Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Allecia Davis Wrote: Hi Dania Denise! Just wanna ask a quick question...Can a person with eczema go to an open call to persue a model career? Hi, Allecia! As someone who has eczema herself, you'll be happy to know that, yes, you can go to an open call and pursue modeling. :-) The important thing is to make sure that you are diligently taking care of your skin so that it is at its best. It doesn't have to be perfect of course but as long as you have a solid skin care routine and other products to keep outbreaks and other things at bay, you should be perfectly fine to submit to agencies. In fact, I would suggest waiting until your skin is in good condition (if it isn't already) before attending open calls or submitting photos. That way your confidence level will truly be at its highest and you'll feel good about meeting with the agencies.

Anonymous Wrote: I'm looking for the term PM, they asked me to send my pm what is that?  Hi there, Anonymous! I haven't really come across the term PM in that way before when it comes to modeling. I mostly know it as "private message" when using social media or sites like Model Mayhem. The only other thing I could possibly think of would be "professional measurements" or "personal measurements"...? I'll reach out to my colleagues to see if this is an industry specific term and if so, I'll update the Model Lingo post on my blog (and will also update this post) with that info.

Anonymous Wrote: Hello!  I want to model and am wondering if in the future, I could possibly be a high fashion/runway model. I'm around 5'8 in height and am definitely not done growing (I have the size 10 shoes to prove it). Also they say that your both arm length is the same as your actual height. My arms measure out to 5'10 instead of 5'8. I know that information is questionable but I will hopefully have the height and also the weight requirements. Could I be a fashion model? Hey, Anonymous! At 5'8" you are currently the minimum height to pursue fashion modeling so to answer your questions, yes, you can be considered for fashion so you can apply to local agencies right now. No need to wait to get taller. :-)

Anonymous Wrote: Hi! I'm 15 and 5'10. I would love to start modeling but I still don't really know where to start. I haven't modeled before, should I apply to an agency now or get some experience first? Hi there, Anonymous! You don't need experience in order to be considered by an agency for representation so start looking online for agencies within a 2 hour's drive from where you live and visit the agency websites to learn what the instructions are for how to submit to them. You posted your comment with your question on my blog post, " Where Do You Start in Modeling ?"...re-read the post because it lays out step-by-step what you need to do in order to start looking for an agency.

Riley Cilley Wagner Wrote: Hi I'm going to an open call at Wilhelmina  And it only says to bring photos  What type of photos? And it's summer time and hot out so what type of outfit would work? Hey there, Riley! When an agency says to bring photos, they meant digital, snapshots that aren't professionally done. If you refer to my blog post, "Where Do You Start in Modeling?" you'll see samples of the female snapshots that you should use for reference in putting together your own photos. No makeup and make sure your hair is pulled back into a low ponytail: http://amodelsdiary.blogspot.com/p/where-do-you-start-in-modeling.html You should bring at least 3 photos: - 1 headshot, closeup not smiling - 1 full body facing the camera straight on, hands at your sides or one hand on the hip - 1 full body profile (entire body and face should be in profile to the camera) Print out the snapshots on photo paper, in full color and make sure you write the foll

Janet Noyce Wrote: Please I tried creating a website using wix.com, it gave me a site address. I want to change the site address, but it is telling me I have to pay to do such which is very costly. How did you go about yours, thank you. Hi, Janet! Here's what you need to do: - Purchase a domain name from another site (that isn't wix). I got mine from GoDaddy.com. This is the affordable way of getting a domain instead of purchasing one through wix directly. - After you've purchased the domain name and it is active, login to your wix account. Click on the purple button that says "Upgrade Now" (it'll be on the right side of the page).  - This should take you to a page where there are 5 columns that all have details about the various membership services/packages they offer. The last column on the far right is called "Connect Domain". That's the one you want. As you'll see, it's only $4.09/month to connect your GoDaddy domain t

Anonymous Wrote: Hi do I have to be truthful with my age? I know lying is wrong but it is required when signing a contract I say my real age and do they ask for ID? Hi, Anonymous! Sadly, you cannot "fake it till you make it" when it comes to the age factor in modeling. Agencies sometimes lie about their models' info (age, height, weight, etc.) but when it comes to you providing that info to the agencies, you have to be truthful. Like any other business arrangement, when you get signed to an agency you have to show ID, provide your date of birth and other relevant information so even if you lied in the beginning and got away with it, you would eventually be found out once you had to do the paperwork. Don't sabotage your chances and be honest about your age. If you're trying to go for a category of modeling that your age doesn't qualify you for, put your efforts into other types of modeling where age is not such a huge factor (i.e. commercial/print