There are so many myths passed along to models as fact that quite simply are not true. Some of them may bave been true before, but are either obsolete or severely diminished now. Others are just plain bullshit. So, as a public service, here are the facts to counter the myths

Myth: Modeling is easy.
Fact: Don't even bother stepping in front of the camera unless you're ready to work your ass off. Not o­nly does a model work hard in front of the camera, tremendous effort must be put into marketing o­ne's self long before the work begins to pay off. Expect sore muscles, long hours, and tremendous frustration.

Myth: All you have to do to be a model is take pictures.
Fact: o­ne is not truly a model until someone other than a photographer is paying for you to be in front of the camera. With the advent of digital photography and sites such as o­ne Model Place and Model Mayhem, a whole amateur TFP (time for print) industry has sprung up, giving a lot of people a chance to take a lot of pictures. That's nice. so you don't have to pay Olan Mills. Being in front of a camera does not make o­ne a model any more than standing o­n a runway makes o­ne an airplane. When you start collecting checks for doing real work, you will have earned the right to call yourself a model. Until then, you're aspiring.

Myth: Promotional work is a form of modeling.
Fact: Promotional work is person-on-person marketing. Unless you are WEARING the product, you are not modeling a damn thing. To model infers that o­ne is exhibiting a product, such as clothing, jewelry, or make-up, through the placement of said product o­n o­ne's body as demonstration of how said product appears o­n a real person rather than a hanger. No matter how many hours you've logged with Budweiser, unless you're wearing the beer you've not modeled a damn thing.

Myth: Models don't pay for pictures.
Fact: If you want PROFESSIONAL pictures from a PROFESSIONAL photographer, you're probably going to pay for them. There are exceptions, such as spec work and charity pieces, but for just portfolio work expect to pay standard professional prices. Some photographers charge by the look ($50-150 depending o­n complexity), others by the hour ($75 and wayyyyyyyyy o­n up depending o­n a photographer's experience and work load), and others by the print ($5-$40 each is not uncommon). Remember, a PROFESSIONAL depends o­n his/her work for their livelihood. They don't have "another job" to pay the rent or buy groceries. When you ask a professional to do TFP, you are essentially taking money from their pocket.

Myth: Putting up o­nline profiles will generate work.
Fact: That was the dream, but in large part it has not been fulfilled. Art and casting directors know the same thing photographers know: the low resolution of web-based photos allows for a myriad of flaws to be easily hidden, flaws that would be noticed in a hard copy print. Therefore, people who know what they are doing seldom reference o­ne Model Place or any other o­nline service when searching for models. They want to see hard copy prints, no smaller than 8" x 10" bound in a nice portfolio. People who are serious about modeling know this and make sure their books get seen by the people who matter.

Myth: Photographers can get models a lot of jobs.
Fact: Photographers like to say that. It makes them looks good. It even helps some of them get girls in bed. Reality is far different. RARELY does an art or casting director bother asking a photographer's opinion about a model. Casting professionals put a lot of research into exactly what type look they want and know how best to find that look. The process generally includes calls to well known agencies such as Ford and Elite, and occasionally extends to open casting calls. o­nly low-end, cheaply produced rags "wing it" and hire models solely based o­n submissions and references from photographers or other staff. Don't fall for the line. Go through professional channels to find professional work.

Myth: Models don't need hard copy comp cards or portfolios any more.
Fact: While digital comp cards and portfolios help make an introduction via email, any PROFESSIONAL is going to want to see prints. As mentioned earlier, too many flaws can be hidden in low-resolution photography. It is much more difficult to hide such things with prints. Hard copy comp cards also make it easier for art and casting directors to compare models and consider how o­ne would look in print. Comp cards should be double-sided 5"x7" and portfolios should be no smaller than 8"x10".  12"x14" is the preferred size.

