Modeling is tough no matter your size

A 13 year old girl on Facebook asked me if it was hard to start modeling. My reply might inspire your own pursuits.


My reply:

Hi Hun, Modeling is tough no matter your size, and for a shorter girl it is often unstable and it is a complete self made, you get what you put in, and how prepared you are matters what opportunities comes...type of pursuit. And it is unstable, and even working with agencies it doesn't mean you are taken care of, or that a career is handed to you. My story is one based on being self made and the start of my pursuits was a wake up call. I made a lot of mistake with online model profile sites, I mixed with the wrong people and made MANY mistakes that I overcame by noticing what I DO have, by wanting more for myself, wanting professionalism, and wanting to model "for something", not just to be pretty or to boost my ego through having my photo taken. (I also wrote my memoir Almost 5'4" as part warning for girls of all sizes who want to model. And I blog and podcast and advocate because I know what it is like to start from scratch. )

Just remember having your photo taken doesn't mean you are a model, so once I understood WHAT modeling is really about within print modeling,...I started to notice that modeling is about modeling for something, and all ages are models, modeling lifestyle products. And that there was a certain type of photos I NEEDED to get real opportunities within print modeling.

There are a few things you need to start modeling, here are some basics:

A well lit and professional headshot, and commercial print photos (google commercial print modeling photos or stop by my blog petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com and see this link: http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/commercial-print-modeling-photos-for.html )

You need a comp card. Try www.compcard.com or a place that prints headshots also often prints comp cards.

You need the will to research and find the right agencies that work with models of all sizes, they are out there but they do not advertise, and they do not hold open calls, you have to mail them by postal mail you comp card…yes even in this digital age.

You have to have confidence and the belief in yourself and KNOW yourself and what your assets are. Ask yourself what you could realistically model for, and strive to learn more about how what you naturally have can translate into modeling products.
This mindset will show you what type of photos you need to best market you.
Also studying ads in lifestyle magazines and noticing that advertising and marketing worlds are about appealing to all types of people, and many of the models are not giraffe tall…and so many types of models are needed for print, commercials and web ads for lifestyle products.

You should SKIP the internet profile sites, skip relying on anything that stems from the web,  often this is a scam or waste of time. Instead use the internet as a research tool, to research agencies, and strive to find a professional photographer, someone who KNOWS the craft of photography and remember investing in yourself, understanding the work and time and self investment involved, is how to get the best results.

I hope this helps for now, let me know if you have any other questions, you can also search my blog in the upper left corner modeling words like, model photography, find a photographer, submit to agencies, make a comp card and posts will come up to help you out.

Here are other posts on modeling as a shorter model:
http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2010/03/does-your-photographer-know-what.html

http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/09/getting-print-modeling-agency.html

http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/does-short-girl-get-signed-to-modeling.html

http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/six-differences-of-fashion-model-and.html

Isobella