“Your First Time” part 1
Monday, October 26th, 2009Losing your virginity should be magical, right?
If you’re prepared, it can be. If not, it can become a near-naked nightmare!
I’m talking about your photo shoot virginity, girls! A woman who wants to successfully break into the modeling business has to use her head just as much as her body. In my years of modeling, I’ve learned the hard way how to shift a shoot from good to amazing!
I consider myself a late bloomer to the fitness modeling industry. But, hey, I love flowers whenever they peek out! For many years I had thought of crowning the cover of a national fitness publication. Early on I merely considered it a fantasy of mine — somewhere in the category of owning a private jet and a chauffeured limousine.
But, at age 36, I decided I had nothing to lose and embarked into the realm of modeling as a hobby and a creative outlet. Being in front of a camera is fun, but, I soon learned it is also a job and hard work. You think all these bikini models are spontaneously beaming with joy while they fight the waves on a beach or are getting poked in the butt by rocks and seashells? You have to love what you’re doing, and, value the experience. That’s when those smiles become real. The camera spots a fake smile every time.
So, where do you start? With homework, of course! Bet you didn’t realize that models to homework — the stereotype is that they chew gum and exercise a lot. The best models constantly educate themselves with a background of the industry and its trends. Since you’ll probably be wearing one… do you know where the term “bikini” comes from? You should. If you’re serious about modeling, go look it up.
Researching the latest fitness and fashion magazines is just as basic as a stock broker reading the Wall Street Journal every day. You’ll constantly fill your mind with new photo ideas, poses, lighting and fashion. That kind of depth is required to be a pro.
Now, about your looks! Think you’re hot stuff? Beauty is common currency in this business. Just realize that even though you’ve been told how great “a look” you have for fitness and modeling, thousands of girls have been told that. And it’s probably true for all of them. So, why do some produce great images and others don’t?
In large part, it has nothing to do with the model! Chew on that piece of “humble pie” and you’ll see why the model is, at best, just half the ingredients to a great shoot.
Contacting a legitimate photographer is your first step. During all that time doing homework, you probably noticed certain photographers whose work you especially like. If your goal is to be published, focus on someone who is consistently published in various mags. This is work “you” actually see, not what the photographer is “telling” you he has published. Pick out your three favorites to start.
When you talk to a photographer, realize that the “interview” goes both ways. You both need to mesh in the personality department, because, without chemistry the photos will be flat. Yes, that’s right, shots of a gorgeous woman in a tiny bikini can be brutally boring!
If you’re prepared, it can be. If not, it can become a near-naked nightmare!
I’m talking about your photo shoot virginity, girls! A woman who wants to successfully break into the modeling business has to use her head just as much as her body. In my years of modeling, I’ve learned the hard way how to shift a shoot from good to amazing!
I consider myself a late bloomer to the fitness modeling industry. But, hey, I love flowers whenever they peek out! For many years I had thought of crowning the cover of a national fitness publication. Early on I merely considered it a fantasy of mine — somewhere in the category of owning a private jet and a chauffeured limousine.
But, at age 36, I decided I had nothing to lose and embarked into the realm of modeling as a hobby and a creative outlet. Being in front of a camera is fun, but, I soon learned it is also a job and hard work. You think all these bikini models are spontaneously beaming with joy while they fight the waves on a beach or are getting poked in the butt by rocks and seashells? You have to love what you’re doing, and, value the experience. That’s when those smiles become real. The camera spots a fake smile every time.
So, where do you start? With homework, of course! Bet you didn’t realize that models to homework — the stereotype is that they chew gum and exercise a lot. The best models constantly educate themselves with a background of the industry and its trends. Since you’ll probably be wearing one… do you know where the term “bikini” comes from? You should. If you’re serious about modeling, go look it up.
Researching the latest fitness and fashion magazines is just as basic as a stock broker reading the Wall Street Journal every day. You’ll constantly fill your mind with new photo ideas, poses, lighting and fashion. That kind of depth is required to be a pro.
Now, about your looks! Think you’re hot stuff? Beauty is common currency in this business. Just realize that even though you’ve been told how great “a look” you have for fitness and modeling, thousands of girls have been told that. And it’s probably true for all of them. So, why do some produce great images and others don’t?
In large part, it has nothing to do with the model! Chew on that piece of “humble pie” and you’ll see why the model is, at best, just half the ingredients to a great shoot.
Contacting a legitimate photographer is your first step. During all that time doing homework, you probably noticed certain photographers whose work you especially like. If your goal is to be published, focus on someone who is consistently published in various mags. This is work “you” actually see, not what the photographer is “telling” you he has published. Pick out your three favorites to start.
When you talk to a photographer, realize that the “interview” goes both ways. You both need to mesh in the personality department, because, without chemistry the photos will be flat. Yes, that’s right, shots of a gorgeous woman in a tiny bikini can be brutally boring!
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