

Here’s another in slow motion, I think I already posted this one somewhere on here, but this one is kind of classic. Talk about uncomfortable shoes, these seem plain hazardous.

Posted: July 14th, 2008 under models.
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So you want to be a model. You know you have the look, you know you have the charm and you take a helluva good picture. How exactly do you go about getting yourself out there to get modeling assignments and get “discovered”?

Well, here is how you don’t do it….

You do not just sit around the mall or Starbucks waiting for fame to fall into your lap because any minute now a casting director will come through, see you and say.. “come with me, I will make you a star”. Now, someone may come along and say that, but they sure wont be a REAL casting director. That kind of stuff rarely happens and maybe once every decade some lucky girl wins that lottery by being in the right place at the right time.

You do not put all your faith and money into unknown modeling agencies, especially those that do make promises of stardom, millions in earnings, tons of jobs in exotic countries… AFTER, you pay them thousands to create that perfect portfolio you really need to work with them. When it comes to modeling agencies, unless they are very well known and reputable, you must be very careful.

Many of them work by promising stardom to everyone and telling them how gorgeous they are(what the girls want to hear). They tell you there are 100’s of jobs you are perfect for. After you pay them for photos, shoots, prints, makeup, hair, this that and the other, they tell you they will call you. Wait… where are these 100’s of jobs?  Again… they will call you when they book you.

I have heard dozens of stories like that and most end up getting one job after months that payed 100 bucks for the 3k they spent on pictures for the agency.

When it comes to agencies just keep in mind that if they believe they can book you everywhere and make millions… they why do they need money from you? Reputable agencies make a fee from what the client pays the model. The client pays the agency, not the model.

Also, always be very aware of your market, this is where those scam agencies hook the model by telling them what they want to hear, not what they are right for. If you are 5′3″ and an agency telly you they will get you runway work in Paris, run out of the office. As a model, you must know your target market and not be swayed by smooth sales talk. There is no such animal as a 5 foot High Fashion Runway model, no matter how gorgeous she is. Kate Moss is an exception and she is still fairly tall at 5′7″.

Make sure that the modeling you would like to do fits you physically.

Now, if you are 5′3″ it does not mean you can not model, you just cannot model Paris Runway, but that is just a drop in the bucket of all modeling work. There are commercial catalog models, hair models, parts models, trade show and promo models, makeup models, fit models, fitness models, shoe models, hand models, eye models and any other bodypart you can think of. There is also a good amount of work in TV and movies as extras. Those jobs are readily available and filed daily in every city in the US large and small. There are many local fashion shows that book models and many events and exhibits that do as well.

Wow, thats a lot of work, but how do I find it? you may ask. There are a few ways. You can find work on your own in papers, job boards, client websites, etc. It may be a large task to do daily as there are 100’s of websites you would need to check on a daily basis to find the modeling jobs you may want. The other option is a model casting service.

A model casting service is a company that specializes in finding casting calls, auditions and requests, matches them to a client (a model) and sends the information to the model so they can apply. A model gives the service her information, her portfolio, and her job specifications as to what she wants to do. Then daily, the service looks for work for her and notifies her the minute someone requests booking for her “look”.

A casting service is a mix between an agency and a do-it-yourself job search. Modeling.net is a casting service. Their network and employees spend all day calling photographers, casting directors, etc. to find work for their members, then they email the members and tell them about the jobs. Casting directors also go directly to their site that lists all members and uses the online portfolios to cast their projects.

A casting service is a great option for models who either do not have an agency or do not want to sit around waiting for the agency to find a job for them. The casting service sends the model a list of jobs she requested and then the model submits her portfolio to the jobs she selects. It’s a good way for the model to get herself out there and get all the work he can. The casting service does not take any fee from any jobs the model gets.

The way the casting service is paid is with an annual fee for service that is very reasonable. Many models wonder why there is a fee. Well, it is a business that has 100’s of employees making calls to casting agents trying to find work for its members. Those people need to be paid and since they do not act like a agency in taking money from a booking, they charge a small fee, less than $1 per day I think.

There are a few levels of service as well. The first level is FREE, A free member gets to put up a portfolio for talent scouts and agents to see as well as explore many of the jobs and try the service out. If they decide they want a higher and more personal service level with jobs specifically matched then they can call and change the level of service.

Anyway, its a great option for anyone serious about working and reaching their dream. You can check it out at Modeling.net or Exploretalent.com.

Posted: June 30th, 2008 under Model Agency, Modeling Articles.
Comments: none

Do you wanna Model?  Many people do, most have no clue at all where to start or even think of starting the modeling career.  Yes, breaking into showbiz may not be the easiest task around but if you have the right look and attitude it’s definitely doable!

What to do? well, you put 1 foot in front of the other and get yourself out there for all to see. Since we live in the age of internet, nobody needs to sit around the local ice cream shop hoping to get discovered.

A quick internet search for modeling in your city should give you direction.  There are 2 ways to go, traditional modeling agencies or the new breed of internet Do-it-yourself agencies such as exploretalent.com.

