Working with modeling agency

[eugene_turner]

<p>Hello, I am a new member and have learned a lot previously searching the site, hopefully now I will be more active as I have decided to take photography seriously.. I've reached out to several modeling agencies and one wants to meet with me to test their models. They've seen my work as I sent them my site via email, and I'm just wondering if I need to bring a physical portfolio to the meeting as I don't have one... I see how bringing one wouldn't hurt anything but I don't have any material fitting for an agency printed out yet. What should I expect in this meeting? What should I be cautious about? Should I bring equipment with me? I'm very excited as it is not a rinky dink agency but a legit one that has been around for some time now.</p>

<p>Any advice would be more than appreciated... Thanks!</p>

[jpb]

<p>I personally like a printed portfolio, because it shows how something looks in print, which is harder to achieve good results (shows more technical proficiency), then digital display. But if you're in a pinch, just load a nicely organized gallery onto an iPad and hope that it will suffice.<br /> <br /> Ask questions after telling them briefly what you'd like to accomplish. Don't pay them anything - be wary of solicitations. Don't bring EQ.<br /> <br /> Good luck.</p>

[eugene_turner]

<p>Thanks James. I don't have an iPad... The only prints that I have are those that I did in school and for the most part are not up to par with the work i've been doing lately nor are the majority of them model work... I may have to just get some prints made at the print shop and hope for the best... I am worried that they are going to try and get me to pay the models but I get the feeling that they understand, even though my email said i'd like to meet with their booker to shoot for your models, and if they liked my portfolio to contact me. </p>

[jpb]

Even if you just bring a laptop or a smartphone

preloaded with an image gallery, that might be

useful. Anything you can offer that shows how you

have thought about the work you'd like to do with

them should help. maybe even just sketches of some ideas you may already have.

[rick_m.]

<p>Eugene I am a little confused about what you want to do. Are you meeting with them so that they might pay you to photograph their models? Are you trying to get TFP work?</p>

<p>I looked at your site and you are right that it is light in the work department. </p>

<p>I am puzzled by something on your site though. On the contact me page (which has no phone number -shame on you-) you have this statement:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Please provide your name, contact info and location (city/state), height and a few photo’s of yourself.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You want prospective clients to send you their height and photos? That is just weird. You don't audition clients, you try to sell them. And you take them as they come. Please tell us what you are trying to accomplish in the photography world and maybe we can give you some pointers.</p>

[eugene_turner]

I'd like for them to pay me to shoot their

models but from what I understand I've

gotta work my way up to that.

 

As for what i want to do with

photography I'd like to do

fashion/editorial work and the site is

just a tumblr of my work. Since I've

decided to take it more seriously I've

taken down all the stuff that doesn't

apply to what I want to do and decent

quality.

 

90% of the shoots I've done in the past

were just for fun of people that were

following my blog. I agree I do need to

change that up.

[rick_m.]

<p>So to get paid gigs you have to a few things first. </p>

<p>You need a portfolio of work that shows potential clients that you have the skills to do the work. But I am going to say some unpopular stuff now. The first thing I would do if I were you is tap my friends to let me shoot them. But I am going to take you at your word that you want to shoot editorial fashion and commercial fashion work. There is a difference between the two. It would be good for you to be completely clear about that. Let me give you a thought to keep in the back of your mind.....Fashion is a business......it is not personal it is a business.......your decisions therefor, even the artistic ones to a large extent, are business decisions. If you start there you will be a leg up on the competition. So perhaps your first decision is to determine<br>

You have to put pretty, commercial pictures in your portfolio. That means gorgeous models with great styling. Your portfolio should be diverse. Diverse clothing in diverse settings on diverse people. Frankly put you need to find drop dead gorgeous people from all racial and ethnic groups, put them in great clothing and style them to the 9's. Then shoot them beautifully. <br>

I like your edge in the few pictures you have online but let me ask you. Do any of them sell clothes or show that you know how to shoot pictures that sell clothes? Some photographers use sites like Model Mayhem to find TFP work and build their portfolio. If you are careful it can be a good resource for models, designers, MUA, and stylists who like you, are looking to get started.</p>

<p>Building your portfolio should be fun but very purposeful. You will want to storyboard your shoots so that you learn to plan your shoot and execute your plan. Look at what others are doing and see how they constructed the shots. Though you will have a style you prefer it is best if you can learn to shoot is a wide variety of ways. At least starting out it is great to be versatile. You will get more gigs the more you can appeal to a variety of clients. </p>

<p>Good luck. It may get discouraging from time to time but it isn't half bad to get to make pretty girl's eyes light up for a living. </p>

 

[jpb]

<p>Rick M offers good advice here.</p>

[eugene_turner]

Thanks for all the advice!!

