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What is modeling? Who is a model? This are questions aspiring models ask themselves, and a question a lot of people dont know the true answers to but believe they do, some people believe modeling is all about "someone taking your pictures and then you get paid instantly", others its "you must be beautiful ", and so many more, but no its not, modeling goes beyond that, actually, there are a lot of definations to who a model is and what modeling is all about.
Modeling is an act, a form of expression of one's inner world to the outside world, its a means of advertisement, its a form of a precieved lifestyle, and who is a model? Now this is a question a lot of people dont know the answers to.
A model has a lot of definations which will be discussed later on one of my post. The real essence of this post, just as the title indicates is about Modeling and photography, as a model in the modeling industry, you need to know that modeling is beyond the looks and you need a photographer. Models need photographers, why? So as to be seen all over the world, models selling point, what models use to advertise themselves to the world is through photoshoot, and also what they use to make their portfolios. I am sure you are already having questions already, but dont worry, they would be answered now that we are going into the main topic for this post which is :
MODELING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Every model needs a photography, be it in any area of modeling a model finds him/herself in, be it Runway, commercail, editorail, art, nude, fitness and so on, because its the photoshoots that shows evidence to the world of what you do and that you do it best. I have been modeling for a year now and taken lots of photoshoots and collaborated with a lot of top models, and other photography models as well and also own a Modeling Academy called EOA MODELING ACADEMY, Instagram account is @eoamodelingacademy, and here are steps to take in taking a good photography
Step:
1- KNOW THE TYPE OF MODELING YOU WANT TO DO-
Its very important to know the type of modeling you want to venture in so as to focus your energy and what will pay.
2- KNOW THE TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHER TO USE- as a model is very impirtant to know thatbits not every photographer you work with, yes, not all photographers are "good enough" for a model photoshoot, as there are different types of photographers which are:
Birthday photographers
Event photographers
Model photographers
The type of photographers to use are model photographers, these are phototgraphers who are into the fashion industry, they take shoots of models. Please be informed that there are a lot of model photographers, but the ones you should use are "good quality model photographers", many photographers will say they take model shoots just to earn money into their pockets, but dont be decieved, this is your career so if you are to work with any model photographer, they should be good, all you have to do to make sure you are not duped of your money and good quality shoots is to check for model photographers online and research on model photoshoots to see exactly the type of quality photographers you should use. Also one of the mistakes models make is that they want thinhs cheap and affordable to that makes them go for photographers who are cheap but dont give them quality, as a model in the business, if you want to be successful and to be taken serious you have to be willing to sacrifice and invest in yourself, like I do and tell aspiring models who want to be successfully, "I would rather spend 10000 Naira on a good quality photoshoot thab spend it on cloths and shoes which will go out of vogue", fine the truth is a very good quality photographer is expensive and will charge at an expensive rate, some per session while some per pictures taken, but dont look at the cost you will spend as a burden but look at it as an INVESTMENT in yourself which it actually is, because the pictures you take today will be the ones people, brands, fashion designers will look at to see if you are actually "Good enough" or "have what it takes" for them to consider you modeling for them. I was calculating how much I had spent on myself last year 2017 in the aspect of modeling and it was over 50000 Naira, fine I could have used them to buy luxury things, but investing in my career as a model is much more important, people are watching you, so show them quality things they will see and value you for it.
3- HAVE A CREATIVE CONCEPT FOR THE PHOTOSHOOT- after you already have your model photographer you want to use, come up with a creative concept for the photoshoot, this sounds easy for some while it sounds difficult for other, let me just tell you that as a model you need to be able to organise photoshoots, dont make the mistakes some models make by wanting the photographer to be the one to direct and give good location for the shoot. To have a creative concept, you can go online and check out model photoshoots and copy the one or ones you like and before you know it you will be coming up with your own creative ideas all on your own, try to be independent in thinking it will help you. But in helping you come up with a good creative shoot here are some things you need to consider:
-Good location: the location of where you want to take the shoot and how you want the shoot to be like matters a lot and goes a long way in helping your photoshoot speak with every other thing involved in your shoot or the message you are passing to the world. If your shoot is going to be outdoors or indoors, if its going to be studio, this are the things you need to consider, if its outdoors is it by the beach side? Or in front of an art brickwall? Or in front of a bluilding, warehouse, church, in the open field with nature, in a forest? If its indoors, is it in a resturant? Or a studio shoot? Or in your bedroom? Or in an office? All this things are what you should consider its highly important.
-Outfits: the cloths you are going to wear also is an important factor in the shoot you want to do, ask yourself "what tyoe of outfit will go well with the location I have chosen and the message I want to pass across?" in this case you might have to get the wears yourself, which in most case you will end up spending money to get those outfits, but dont be bothered its still investing in yourself, and you can go and meet fashion designers to give you there wears, but you can get a positive outcome on this based on what you can offer the fashion designer and how well you can communicate with brands and talk because brands need models to talk, this topic will be discussed later in one of my post.
-Poses: poses are also very important for you to thing about, and please note that the pose of a model is different from the post of a selfie diva or a slay queen, a model pose is different and creative, a model pose is a pose thay speaks, and one of the tips I will be giving to you is that, for every model pose, its all in the eyes, the eyes helps in posing, so you can see modeling photoshoot is not easy as it sound, if you want to be a photography model you have work to do.
Those are the categories to consider when trying to come up with a creative concept.
4- HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIP/ COMMUNICATION WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER YOU ARE WORKING WITH FOR THE SHOOT- its good for a model to have a good relationship and communication with photographers you are working with so that they would want to work with you some other time, while shooting, after you have told the photographer whay you want and he has done his part in taking the shoots you want, if he comes with his own idea for to shoot, probably to give another pose or change your outfit with the one he brought, please dont refuse him, that is how you gain solid ground relationship with people who can help you in the industry, and photographers like that, who come up with their own ideas and still gibe your own idea some touches and also add to it are creative photographers, this are the type of photographers one needs to work wirh as a model.
5- UPLOADING THEM TO THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA- in this generation, the social media for Fashion, Photography, LIFESTYLE, MODELING, AGENCIES is Instagram. Instagram is the social network you have to be active on and upload your photoshoots because that is where modeling agencies scout for models, and variois top models use, so do photographers, so if you want your dope model photoshoots to be seen by the right people, then Instagram is the best place you should be, dont have an instagram account? Go and open one now, and when uploading your photoshoots on instagram, tag top modeling agencies, top models and you can tag me as well @creative_seun lol, use the hashtags fashion, model, photographers and so on to get people all over the world of the same interest to see your works.
More posts on modeling is coming soon, such as :
-Scams in the modeling world and how to avoid them.
-how to make money from modeling.
-how to talk to brands
-the set of people you should have around you as a model.....and so on......
And also lists of model photographers, models and so on...
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This is the blog for EOA MODELING ACADEMY
IG: @eoamodelingacademy
Founder
ELEGUSHI OLUWASEUN ADENIYI
IG: @creative_seun
