Choosing modeling as a career is a no doubt a really tough decision. Despite all the challenges it makes you face; it has harsh critics too. Still nothing can stop a person, filled with passion. But first, to make your mark in the industry, you need to get selected as a model. And in that case, your portfolio is your resume. Visual presentation is notable in all professions but when it comes to modeling it is for sure a must. A portfolio is a model’s CV in pictorial form.
How to Plan Your Portfolio Shoot?
The Need for a Modeling Portfolio
A portfolio is a precise outlook of a model’s aptitudes, comprising some of his highly impacting pictures. Your portfolio is your everything. It decides whether you’re chosen or not. It is the trigger that commences your career. A model’s portfolio is the representation of his personality. But people often confuse its purpose and keep struggling to amass it with a pile of pictures, showing looks, body type and poses. Your portfolio is not about who you are or how amazingly adorable you look, it is about who you can be, it showcases your capabilities and how you can transform your personality into someone who is oddly opposite to you.
Modeling, for me, isn’t about being beautiful but creating something interesting for people to look at and think about.
Kylie Bax
Edgars Modeling Portfolio Sashas Modeling Portfolio
Making a Modeling Portfolio:
A modeling portfolio is a short publication, which a model submits to agencies and clients. First, while making a portfolio stay focused on one thing throughout the process, which is high standards. Never settle for low, since it’s your first great impression. Making it is a simple and easy process, yet the rush can spoil it.
Here Is a Step-by-step Guide of How You Can Make a Startling Modeling Portfolio:
- Find Out Your Modeling Type:
Life in modeling is highly stereotypical. You will be judged by your body shape and perfect look more often. Never let this fuss, ruin you. Stay determined. Find out the modeling type, which fits the best in you. This is the most basic part of making a portfolio. Decide whether you want to be a fashion model, a fitness model, a promotional model, or a glamour model. Choose your type and then stay firm on it.
The game is simple, it is either you want to make money or become a successful honored model. If an agency offers you a deal, with a handsome amount of money, but the character you are offered is cheap personality-wise, you better spit on it and move forward, keeping in mind that your goal was to earn respect and admiration. So be low-key at this stage, your patience and hard work are going to make your low-profile modeling personality, your fame one day.
2. Focus on Your Modeling Type:
An aspiring model seems more positive and gentler despite his physical attractiveness. Once you have decided your category, start working on it. This is the first step to create a portfolio. Make a list of your type’s specifications, and then start working on it along with making appropriate arrangements. During the process, never let yourself down believing the fallacies which tell that it is harder for shorter or darker models to get into the industry. Always remember, your talent is your only narrative.
Despite getting specified, another great advantage you will have from it is that the agencies and clients will know your type and it is easier for them to place you in a particular category, which of course will be the most suitable for you.
See My Recent Work With Vivca Fox Hair Collection
3. Appoint a Good Fashion Model Photographer:
To acquire perfectly aspiring pictures for your portfolio you need a good professional photographer. Never settle for a convenient or easy-to-go option, like a friend photographer, just because you feel comfortable getting shot by him/her. If it is so, sadly you should switch your goal. Since it is the life of a model to come across a new face, every day. You will be shot by different photographers. Never let a person-with-camera fail you. You have to outshine every cameraman.
Do research, check out the photography portfolio of known models. Get to know their photographers. Choose the most appropriate and skilled photographer for your photoshoot. An alternative is, you get different shots from different photographers in a package of a few pictures from each one. It will save you from paying a large sum to a single photographer too. Then pick out your fine pictures. And if a single photographer has worked out the best on you. Get your whole photoshoot done by him/her. Last but not least, before signing up the photographer, fix rates, number of photographs and any extras.
4. Hire a Professional Makeup and Hair Artist:
Though you have hired a highly professional photographer, purchased expensive and delicate clothes, maintained your fitness, still the thing that impacts your portfolio the most, is the art that your makeup or hair artist has done on you. It is either a hundred percent or a zero percent game. So, you surely need to hire a good makeup and hair artist. Have a check on his/her earlier works. Then first take a testing makeup from him/her, to check whether he/she is going with your face or not. If he/she does well, then it’s a yes.