Myth: Posing for nudes or other questionable material damages a model's reputation and career.
Fact: o­nly if you consider a multi-page spread in Vogue, Vanity Fair, V, Zink, or almost any other serious fashion magazine damaging. Step into the 21st century, please. Mainstream fashion got past the nudity issue a good 15 years ago. With the popularity of sheer fabrics and edgy photography continuing to increase, NOT doing nudes is more likely to damage o­ne's career. Common sense prevails, of course. o­ne doesn't go from the pages of Hustler to the cover of Cosmo. Keep it tasteful and professional. Many models circulate different portfolios, distributing more conservative images to sources they know take a conservative approach, but there is certainly no excuse to not step out and participate in provocative, artistic work.

I found this on a fellow friend photographers myspace page and after reading I felt that it was something that needed to be passed on.  There are tooo many models these days that think they can just do one photo shoot and BAM! there a model!  I dont think so. 

Anyway, read on and learn something.  It might come in handy for you someday.

Feel free to repost but remember to include the full title as it states who its from originally.

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Aspiring models who do not live in major fashion markets such as New York or LA face a number of challenges should they want to seriously pursue a modeling career. Not only is there rarely any significant level of work available to them, they are surrounded by low-quality amateur photographers, make-believe modeling agencies out for a quick buck, and creepy guys who want nothing more than to get them naked and in bed.

I'm sure a could, with some thought, deliver a book-length tome of modeling advice. The basics of making it from the small town to big-time in modeling are relatively straight forward. Being successful as a model is so much more than standing in front of a camera and looking pretty. Yet, for those who are genuinely committed to the industry, there is a lot you can do to improve your chances of "making it."

Pay attention.

1. Be honest with yourself. Modeling IS about beauty and there ARE rules. No one with a heart likes telling an aspiring model, "I'm sorry, you just don't have what it takes." Yet, I have a feeling those are words that should probably be uttered with greater frequency. In every medium sized city across the country, there are a few hundred girls with dreams of being a model, but in all honesty the realistic chances of them doing anything more than taking pictures is nill.

I have a colleague who is fond of saying that anyone can be a model, and in theory he is correct. There are occasional casting requests for just about any body type and any kind of look. Look long and hard enough and even the 400-pound 4' 8" person with acne and mousy hair can probably find at least one modeling opportunity. However, the mainstream market remains necessarily selective and anyone who does not meet their narrow requirements is best perhaps best advised to chase other dreams.

At the very least, any aspiring model should consider whether she meets the following minimum requirements:

• Height AT LEAST 5' 6" for print, 5' 8" for most major assignments. There are exceptions for glamor work such as Playboy, FHM and related magazines, but if you plan on actually wearing clothes, you have to be tall enough to make them look good.
• Reasonably clear skin absent of scars or other permanent marks. Sure, everyone's going to have the occasional pimple, but severely scarred or sun-damaged skin diminishes your chances. This includes wrinkles around the eyes, dry spots, and laugh lines. Using a good moisturizer is a necessity.
• Clean, straight teeth. Cosmetic dental work is quite common among professional models. Everything from correcting over bites to extracting wisdom teeth can impact your look. While fashion models seldom smile, dental issues affect the entire shape and perspective of the face and are an important consideration.
• Clean, strong facial lines without any over-dominant features. Jaw lines, cheekbones, noses and brows are where casting and art directors look. Clean lines are wonderful. Prominent noses, jutting chins, fleshy cheeks and brooding brows are all problems. Why? Because they interupt the lines of the face, creating bumps and/or slopes where the eye does not expect to find them.
• Age less than 24 years. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule--for EXPERIENCED models. Coming into the industry for the first time, though, the younger you are the better. Why? Because agencies want to know that your career will be long enough for them to actually make a profit for all the time and effort they will spend on you. If you're already 26, even if you look four or five years younger at the moment, the longevity of your career is limited. Many major agencies will not even consider anyone over 19 as a new client.
• Reasonably proportionate measurements. Fashion models don't need large boobs. Glamor models do. Consider for which area you are best suited. Both require narrow waist measurements with flat, toned stomachs.
• Firm muscle tone without being muscular. If you enjoy lifting weights, then
  you may have a career as a fitness model, but not in fashion. While the fashion industry abhors anything that jiggles loosely, "hard" bodies are just as much a problem. Yoga is probably the best exercise regimen for models. Keep muscles tone, but do NOT add mass.
• Attractive hands and feet. Split nails, torn cuticles, bony knuckles, and heel calouses are frequent problems that make-up cannot cover. Sure, they can be fixed in Photoshop, but it is inefficient and time consuming to do so, ultimately adding significant costs to an image.
• Clean, healthy hair. Nothing takes more abuse than a model's hair. If your hair is already over-processed, damaged and brittle, it would likely begin falling out under the abuse imposed by professional modeling. Fortunately, in most cases, this is one area easily fixed. Consult a professional cosmetologist about keeping your hair healthy and looking good.
• Strong wardrobe and reliable transportation. Any time you have an appointment with some one, whether a casting call or an interview, there are two critical issues: look your best and be on time. Models should demonstrate that they have both a sense of style and protocall. Models who can't dress themselves and are habitually late quickly become a burden no one wants.

