(This post will best serve freelance models without agency representation)
When youāre a freelance model, youāll have to go out, network and submit yourself for castings. This means youāll be meeting people in the industry who are also strangers to you.
Without the protection of an agent you do open yourself up for some shady characters. However, there is a way to conduct your business without putting your personal safety at risk.
If you are trying to build your portfolio and are contacting photographers, I highly suggest the following tips:
1. Look at their portfolio before even contacting them. You want to work with photographers whose work reflects the type youāre trying to do. If their photos are impressive and they have a list of past models theyāve worked with, thatās great. Go ahead and contact him/her.
2. Set up an in-person meeting before shooting together. This saves a lot of time and energy. There is such a thing as a model and photographer not having good chemistry together. Unless you both feel comfortable with one another, the results wonāt translate well in the photographs.
Itās okay to say to a photographer that you donāt think you should work together. Itās strictly business, so as long as you carry yourself as such, there should be no hard feelingsā¦and if there is, well thatās not your problem.
3. Ask the photographer what they are like on shoots. Do they like their models to come ready with poses and ideas or do they like to collaborate and create on the spot? Knowing how a photographer operates will help you decide if the two of you would work well together. Discuss concepts, themes, outfits, and make it clear what youāre looking for.
When it comes to meeting with clients, the process is slightly different but not much. Say you get contacted by a company that potentially wants to hire you for their next modeling gig. Chances are they may ask you to interview with them. There will be some clients who are fine with hiring you on the spot without meeting you first but it helps to be prepared for all situations.
The client will inform you of the details of their project, what they expect out of their model(s) and to see what your personality is like. Make sure to ask what you should wear to the interview and if you should bring anything like a headshot or resume.
Regardless of whether you are meeting with a photographer for a shoot or a client for a gig, itās all about safety. Arrange the meeting in a public place: cafĆ©, bookstore, park, etc. Clients tend to choose cafes or their offices for meetings. If the office is in a public area and not some seedy, rundown little complex by the wayside, chances are youāll be okay.
For photographers who suggest meeting in their studio, it will be up to your personal preference whether youād feel comfortable doing that or not. When I arrange in-person meetings, I make sure to be the first to mention location and I always offer a nearby coffee shop in the area. This tends to influence the client or photographer to agree to meeting in a public place.
If you leave it up to them, theyāll more than likely make it convenient for themselves by offering to meet in their office or studio. If the photographerās studio is in his/her home/personal residence, you may want to politely request to meet in a public area. If they have a problem with this, then move on.
If you are underage, a parent or guardian must accompany you to all meetings and shoots thereafter. No exceptions. Any photographer or client who is not okay with this should be avoided at all costs. Just know ahead of time that this industry is filled with so many different types of peopleā¦some are pretty crass and rude and will let you know right away that if you donāt work according to their rules and preferences, then scram. And thatās okayā¦clearly you know not to work with that person again.
For each person in the industry who acts like that, there will be others who donāt so find comfort in that. Many photographers or clients believe that if you are 18 and older, you donāt need an escort to come with you to the meeting. However, if you donāt feel comfortable meeting with someone by yourself, youāll have a decision to make.
Clients more often than not wonāt welcome an escort to the interview. It is business and additional people are distractions. Photographers often get tired of dealing with modelsā boyfriends, husbands, etc. and because of this, generally do not do well with inviting escorts to your meetings. Notice Iām not talking about the shoot itself, just the meeting.
There are a lot of decisions youāll have to make when it comes to meeting photographers and clients on your own. As long as you stick to public places and conduct yourself in a professional manner, you shouldnāt have any problems. It also helps to make sure that someone knows where you are going, what the meeting is for and who youāll be meeting with. Itās better to be safe than sorry.
Each photographer/client is different so there are no hard rules for what to do each time. Each situation will be different so take it for what it is and do what works for you. There is so much more I want to say on this topic so donāt worry, there is more to come but if you have specific situations youāre wondering about, drop me an email and Iāll help you out.
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