Some artists are habitual of doing heavy powdery makeup which looks fine when you look at it normally. But do remember that studio flashes and lighting show your makeup differently. Every pore is well evident. The camera very oddly captures imperfections in your makeup like extra highlighter, blotchy foundation, and unevenness. So, you need to go for casual light natural makeup, which makes you look less artificial and more naturally beautiful. When you are done with the makeup and hair part, get a few shots in the presence of your artist, before going for the actual photoshoot.
5. Work on Your Body and Choose Unique Outfits:
Besides your talent and abilities, we cannot deny the fact that you are judged by your appearance a lot. Having a perfect physique and staying always on point is a model’s life. His/her life starts from following a proper diet and workout routine, and ends at it. Your body posture should be so perfect, that it catches everyone’s eyes when you pass. Go for a fresh walk too along with working out in the gym. Because fresh air’s walk is healthy for your skin too. Follow a reasonable diet plan which includes essential vitamins and proteins. Make your body your priority, and once you have done so, nothing can stop you from achieving your goal. Appearance is like the business card of a model.
The next major part of making a portfolio is focusing on your outfits. Prefer avoiding extra colors and prints. Go for basic casual clothes like jeans and plain white shirts. Agencies will look for pictures that show off your frame and you. They usually disfavor flashy, printed, patterned, and colorful outfits. Furthermore, avoid oversized clothes, as they conceal your fitness. Remember your portfolio should never encompass pictures with repetition of outfits. Each picture should be completely different from all others in posing as well as in the outfit and outfit-wearing style.
6. Have Your Photoshoot Done:
Now comes the part for which all the efforts had been made. When you are done with the outfit, makeup and hair portion, have a complete look at yourself, cover up all the ups and downs, ensure that you are confident enough, then head towards the photoshoot part. When the time comes, make sure you are well prepared, stay lowkey, humble, relaxed, and arrive early. Have proper communication with your photographer and artists. Avoid adopting a holding attitude and be so remarkably good at your work that everyone ultimately starts respecting and listening to you. Never pretend to be a diva. Try different poses. And make sure you are completely absorbed in your work, during the process. Because your inner state no doubt reflects externally too. Take a couple of shots involving full-body, half-body, and mid-shots. Don’t rush, slowly and pleasantly get your photoshoot done.
Pro Tip: Ask your photographer that your set should be properly organized and highly adored. As the set plays a major role in photography. Also, work on editing with your photographer. Choose somewhat less color-catching pictures and you may go for editing a picture in black and white too, it will add a rare distinct piece to your portfolio.
7. Select High-Profile Images:
When you are done with the photoshoot, you will probably have a pile of images. But to make an absolute professional modeling portfolio, you must choose those pictures you are highly confident in. Do not stuff it with many pictures. Add hardly ten to fifteen pictures. And those you add should be worth attention-seeking. Keep in mind that agencies have multiple modeling portfolios, they do not have hours to waste going through your entire gallery, your portfolio should have something that gives it prominence among all. Your portfolio should be impressive and extraordinary. It should have such vigor in it, that it is relooked.
For this purpose, select high-quality images. If you are having even a minor doubt in any, skip it out. Also, go for getting suggestions from someone who is highly trustable. Every image you choose should have a different pose as well as a different outfit, showing your true beauty. And all of them should show your versatility.
8. Get Your Portfolio Printed Professionally:
People often buy a folder and print images at home, printing portfolios on their own. Well, it is such a foolish act to do. When you have worked so hard and spent so much time reaching this step, why do you go for saving here? Broaden up your vision and think. No portfolio can look as delicate and professional as the one printed by a professional printing business. Remember, your portfolio is your utmost tool to get selected. So, it is for sure something worth investing in.
9. Stay Social and Create an Online Page of Your Modeling Portfolio:
Living in the age of social media, a model needs to be socially fit. Because these days much of the work is done on social platforms. He/she should know how to handle social platforms and make his/her mark over there. After getting done with a printed portfolio, you need to make an online website. Pursue your modeling career there too. Drop off your best shots at the website along with showing off your skills and other attributes there too. The electronic version of the portfolio can also be sent to agencies and clients online.
Make your website diverse by adding videos and your achievements. This will give the online portfolio a dynamic touch. After making your online modeling portfolio add the link of your social media accounts there too. Also, you can seek the help of web designers to create your portfolio website.
Some Portfolio Examples: