Modeling & Acting 101 - A Model/Actor's Diary

So I feel I've done a grave injustice to my aspiring print models out there. This is a post that should've been done a long time ago but wasn't really brought to my attention until recently...aren't you glad I don't proclaim to be a perfect, know-it-all? LOL Okay, snapshots: I constantly go on about the importance of having quality, non professional, digital snapshots to submit to modeling agencies because they are the most effective way of getting one's foot in the door as far as agency representation goes. No mystery there. What I failed to clarify, however, is that the snapshots I typically refer to (and provide photo examples of) are ideal for aspiring models that plan on pursuing fashion, runway and editorial modeling . Aspiring commercial/print and lifestyle models should also submit non professional, digital snapshots to agencies that represent their category BUT there are some distinct differences. Below are what aspiring print models should ke...

Category: Shoes For: Female Models Worried that you'll slip while wearing your high heels? Take a piece of sand paper and scruff up the bottom of your shoes. It will create friction on the bottom of the heels when it makes contact with any surface so instead of feeling like you'll slip, it'll have a better grip. This means more confidence in your walk and less of a chance that you'll wind up kissing the catwalk instead of strutting on it.

Category: Agency Submissions For: Male & Female Models When reading through the instructions listed on a modeling agency's website for how to submit yourself, if they mention the word " snapshot(s) " that means you should send them non professional, digital photos...not professional images ! Unless the website specifically says it is okay to send professional pictures (or if they let you submit both pro and non pro) only send digital snapshots. Failing to do so could mean automatic rejection. Why? Because you didn't follow directions! So save your professional images for the interview/casting call and use the snapshots to get your foot in the door. Remember, you don't need professional images or a portfolio (in most markets) for agencies to consider new models for representation.

It's always exciting to finally see images I've shot being used for advertising instead of just as regular images in my portfolio. The owner of Jira Couture Cosmetics posted this recent online ad on my Facebook timeline and I was so happy about it that I wanted to share it with my readers! I just found out that they'll be using this ad in the New York market as soon as the final layouts have been approved...needless to say I am completely THRILLED that my photo will soon be circulating in New York! I don't know if it will be just online or in print but soon as I find out and once it's official, I'll be sure to let you know!

Those of you that are pretty familiar with my blog probably know that I participate in bridal fairs year-round within the Northern California area. As I've advanced in my role as a model and right-hand gal to the model coordinator for the bridal fashion shows, I've also had the great opportunity to be a part of the casting call process each season. While I don't sit on the judging panel, I am the first person the models meet at the casting call after signing in. I conduct the mini orientation where I explain what the panel is looking for in its bridal models, as well as demonstrate an example of the runway walk the judges expect to see. The Spring bridal season for the Bay Area Wedding Fairs is starting soon and it's time to find new faces! Below are the details of the casting call...I definitely encourage any of you that is interested to attend: Who Can Attend? We are currently seeking male and female models of all ages, as well as child models (ages 5+). We...

I definitely welcome comments on my blog posts, whether it is with questions that need answers, a nice word or even a reader's own thoughts and insights on a topic I've written about. However, I have noticed that some people are posting their comments over and over. Rest assured, your comments are getting to me--I screen/monitor any comments made on my blog posts in order to weed out a lot of the spam that comes through. So if you've written something on any of my blog posts and don't see it published right away, it's because it's waiting for approval from me to publish it. I try to do this soon as I get the email alert. So there's no need to keep resubmitting what you've written...I promise you I have received it! :-)

First off, I want to say "Thank You" to those that have answered my 3 polls in regards to what you'd like to see from my webinar. There are a few days left to vote so if you haven't done so already, please answer all 3 polls ! Based on the results so far, the topic/focus of the webinar is neck-and-neck between these two topics: Breaking Into the Industry: What You Really Need to Snag a Modeling Agent The 411 on What Agencies Really Look for in Models Because these two are pretty similar, I feel confident saying the webinar will be mainly centered around the first topic but with elements of the second topic also weaved in. Based on how well the first webinar event goes I will definitely work on hosting more of them throughout this year and I will be using the feedback from the polls to determine which topics will be covered and in what order. Not counting the two topics listed above, there are 4 additional topics that I can easily plan a webinar around. The ...

Howdy, all! I won't make this post too long but just wanted to notify everybody that I'm working on planning a webinar. I've been lucky to meet a handful of my readers in person and I dream of eventually traveling to set up meet and greets with more people but needless to say, that costs money and even if that wasn't a factor, trying to coordinate any group of people to meet up on a certain day and time is difficult. So I figured, why not do it the easy way by hosting seminars in an online format? That way I could reach anybody regardless of location and still have a somewhat direct connection with each person. That being said, I've posted 3 polls on my blog (located above where the actual posts are). I am asking all of you to please answer all 3 polls so that I can get some guidance as to how the webinar should be set up. I can't read everyone's minds so I will need all of your help to keep things on track and ensure that the resulting webinar will be ...

Category: Snapshots For: Male & Female Models When sending modeling agencies non professional digital snapshots via email, make sure to properly name the jpg files of the images you plan on attaching. But always check the agency website first to find out if there are specific instructions on how they want you to name your image files. Don't see any such info mentioned? Then here are some recommended file names that can be used for reference...to make it easier for people to understand and model their file names after, we'll use my name. Let's say I'm about to submit 4 snapshots of myself to an agency: a headshot, full body shot, full body profile shot and a closeup profile shot...below is what I would name the files: - DaniaDenise_Headshot - DaniaDenise_FullBody - DaniaDenise_FullBodyProfile - DaniaDenise_CloseupProfile This example isn't absolute and there are variations but in general you want to make sure 2 things appear in the file name: your...

Yeah, yeah, I know...I'm late with the New Year's wishes, lol, but I took some days off to be completely lazy. Not to mention the modeling and acting gigs dried up for the holiday season. As much as I'm a workaholic, many more clients preferred to take vacations and leave projects for another day, haha. Understandable but I was bouncing off the walls out of boredom. What saved the day was booking a promo commercial for a new app about a week ago. The commercial will be posted on the company's website but they're also considering buying airtime for it to appear on television in Chicago (where the company is based). I had a great time and really missed being in front of the camera. However, I did do other shoots over the past few months that I didn't get a chance to post about. So I figured why not share them here? Although I've already shared these photos as my blog header, below are the images from a cosmetics shoot I did for the Jira Couture Cosmet...