 

I've been doing photography for a few

years now, since 2008. i've recently

moved to GA from OH and don't know

many people yet, i'm putting together

shoots with college students that have

majors related to fashion to strengthen

my portfolio. its just at the moment I

haven't had any subjects that had the

right look. The ones that are up on my

site are the closest thing to it as I've

been able to get.

 

Hopefully this meeting with the agency

turns into something promising so I can

at least work with models with the right

look.

[dean_price]

I'm not an expert in this area at all, but it seems that maybe there's some miscommunication, because don't modeling

agencies get work for models? I think they're viewing you as a paying client. I think usually, let's say a photographer has

an assignment from a client for an ad in a magazine or something like that, and they would have a budget which would

include money for models and make up people etc. I think the agency believes you want to hire models. Could that be

correct?

[keith reeder]

<blockquote>

<p>I'm not an expert in this area at all, but it seems that maybe there's some miscommunication, because don't modeling agencies get work for models? I think they're viewing you as a paying client. </p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Quite agree, Dean - this doesn't add up <em>at all</em>, otherwise. </p>

<p>The idea that a serious, pro modelling agency would actively tout for business with a self-confessed amateur photographer (no offence, Eugene) makes no sense whatsoever.</p>

[eugene_turner]

Dean, no offense taken my father and I

had the same discussion. But they

have an abundance of models and

these models need portfolios and it is a

means for cheaper photos. My uncle

started out doing the same thing for

modeling agencies back in the good

old film days, he's the one that suggested I contact agencies. I'm aiming to work with

the new faces, the models that are

recently added to their database and

generally don't have much of a portfolio

if they have one. Hopefully I can show

them that I produce good work and can

work my way up the ranks.

[thebarnman]

 

<p>What will happen is you will photograph a bunch of models for images to be used as comp cards. You will be paid $25 for a whole day's work. If the agency is legit, the model won't pay anything. If the agency is not legit, they will charge the "up and coming model" $800 to be photographed by one of their "own" photographers (you.) You'll get the $25 for your day's work and they'll keep the rest. <br /><br /><br />They will want to see all your images and they will be the ones choosing what images to use even if you don't like the image or not. <br /><br /><br />My advise, if you understand what your getting yourself into; at least take the time to quickly edit out the images you don't like and give them copies of the rest. </p>

[eugene_turner]

<p>Nope. That is incorrect. What happens is I can choose from their models who i'd like to shoot if I want and shoot them, granite the model likes my work and wants to work with me, I don't charge them and they don't charge me as this is both a portfolio booster/experience gaining thing for both of us. If a model requests to work with me I can charge a fee if i'd like and the model still signs a release with me.<br>

I got exactly what I wanted out of this. A chance to boost my portfolio and work with a huge selection of models. Every day they contact me asking me to shoot head shots and as of now they know my rate and that is paid either by the model or by the agency... I have no clue if they are skimming off the top but I don't mind as they pay the rate that I'm requesting.<br>

When I see a model that I really want to shoot from them, I can just send the model an email or call them and see if they'd like to work. I've only been rejected once thus far, but then again I'm generally only asking the new faces. The models love what they do and want as much exposure/practice as they can get. </p>

[miguel_lecuyer]

<p>Hi Eugene. Lots of good advice here already. I checked out your website and blog. For the latter, you may want to consider changing the reference to "kids with guns" and "just a kid with a gun". From a marketing standpoint, this is not really a popular theme these days given all the gun violence that exists and may be enough to turn some people away. Personally, I don't quite get it, and frankly, I find it to be a put off. Why would I want to hire a photographer who refers to himself as "just a kid with a gun"? I don't get it, sorry. </p>

[eugene_turner]

<p>Miguel it's a good thing that I'm not trying to work with your agency then isn't it.. I'm not explaining my concepts of my BLOG...</p>