The modeling industry is far from perfect and despite the strides in technology and social media that make it easier than ever these days to find out how to submit to agencies and pursue a modeling career, there are still pitfalls that unsuspecting newbies tend to find themselves falling into.
Even if I’ve done a post similar to this one, I think it warrants bringing up again (or at least think of this as an updated post of sorts) to continue educating and informing those of you that aren’t sure whether to move forward with a particular opportunity, project or individual/company.
Nudity Should Never Be Involved
Never. Ever. EVER!
Are there very hyper-sexualized images of models in magazines and advertisements? You bet. Sex sells. It’s not a secret. However, just because certain fields within the modeling industry rely on selling sex and sexy models, when it comes to newbies submitting to agencies, they don’t want to see your goodies.
Many agency websites make it a point to mention that nude photos are not wanted or required. Even lingerie snapshots for female models is discouraged. Two-piece bikinis are the least amount of wardrobe you should ever wear when sending in digital snapshots for agency submission.
The same goes for the male models: shirtless is common for men wanting to get into fashion/runway/editorial modeling but nude or sexually suggestive images are not. Boxer briefs or even Speedo type bottoms are the bare minimum (no pun intended).
This rule of thumb should also be kept in mind when sending images to potential clients for modeling assignments (for freelance models). This is mainly in regards to run-of-the-mill gigs where lingerie, underwear or other sexually suggested themes aren’t part of the project.
If you’re submitting freelance for a catalog job modeling commercial/print type clothing or a product, the casting director/client shouldn’t be asking you for snapshots in your bra and panties.
This is where common sense definitely comes into play. And, hello, it’s the Internet, folks! You can’t just be sending photos of yourself in various stages of undress to anyone because goodness knows where it’s going to end up.