So you’re a model, here are things I’ve learnt from living with a few

I’ve lived with a few models now, and as a photographer, I’ve learned a lot from it. So I’ve written a few things down.

Modeling can be an utter scam. I don’t say that lightly. I don’t say that to dissuade you, but the amount of models I know who make a living off it versus the ones who get a few jobs, try it, and then fall off is unbelievably high, and I think we need to consider this.

It can be a long-term career for a rare few, but it's really a skillset, and there’s a certain amount of craft that you can apply to other areas of your life.

For the ones that make it, some factors can help bolster your chances. The first is a great agent who believes in you and has clients who want to work with your look. They know who to talk to, who should cut and style your hair, and which photographers to get you in front of; they have a strategy; maybe they believe you’d do well in Korea or there is a niche for your look you’ll do well in. But even a great agent can’t force their clients to book you, and if, after all, they’ve put forward, it doesn’t work, maybe you’re a great fit, but others can’t see it yet, or you’re the right face but at the wrong time. Again, there’s so much out of your control you can’t take this to heart; there's only so much you can do.

If you are offered a contract, read it carefully, talk to models at that agency, find some models who have left the agency, and look at the jobs the models are booking with them. I’ve shot jobs where models from one agency are on HALF the pay of another agency. It’s not uncommon to find out that one booker accepted a much lower rate than another. It’s not uncommon either that an agency will sign a model, and then do nothing to develop their book.

The awful truth is taste is subjective, and none of us have any control over who makes it and who doesn’t. The right look at the wrong time. Right look, wrong agent, right look, bad book or no connections. So, let’s look at what you can do.

I’ve already mentioned it briefly, but a great portfolio will help, and this is harder to achieve in Australia; the best photographers are booked and busy, have teams behind them, and don’t have time to help you out. Many photographers, myself included, build long-term relationships with talent and go back to them repeatedly to continue pushing each other to new heights. I’m sure you can see that I have my favourites, like Georgia Roche, Heidi Pollock, Eden Cotterel, and Ella Cervetto, to name a few.

So, if you’re doing this yourself, you’ll probably have to pay up. I would say getting some shots in your book that help elevate your look and feel natural, comfortable, and effortless is a big first step. I would look at which photographers are working with agencies a bunch and reach out and get their rates; if they’re the ones at the front of models' books, it’s likely to mean they’re the right ones to work with.

Getting some shots done for free is good, but they often create bad habits. The wrong photographer may make you look contrived, unnatural, and amateur. If you’re doing this for fun, I don’t want to demean your enjoyment, but separating the professional work from the hobbyist is essential.

With all of the pressure many models put on themselves, great resilience and good mental health are going to be vital to getting through strings of rejections, slow periods of work, shitty jobs, and terrible clients. These factors mean you may have to work on your mental health, build a good support network around you, and, on the tough weeks, manage to maintain a consistent diet and exercise. Falling out with one of these things will cost you time, money, and opportunities. You need to take care of yourself to make it work. I’ve seen plenty of models starve themselves, and plenty of agencies I know encourage that. This industry is notorious for telling young models, “If you lose another two inches, you’ll book a lot more.” Measurements are an awful yardstick, and there doesn’t seem to be a way past this. The truth is it’s one of the few things models can control, and whilst we are going through a phase of heroin chic in Europe, the models that make it tend to lose more weight than humanly possible and become skeletons to fit a mold. I’m not saying all of them do, but I think there’s been a fair share of transformations encouraged by certain bookers in Sydney, and the ongoing success of their models that have inferred this attitude isn’t all bad.

I think it’s fucked up. I guess spinning it any other way and encouraging it isn’t something we should be doing, and I would like to say things even more publicly than this, but I believe this should come from models rather than a photographer whose hearing is second or third hand.

Personally, if an agency demands you lose weight when you’re already underweight, they don’t have your best interests at heart, and I would recommend terminating your contract. I know some people will disagree with me here, but if we try to meet unrealistic standards, we only encourage them. Even if it means success, it shouldn’t come at the cost of your physical health.

