So in my usual online travels through websites and forums, I came across one thread by an aspiring model that was talking about her experiences taking modeling classes. Another person responded to her thread, stating that she, too, took modeling classes, only to find out afterwards that she didn’t really like modeling and decided it wasn’t for her.
I couldn’t help but think in both of these girls’ cases: Geez, that’s a lot of money down the toilet! The original poster of the thread did have a point that it’s sometimes necessary to take classes to see if you’d like it…however, where I would disagree with her is about the classes part. The only way to know if you’ll like being a model is if you have some experience with it right? Sure, why not? But you don’t have to throw your money away by taking modeling classes.
Most models have natural talent. They have that “it” factor. They possess the physical requirements and are naturally photogenic, expressive, etc, etc. But maybe there are some of you who aren’t sure if this is something you want, or maybe you really want it but still doubt if you’d be good at it. Now I always stress that if you can’t commit to modeling 100%, then you shouldn’t pursue it at all because there are many others that live and breathe the industry, and it wouldn’t be fair to them for someone to make it who doesn’t have their heart in it. But there are exceptions to the rule, which is the point of this post in the first place. Don’t worry, there’s method to my madness (wink).
So, I would advise that instead of paying for modeling classes to “teach you” about the modeling industry, simply do a test shoot with a professional photographer to see if you actually like the feel of the experience. I’m not saying do such a shoot to get pictures to submit to agencies (I’ve stated many times that you should submit non-professional pictures for this purpose) so look at this suggestion as a way to “test” the waters, hence, the title and related image for this post. I know of one aspiring model who did just that: she got together with her sister, who happened to be a trained photographer, and did a test shoot. And she did not like the experience, therefore, she knew modeling was not for her. And I completely appreciated her maturity and decision on the subject.
There is nothing wrong with finding a good photographer that is willing to trade some shooting time in exchange for copies of your photos. If you’re underage, I still stress having a parent/guardian preferably 21+ present during the shoot. The test shoot can be a great way for you to get your feet wet, see how you handle being in front of a camera, and finding out what you can really do. By going this route, you avoid spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on modeling schools and classes, and aren’t obligated to do the whole agency search just yet. This can be done on your time. You may be surprised by the experience and it could truly be a way for you to know in your heart if this industry is one you should pursue. Sometimes the only way to know what you’re getting yourself into is to test the waters before spending a lot of time and energy on it.
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