1 GB of memory lasts most people a month but barely lasts you the afternoon.

You know what aperture-priority means.

You delete more photos in a week than most people make all year.

On those occasions when you haven't brought -because you couldn't/thought you shouldn't bring- your camera, you fidget and curse under your breath.

You need just one more lens.

You've crawled on the ground to get a shot of something rusty.

Your camera equipment is worth more than your car.

No one else brings a camera to an event if they know you're coming.

Your family doesn't recognize you without a camera covering your face.

You have thousands of pictures and you're not in any of them.

You've been up before dawn or out in the freezing cold or even done something semi-dangerous… all for a photograph.

Your friends ask you to shoot a family Christmas portrait for them as a favor.

You wish your camera equipment cost less so that your insurance would cost less.

You put your digital film wallet in your pants pocket in the morning even before your car keys.

You have enough camera bags in your closet to pack up your entire house.

You choose airlines based on carry on baggage allowance.

PS7 is a software program and not a school you attended as a child.

Your family cringes every time you say, "I'll be right there, I just need to take a couple shots of this."

your daughter wants you to photograph her wedding instead of walking her down the aisle.

You look at a gradient of a clear day's sky and try to find spots on the sensor.

Q: Your name please:

A: My name is Constance. My business partner's name is Jesse.

A: I have always loved photography. I have been an aspiring photographer for as long as I can remember. I have only turned it into a full time profession in the past few years.

Q: What does photography mean to you?

A: Photography means everything to me.  Its a memory keepsake process.  It preserves memories of things we seem to forget or push off to the back of our minds.  I'm so glad to be able to capture your memories and give you something to cherish forever.  

A: I am currently enrolled in the University of Arkansas with a Major in Graphic Design and a Minor in Photography.  I also have college education in Business Management & Web Design.

Q: Where is your favorite place to live and work as a photographer in the World and why?

A: If I had it my way, we would be located in Texas!  There is sooo many places to shoot and sooo many gorgeous models!

Q: Who are your influences?

A: My main influence is Marvin from ML Weston.  He's amazing.  He's taught me soo much and I could never repay him for all the knowledge he has given to me.  I also look up to Matt Robinson Photography & Brent Allen Photography.

Q: Describe a day in your personal or professional life.

A: Personal life? Whats that?! lol.  I spend all my time on photography.  Whether I'm in the classroom, on a photo shoot, or sitting on the computer doing post production.  My life revolves around Photography. 

Q: Will you travel?

A: We are available to travel worldwide. 

Q: Do you provide an MUA or any other type of stylists?

A: We can provide these types of things however, our prices will go up if we do because we have to pay these people for their time and materials.

If you have any further questions, please message us.