The difference is simple, traditional agencies have models apply and clients that they match models with for a fee from the client and the model if they are chosen. If the model is not chosen, then no fee is paid, however many agencies do charge models for photo shoot and portfolio fees regardless of if they got the job or not, when they apply.

The second Do-it-yourself choice is very new and very internet. Basically, the client tries to find the model on their own by putting out casting calls and modeling auditions through online agencies. By doing so they get a larger pool of modeling talent since many models are not signed with a particular agency, and, they get a great pool of brand new talent that maybe was not accepted by the agency and therefore never even shown to the client.

Aspiring models should work both channels of modeling job seeking to maximize their exposure and also get more experience at the auditions and casting process.

The Do-it-yourself model booking will probably not bring the model the thousands of dollars per hour that supermodels may make in Paris, but it can be a spring board to bigger and better work as the models book more and more work on their own, and by doing the booking themselves, they do not need to share the profits since most jobs are paid on a per job basis to the model.

Either way, models have more avenues of finding work today than ever before, and they should take advantage of it.

Posted: June 23rd, 2008 under Modeling Articles.
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Alessandra Ambrosio crosses over from strictly fashion into iconic status. OK, maybe thats a stretch, but she was featured on a cover of Rolling Stone a few months back which is truly rare.  Rolling Stone magazine does not normally use High fashion models for their covers. They tend to go with who is hip, hot and rock and roll, which is normally very far from the in one day and out the next high fashion scene. I guess you know you are a SuperModel when you cross into pop culture and become a household name. Yep, her name is listed on that cover along with Marlon Brando and Bruce Springsteen.

Wow, this almost reminds me of the old “SuperModel Days”, decades ago when names like Christie Brinkly and Cheryl Tiegs covered the magazine covers, all of them, Time to Vogue and every little girl wanted to be a cover girl.

here is Alessandra’s hot, hot, hawt cover of Rolling Stone. Maybe Alessandra is just the woman to bring back the days of Super huge Supermodels for another tour.

ohh, wait… here is one of the most known of the 80’s supermodels, Ms. Christie Brinkly, looking picture perfect as always with feathered hair, golden tanned skin and the very 80’s strapless bikini.

Posted: June 18th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Have what it takes to be a fashion model?

So do you? here is an article I found about becoming a successful fashion model and the physical requirements needed to get the job.

Now remember, the following are guidelines for fashion and runway modeling. There are many other types of modeling such as promotional modeling, parts modeling, hair and makeup modeling and commercial modeling. The height requirement does not always apply to those.

Either way and regardless of height and body type, if you want to be a model of any kind you should probably be in the best possible shape you can.

But here is a short checklist I found for fashion modeling.

Virtual physical exam for models

Once you begin to see yourself as a successful model you’ll start doing the things to make it happen. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it does require work but so does working a 9-5 job.

So, now that you’re visualizing yourself as a successful model, let’s get to some basics you must know …

The Physical Requirements of Modeling

If you plan to model, especially as a high fashion or runway model, you need the following physical attributes …

a) You need to be at least 5′8″ tall or taller

b) Your body weight and proportions need to flatter your height

c) You need to have a good skin complexion without lots of pimples or blemishes

d) Your hair should be in good shape (no excessive split-ends or over-dying damage)

e) Your teeth should be well taken care of, straight and white (a dynamite smile)
Look closely in the mirror and be honest with yourself. We all have limitations. Some of these things listed above you can work to improve and some (like height) you were born with.

Even if you don’t have all these model attributes. There are other opportunities in modeling not mentioned in this article by Bob Pardue (www.bobpardue.com). So Don’t Give up Hope!

Posted: May 12th, 2008 under Modeling Articles.
Comments: 1

Jen Araki from Ford Models takes us through her portfolio image by image. She goes through her book and talks about the pictures and the shoots.

Posted: May 7th, 2008 under Jen Araki, Model Portfolio, Top Models.
Comments: 1

Juliana Imai looking very natural, Chinese Vogue Editorial

Juliana Imai Chinese Vogue editorial

Hyoni & Hye Park Korean Vogue cover - April 2008

Hyoni & Hye Park Korean Vogue cover

The very beautiful, Asian Top model Liu Wen poses for March 2008 Belle Magazine Cover

Liu Wen Belle Magazine

Liu Wen here again with Enna Pei on the cover of Chinese Elle in Cinderella gowns

Liu Wen and Enna Pei Chinese Elle

get jobs entertainment industry

Posted: April 1st, 2008 under Asian style, Magazine Covers, Top Models.
Comments: 2

Check this out. Wow, its hard to even imagine how embarrassed Carmen Elektra may have been after taking a dive on the runway in this fashion show. I can’t help but giggle at this because it really is that funny. Nothing worse than trying to look “vogue” strutting down the catwalk and tripping on your own feet. Anyway Carmen took a dive at this fashion show. Not a model - esque moment for sure.

Posted: March 19th, 2008 under Fashion Shows.
Comments: 4