Advice by Now-Retired Model Rachel Jay
Back in July I made the decision to retire from modeling. Many people accepted this and simply said, “sorry to see you go”. Others, however, begged for explanations or (worse) pleaded with me not to retire because we hadn’t gotten a chance to work together. I will not address the second point other than to say if someone didn’t work with me in the 6 years I modeled… well, tough shit. There was plenty of time to schedule something. Onto the explanation.
A photographer on one of the modeling sites, HT Portraits, shared a blog post of his, which discusses some ideas on overcoming a learning plateau in terms of photography. Given my last entry, and how the team I worked with stepped outside our comfort zone, I thought it would be appropriate to share his blog with you.
Before I do that though, I would like to address it from a modeling standpoint, as quite often a model reaches a creative plateau that can put her in a funk (of sorts) and result in all kinds of issues. Boring, still poses, the same facial expression over and over, doing the same kind of shoots over and over… you get the idea. I have definitely been stuck on that plateau before… and it sucks. So, I’m going to take this blogger’s suggestions for photographers, and write some tips for models. Here they are… 10 tips for moving past a learning plateau, for models.
So, you’ve sent someone you’re interested in working with a message. For whatever reason, you’ve monitored whether or not the message has been read, and you see that it has. Despite this, the model hasn’t replied to you. Not a peep from her.
First of all, why are you sitting and monitoring whether or not the messages you’ve sent have been read?! Seems like such a waste of time, and I’ve never understood why people do that. Send the message, and move on. Certainly, you have better things to do with your time than wait for “unread” to change “read”, right? I’d hope so!
Why might a model simply not respond, instead of taking a few seconds to just say “no”?
There are tons of reasons a model might not respond. Some of the most common ones are…
I’m going to share this article because, while it’s relevant to all women, it’s also relevant to models, because it’s getting harder and harder to list an actual, accurate dress size because of stuff like this (especially if you don’t have access to designer size charts, and/or don’t work with designer garments). And all you hobbyist models who quite often purchase their own wardrobe for shoots (or deal with photographers saying “I’ll just buy what I need for you, what size are you?”), certainly you share my frustration with shopping and finding the right fit. Especially when on a tight budget and/or looking to buy in a short time frame.
Quite often you hear photographers encouraging other photographers to require a model to attend a pre-shoot meeting in order to tell whether or not she’ll flake, to make sure she looks like her photos, to make sure you’re on the same page with shoot concepts, or to see whether your personalities will “mesh” well enough so that the shoot will be a success. Or you hear models (or the occasional white-knight photographer) telling others to go to a pre-shoot meeting to ensure the photographer isn’t a creep. I have even heard pre-shoot meetings likened to casting calls! There’s a lot wrong with all of that, so let’s start at the beginning…
Public blacklists–lists of people an individual doesn’t recommend working with–can be found on many profiles on Internet modeling sites. They are often fueled by anger and judgement, and are usually created and added to during the heat of the moment, while one is angry due to the actions of the very person they’re blacklisting. The list-maker usually just wants to “get back” at the person whom they feel wronged them, and quite often, the list maker doesn’t pause to think of the consequences to themselves that these lists often have.
After so many years modeling (gosh, it feels weird saying it that way, but it’s true), I’ve gotten into, what I feel is, a great pre-shoot routine. I’ve decided to take some time to share it with you, because a lot of new models have been asking about it. I opted to start a few weeks out, instead of just the night before, because I do a lot of work for every shoot I do, and it’s generally much appreciated.
Often times, one of the first things a model is told when she asks “how do I know this guy is legit” or “how do I stay safe” is that she should check references. While not foolproof or a 100% guarantee that the photographer won’t be a sleezebag and will get you images back, it’s a good starting point. I check references on all photographers I’m working with for the first time. Male or female. Paid or trade. Here’s how I go about doing it.
Back in December I announced that I was taking a break from modeling, and while I said I planned on coming back, at the earliest, sometime in March, I’m still a bit undecided to some degree. When I announced my break, I got a lot of people questioning my reasons for the break from modeling, and I am still getting asked about it (especially with my new look and shoot with Laura Ann of Fleur de Lis Photography).
So, I’ve decided to expand on things a little bit. Not necessarily to explain myself or share my reasoning (because, frankly, I shouldn’t have to), but because it might give some of you an insight into a hobbyist’s mind when it comes to hobby modeling, setting priorities, and life in general.
Discuss every detail with each photographer you’ll be working with prior to shooting. Every. Detail.
Don’t book without getting a phone number.
Invest in several thongs that match your skin tone, to wear on shoots.
Spend a lot of time practicing, reading, researching, and looking for ideas. You’ll never stop learning, coming up with ideas, or growing as a model.
Be realistic in your goals.
Realize that sometimes, your views on certain things might change. That’s ok.
If you have certain things you’re not interested in doing, don’t do them. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into doing them.
And be aware that not being willing to do some things may hinder your success as a model. There’s nothing wrong with that.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a hobbyist model. You will, however, likely model at a loss. But if you enjoy it… don’t let that hold you too far back.
Be reliable, honest, and accountable. It will go a long way to building a solid reputation for yourself. In other words, don’t be a flake or a diva.
Thoughts of a Hobbyist Model 