Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Izzy Wrote: Hi Miss Denise! I'm 12 years old and I'm thinking of submitting to this local agency, and they want a full body shot. On the website it says that they want you to be in a bathing suit or something that shows your body. Do I have to wear a bikini, or can I wear a one piece? Or, better yet, actual clothing? And if yes to the clothing, what should I wear? Thanks in advance! Hi there, Izzy ( very cool name, btw)! Since the agency website said "bathing suit or something that shows your body," that means you don't have to wear a swimsuit. But if you want to, a solid colored one-piece would be fine (they'll see your age and will understand the choice). Other options for what to wear in the snapshots include a fitted, solid colored tanktop or t-shirt with dark skinny jeans (you should be barefoot). Or you could wear fitted short shorts. As long as the shorts aren't baggy with a ton of pockets, it should be fine. Hope that helps and be...

Lindsey Wrote: Hi Dania! I love your blog! It's very helpful. I have a question that's kind of urgent. I'm going to New York soon to go to open calls at the agencies there. I'm very excited and am trying to prepare myself for anything that may come up. One question that I'm worried about them asking me is "Why do you want to be a 'agency's name' model?" I don't know how to answer that, and I know it shouldn't be as difficult as I'm making it. Any tips on an answer? Thanks!!!  Hey, Lindsey! I certainly can't tell you what you should say (I wouldn't feel right) but it is important to remember that you are basically "selling yourself" to the agency. It's like pitching a marketing campaign idea to a company that has hired you to be in charge of helping them gain more publicity. Think about what makes for a successful model: great in front of the camera, takes direction easily, works well with other ...

Lee Wrote (In response to my post "Did You Know...? #7" ): Is this only applicable in United States? or even in other countries?  Hey, Lee! From what I know, the excused absences for high school students missing classes for modeling related purposes is for the US education system. Other countries operate their education systems very differently (I'm guessing) so I'm not sure what their policy is for their students when it comes to that subject. BTW: The info I stated in my post is in reference to US high school students only, not US college students.

Anonymous Wrote: Hi! I have been aspiring to become a male model for a while and I think I have what it takes but I just feel like there would be a problem because I have a bit of acne on my face(very minimal. like 2 or 3 noticeable ones). Is it a problem because my face isn't crystal clear like these other male models? Also my body isn't completely hairless like theirs either. I have a bit of chest hair and stomach hair(again, very minimal). Would an agency turn me down because of these things? my body is very athletic built and I am lean and 6'0 feet tall.  Hey, Anonymous! Models don't have perfect skin--contrary to popular belief. The published images you see have been retouched so don't worry, your complexion doesn't have to be flawless in order to gain interest from an agency. They understand that models have skin issues, blemishes and breakouts from time to time. If your acne is very minimal and not considered "moderate" or ...

Jeff Castro Wrote: Hi, My wife and I signed a 3 year contract for our 5 yr. old son in NYC. And we live 9hours away not thinking about what or how we will do this. We need at least a month to transfer with my job. How should I approach this with my agent that as of right now we can't do "go-sees" that to give us at least a month to get everything situated. Right now they went to a go-see the day we signed and they called us back for another look with the company. Thank you Hey, Jeff! Congrats on your son's contract but I definitely see the dilemma you're in. The good news is the solution really is simple: call/email the booker at the agency and tell them exactly what you told me. :-) You've already got the contract signed so the good news is they can't change their mind but I'm sure this isn't the first time they've dealt with such a scenario. Be honest and ask for that wiggle room so you and your family can get situated an...

Adina Wrote: I'm 6 feet tall, a size 3 and 14 years old. People say I should model and that agencies will overlook my braces because of my height. Do you think they're right or should I just wait until they come off? Hi Adina! Your height won't necessarily make you an exception to the rule for agencies when it comes to braces. The best way to determine whether you should go for it now or wait until the braces are removed is to take into consideration how much longer you have until your braces come off. If you have 1 year or more to go, then I would recommend submitting snapshots to agencies and attending open calls to see if they'd be interested. But if you have less than a year to go, it would be best to wait until they're removed. The reason for this is the agency's main concern will be the status of your photos (headshots, comp cards, portfolio, etc.). If you got signed with your braces, when they come off, you will have to redo all your photos....

Anonymous Wrote: Hello! im just wondering if redheads are viewed as a plus or a negative in modeling because i dont see that many at all and the ones i do see look spray tanned ,so if you are a redheaded model do they make you get a spray tan?? Hey, Anonymous! Redheads aren't necessarily a negative in modeling, in my opinion, but because they have such a specific look, it sometimes makes it hard for them to consistently get work. Not all clients want to use redheads but there are times when they're requested. That's probably why not many agencies have a whole lot of them on their rosters, compared to the large numbers of brunettes and blondes. Sometimes redheads are a "hard sell" to clients but not to the point where an aspiring model who has red hair shouldn't still try to submit themselves for representation. It also helps to view the models on an agency's website to see how many redheads (if any) they currently have on the roster. I'v...

Anonymous Wrote: Hi, I love fashion and when I went to go try on wedding dresses they told me that I fit very one and that they all looked really good on me. She also told me that I should be a wedding dress model and I would like to volunteer at bridal gown shows and be a model but I don't know how to get into it. I am 18 years old and 5'2 and my family tells that girls would kill for my hair, I have red curly hair. If you can give me any tips or can help me that would be amazing. I know I am probably not typical model stature but I am still interested. Also I would like to stay in my home town. Hi, Anonymous! Although you are 5'2" a lot of local bridal shows do use models of all height and sizes, which could definitely work in your favor. I would suggest going online and seeing if there are any upcoming bridal fairs/shows scheduled to be in your area. Focus on the ones that have bridal fashion shows (to my knowledge, not all of them do). Once you kn...

Anonymous Wrote: Hey Dania! So today I had nothing to do and just went through your whole blog. Like no kidding, I read almost all of your posts! And then I came across a post about modelling types and I just have some questions about it. So here we go! 1. do commercial/print models actually film commercial? or do they just appear in like catalogs? like any catalog? 2. Do fit models know how to pose? or will the agency teach the fit model? And this question is not about the modelling types. When I looked at some of 'become a model' section of some agencies, they had a message section. What are we supposed to write in it? Because I think that message section is important as the agencies kinda get a 'first impression'from that message. Thank you so much!! Hi, Anonymous! Great questions and WOW you must've had a lot of time on your hands to read through all my posts...if I had a trophy I would award it to you, lol! 1. The word "commercial" is ve...

Anonymous Wrote: How do I get my daughter into modeling and what can I do as her mom to make sure she get noticed.  Hello, Anonymous! The best way to get your daughter into modeling is to seek out an agency to represent her. I don't know how old your daughter is but there are a variety of divisions for models under 18: baby, child, tween and teen. Do an online search for modeling agencies in your city/state and browse through the official modeling agency websites that turn up in the search results. The websites will have all of the information you'll need. The first thing to check out is whether or not they have the right division for your daughter. If not, then don't submit to them. At this point you'll only need non professional, digital snapshots so don't focus on trying to get professional images or hiring a photographer. It isn't necessary or mandatory to be considered for agency representation. The agency websites will also have instructions ...