Portfolios are not cheep however they are necessary as they are an industry tool juts as a photographer will spend money on a camera or a makeup artist money on there makeup kit a model will need to invest in a portfolio for themselves no one is going to buy me a camera simply because i say I want to be a photographer and modelling is the same.
Models are often shocked by the price of a professional portfolio as some companies have been known to charge as much as £10,000 of course there is much cheeper options however remember the quality of your portfolio will without and doubt determine if you succeed as a model.
The photographs contained in your portfolio should be a high standard to ensure that your evidence of work is professional also we would recommended having 30 or above images however you can start with less.
. An amateur selection of photographs will not suffice in this industry its like a professional photographer trying to do a photoshoot on his mobile phone camera.
Portfolio
What is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is the collection of your best images, utilising different outfits, styles, locations
and hair and makeup. It is your modelling Cv and absolutely essential for all models. The
more you can show, the more job opportunities there will be for you. Models have to be
versatile and their portfolio needs to reflect this.
Glass Studios can help you organise and guide you towards the best option so that you
have a unique, personalised portfolio that suits your needs, whether that be a new model
or an already established model and want to update your portfolio.
What Sort of Images Should I Have?
The simple answer, the more diverse the images the better!
By this I mean, differently styled outfits, different poses, different makeup and hair and of
course different locations. The more you can show, the more opportunities there will be
for you.
When shooting with Glass Studios, we will do 5 different shots, from casual to formal
wear, adjusting and changing your hair style and makeup with our in-house hair and
makeup artists between each shoot.
The first images will be casual. You will be wearing something you’d wear in your house
relaxing with a simple but colourful background. You can also wear sports gear.
The second set of images will still be casual but be something you’d wear on a day out.
Something nice but not too flashy. You will also want to use a different location from your
first shots. Jeans, a nice skirt, a double denim outfit etc.
The third set of images will be outside and again more dressed up than the shots
previous. Being outside allows different lightening to enhance the photo, but also you can
add a jacket to your outfit too to add another layer, again showing more styles. For
woman, this is where you should start wearing heels or a nice heeled boot but Glass
Studios can help you with the choice, with a wide range of shoes and sizes for you to
choose from our shoe wall.
For the fourth set of images, you will be very dressed up. Think one step down from
ballgown. These images again will be outside again but will be in completely different
locations from the third set of images. When choosing your clothes for this, you need to
think of a style or pattern or colour that you have not shown yet in the previous three sets
of images.
For the final set of images, think formal and very dressed up. For these images, you will
be back inside but using a lot of lights to create a formal atmosphere, loads of flash and
power poses. Ladies – heels 100%, Men – a nice suit is always a winner here but the
stylist at Glass Studios can help you with this if you don’t have a suit.
At the end of the day, it’s all about versatile. Brands want a model who look great wearing
loads of different looks. Take Boohoo for example, the same model wears a lot of clothes
but will always cross over to many different styles, which makes them more valuable to
Boohoo.
Types of Portfolio
There are two major types of portfolio, Digital and Web. Gone are the days when models
used to have to bring big printed books around with them to castings. Now it is a lot more
simpler. Glass Studios can create a unique and personalised portfolio fit for your needs
and requirements as a model.
Digital Portfolio
Digital portfolio are on a disk or a USB drive. It will have all your best images from
portfolio on it. It is a great option because you can bring it everywhere with you and
people can take a copy for further reference. It can also be retouched and changed easily.
However it is a bit more work because if you need to send it to an agency or platform,
you will need to include a CV and a cover letter. A CV is like a normal CV however it will
have your measurements on it, which is of course, very important for modelling. The
cover letter will need to state how you believe you have the skills and knowledge to get
the job or sign up to the particular agency or platform.
Web-Portfolio
This is easily the best and most accessible portfolio option. You would have your own
personal website and hosting address with all the information a casting director or agency
needs to hire to sign you. On the home page, it would have your 5 best images, which will
be all very different so it shows your versatile straight away. Following on from that, you
will have a page for your CV, measurements (which you will update every 4-6 weeks), your
remaining portfolio photos, and then finally your contact page. The benefit of the web
portfolio is that it can accessed anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat and can be the
quickest way to secure jobs.Thus, increasing the range of job opportunities available to
you. Glass Studios can build and manage your web-portfolio for you and ensure it is
routinely updated it for you.
The benefits of having a portfolio is that you image, your brand and most importantly how
you look, and your previous work is readily available. The other benefit is that a proper
portfolio looks professional and leaves the impression to the casting director that you too
are professional. This can help massively as it also adds to the assumption that you are
reliable, punctual and experienced.
How Much Does it Cost for a Portfolio?
There are many different factors involving the price of a portfolio including your needs,
availability, types of modelling and of course the skill of the studio.
Here at Glass Studios portfolios start from £525, which can increase depending on how
many photos you would like and also anything extra including web-portfolio, Z – cards
and touch ups.
The fastest way to start your career as a model is to pay a team to create a portfolio for
you. One the day of your shoot, Glass Studios will organise that you have a dedicated
team including a stylist, hair and makeup artist and photographer for your portfolio shoot,
which will help to show off all of your best qualities.
The photographer will guide you with suitable poses while hair and makeup will make you
look your best. The photographer will then do an after-shoot photo touchup, which is not
to create “fake” photos but are required to make each photo look even more professional.
At the end of the day, the better the photos, the better you can sell yourself and the more
jobs you can get.
Can I get jobs without a portfolio?
No. Can a photographer get a job without a camera? Can a plumber get a job without his
tools?
Your portfolio is your tool to work in the modelling industry. The modelling industry is all
visual. Your agent could tell casting directors, that you have the best smile in the world,
beautiful eyes, a great figure and the casting director will say “Ok show me.”
Without one, you are just a person with a dream to be a model.
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