I’ve had many beautiful people tell me they’re ugly or have watched as great talent have become withdrawn or unhappy with themselves. It takes a great deal of mental fortitude to survive this environment.

I know these words might seem odd coming from someone considered a “swim/beach” photographer, but I want to shoot people who feel good about themselves and who are not malnourished.

The other thing I have to mention is tattoos and cosmetic surgery; this includes smaller procedures like Botox and filler. These are a surefire way to destroy your chances. The same goes for heavy lash extensions and anything that augments your appearance. For the most part, when you work with other creatives, they are looking for a blank canvas, and that’s where great makeup artists, hair stylists, and wardrobe come in. These all are there to embolden your beauty, but as a baseline, anything that you consider enhances your appearance will often be called out for hiding it. Just keep this in mind, I’ve had friends be dropped for not having the conversation with their management first, and I will admit, I side with them on this, these aren’t things you should take lightly!

On a less pessimistic note, the other things you can control are your social channels. Many models hate posting professional photos taken of them, feeling like it infers elitism or is contrived. Still, it’s essential to treat your social channels as a personalised portfolio, let it say something about you, feed some great photos in, tag, mention, and engage with collaborators, colleagues, brands, and the like. Communication will help sustain the work! I know a few freelance models who do this and make a living. It’s not the easiest way, and having a booker who understands and speaks to clients regularly will get you more work than guessing what works. It's always easier having someone else speak on your behalf; it gives a sense of authority, and I believe it's one of the few reasons agencies still exist. It's hard to keep a freelance model accountable for not turning up to a job, negotiating rates, and clear, concise communication, all factors at play here.

You don’t have to take it overly seriously, but you need to ensure you are putting your best foot forward. Posting bad selfies, blurry pics, having a private account, or worse, posting photos by unprofessional photographers or not seeking feedback will shorten the length of your career.

I also need to point something out here, and considering the nature of my photos, it might seem like there should be some irony. Careful who you let shoot you naked. I don't mean "don't do it", but look at what those photos are for and where they'll end up; if you want a long career, good nudes can elevate you, and bad ones can crush you. In my briefs, I include a right-to-remove clause; if you ask for it to be removed from the internet, it will, and I think it's important you keep your autonomy, but for models, it is important to consider, unless there is a contract in place, the moment the photographer takes a photo of you, they own that image. There are plenty of stories of models being taken advantage of. Our bodies should be celebrated, but you must consider what that looks like. Many famous models have not had it affect their careers, but it's important to look at who took those beautiful photos and who didn't. Keep this in mind! It's an important one to consider.

There is also the angle of researching, whether mood-boarding, looking for trends online through websites like models.com, Pinterest, and Tumblr, scouring the remnants of print magazines, making friends and networking, and reaching out to people who you admire or want to work with. These are all things to look at doing.

Empathy here is an essential piece of your toolkit. I talk a lot about people asking me for free stuff. Free shoots. Free advice. Coffee catch-ups, etc etc. And I love these things, but not when it feels transactional. I don't want to walk away feeling like someone was just there to get a foot up. For models, your look is something you have to offer, but with that goes your personality, creativity, passion, and outlook; these are all things that photographers like myself need within the bodies of work we're building.

To summarise:

• Look at what you can control, not what you can't

• Make sure your booker is good for you

  • Has a strategy *that does not involve starvation

  • Is putting you forward for jobs

  • Is giving feedback if things aren’t moving forward

• Look after yourself

  • Mental (you can’t do this one alone, make sure you build a good support network)

  • Physical (exercise, walk, pilates, dance, find something that gets you moving you love)

  • Diet (eat good, healthy, and enough)

• Build a good portfolio

  • Build it

  • Post it

  • Curate it

  • Save it (keep a copy don’t just lost all your images)

  • Be careful who shoots it

• Post on social

  • Stories

  • Selfies

  • Professional work

  • Personalise it

• Network

  • With other models (peer support is important — this also doubles as key for reslience)

  • Photographers

  • MUAs

  • Bookers

  • Stylists

  • Producers

  • Casting agents

• Research

  • Make sure you know what’s going on, and why

• Practice empathy (be kind)

If I missed anything, add it in the comments below.

Oli