Learning to Not Love Poop

I like poop best when it is far far away from me. When I was a baby, poo felt nice and warm, for a few minutes and then….I didn’t like it in my diaper and I cried till mom changed me.

What the? Has Sparky lost his mind? Talking poop in a modeling blog. Well, frankly yes I have. I’m about to go insane and this is why.

Rachell Sean

Some photographers that think every image they make is so wonderful that they think even their poo smells good. Worse are the models that fall for it.

Here is what I’m talking about. Photographers who shoot everything with a point and shoot or their iPhone, or all their models have static boring poses or the skin color is off, or the lighting is so bad that a monkey can do better. Or all the photos are tilted. Or the highlights are blown out. Harsh shadows on the face with no useful purpose, flash lighting that is direct and un-flattering, a photographer using the pop-up flash on their camera. (btw, I have done all of the above except the stupid tilted angle photos)

There is a difference between a photo that will make an advertiser or a director or someone else who has budget, hire you, versus a photo that all your friends say how sexy you are.  Your portfolio should be professional, it should show versatility, it should show more than the fact that you have a nice ass and great cleavage. T and A are cheap and easy and have no value unless you want to get just T and A jobs at a bar or dance club.

How do you know if you are working with someone who can give you quality images? Read. Go to the book store, get a cup of coffee and sit down and read the fashion magazines. Pick rags that have a style or styles that you want to do. Buy some of those magazines and rip out the photos you really like, memorize them. Stand in front of a full frame mirror and mimic them. Then, go through your prospective photographer’s port and see if he or she has that style and has demonstrated an ability to make those images. 

How do you learn what a good image is or is not? Again, study, look through images of people you do not know and see what makes you react. Why do you react to some and not others? Figure it out by hard work. If modeling is a job, it is your job to know this. If modeling is a hobby, why would you want to put out crap as a hobby? Either way, learn and make better images and demand more from your photographer.

Here are a few hints.

Color; does the photographer get accurate color? If the colors are muted, does it really look good? If lots of a photographers images have orange skin, move on.

Focus; are the eyes in focus? I see so many portfolios where the eyes are not tack sharp. Ugh. There is such a thing as “soft focus” but that is a select style that should be limited in use. If a photographer can’t demonstrate a consistent ability to get a good focus, move on.

Poses; Are poses awkward, stiff, unimaginative, all the same? Are limbs cut off in weird places? ( this is a tough one because fashion is a bit different than portraiture here, but still, does it feel odd? If so, move on.

Image Quality; Do the posted images look good? Are they pixilated and rough looking?

Have an agent or a seasoned and respected photographer review your portfolio and talk about what is good and bad in your port and if it is meeting your objectives. You don’t have to believe everything they say, but getting outside opinions is a good way to expand your understanding.

Don’t buy the crap out there. It belongs far, far away from you. Make sure your portfolio represents how awesome you really are.

You can find Rachell Sean and her portfolio here.

Getting Variety in Your Shoots

When you are building your portfolio, you want to consistently add to the variety of looks in your book. It is important to have quality photographs in your portfolio that show a range of emotion or rather, the ability to communicate an idea.

I think that normally a model should want one, maybe two great photos from the same shoot to add to their portfolio. Anymore and the "sameness" shows and the portfolio looks more stale.


However, when you are just getting started, you may be tempted to use more photos to pump up your portfolio. You might consider, while you are in the shoot, or even before the shoot, what you can do to ad variety so that 


you can get several different looks.


Here are some examples of photos from a single shoot that show variety in mood, facial expression, poses. There are several images here were here wardrobe does not change in this set, and I think that is not so good to have multiple images of the same outfit in your portfolio. But I am using this to illustrate the idea that you can get different looks. The first three images have the same outfit, but you cannot tell that.

Learn to see with a critical eye.

So many photos just suck! If you would like to see some crappy photos, brows through Model Mayhem. It is full of sexy photos of girls who think they are hot. (most of the time they are right about that) but being hot in a photo is not being a model. That photo of you that shows your sexy cleavage or your tight buttocks might appeal to the boys (or girls) but maybe it does not belong in your portfolio.

When I see a lousy photo of a pretty young girl showing of her T and A, I want to scream "Just because you have a photo that will make a guy think 'I want to meet her in a bar tonight and take her out back for 15 minutes' does not make you a model". Looking sexy does not automatically make you a model. And modeling is NOT about looking sexy. Usually, modeling is about connecting with viewers to get them to buy a product or idea.

Models need to learn to recognize what good photography is and what it is not. There are a couple of ways to do this. Look through photos in fashion magazines, take time to figure out what is going on in the photo. Get an agent to help you weed the crap out of your portfolio. (Yes, you have some crappy photos, we all do) Get a make up artist, or a mom, or someone that won't tell you you look nice just because they like you.

Hire great photographers to work with. The good ones won't give you finished photos that don't make both you and them look good.

Ask other models about your photos. You may not like what you hear, and you don't have to take every thing they say to heart. They may not be any better at seeing a good photo than you are, but if you get lots of feedback that a photo doesn't help you, figure out why.

A model in a forum that I run wrote this today in response to the heated reaction of a model who asked for validation and the results came in poorly for the photo she asked about - "Coming from somebody who has been "modeling" in this industry for 13 years now, what models need to understand is that this industry is GREULLING!! You are going to get torn to shreds sometimes. You will get told your fat, too tall, too short, weird nose, bad skin tone.......its all sh*t that you are going to hear. DEAL WITH IT. Welcome to the industry and open your eyes. Not everyone is going to like your look, or even consider you "model material." If you cannot handle criticism, you shouldn't be in this industry. PERIOD." - Kayla Rae Dalebout


Get started today learning to develop a critical eye. It will make you a better model.

What Should A Model Have in His/Her Portfolio

Models should take a great deal of time perfecting their portfolio. A portfolio is what gets a model hired.

Here are some things that models should consider:

1)      A great head shot.  We want to see your face. Your head shot should connect with the viewer. You want to avoid an overly processed image were  we can’t see your skin or natural look. Yes, use make-up but keep it light. People who would hire you want to see the raw ingredient, aka – you.

2)      A full body shot that shows the body. A bikini shot would be great. You need to show what the form of your body is so that advertisers, photographers, and agents can see how an outfit might fit you. How the fabrics would lay, etc. Also, if you are going to model for swimwear, you need this in your portfolio.

3)      Full length fashion shot in front of seamless paper.  This can help show off your ability to show fashion and poses and is very classic.

4)      Very light or no make-up. You need to show what the real you is like.

5)      At least one photo pairing with another model (not a lesbian, girl/girl) to show that you can pose and work with others. 

6)      Editorial shots

7)      Sexy but tasteful lingerie shots, not a Fredericks look, but upscale are useful if one wants to model lingerie. This is a personal choice.
Never put things in your portfolio that you are not willing to model.