Fashion Modelling & Models Portfolios

If you want to model at some point in time you are going to need a portfolio. The models portfolio along with their comp card is the fashion worlds equivalent of a CV or Resume. The portfolio gets you noticed, it lets Photographers, Fashion Editors and Art Directors know what you look like. Your portfolio lets people know who you are and what you can do.

If you are new to modelling you will need the basic folio shots. The basic shots really do show what you look like. It’s a very important step getting these pictures that show you as these first pictures will show photographers what you are like. They can be studio photographs or location and they are probably not going to be the most exciting pictures in your portfolio but they are important, they are the first step in getting you noticed.



These photographs need to be clean and clear, show your hight, your body type, your face and your hair. What you look like! Of course once you have these shots in your portfolio it won’t be long before you start adding to your ‘book’ with more creative images. You will start ‘testing’ with photographers who are trying out ideas for there own portfolio. This is often done as a trade in your time for the photographers and make up artists time, you will probably even have a stylist providing the latest fashion for the shoot.



Location or Studio?
That is probably going to be up to the photographer but your first professional portfolio shoot will most likely be done in the studio. Studio photography has the distinct advantage of not needing to worry about the weather; the shoot will be on rain or shine. When it comes to the more creative tests it could be either. As your portfolio grows you will accumulate a variety of studio and location shots and as the jobs are published you will be putting the magazine pages, ‘tear sheets’ in your folio too.

Fashion, Fashion and more Fashion

That’s been the main driver for my photography over the past six months. A new fashion portfolio with new models and new garments and all of this working with new Hair and Make-Up artists. The whole fashion caboodle with a whole new photography team.

So how does it work and has it worked? On the surface at least it looks like the modeling game has changed somewhat, there is a new breed of models, the ‘internet model’. These new models owe no allegiance to any modelling agency; it’s a brave new world. Well a brave new world under 5’8 in many cases which is just fine sometimes. But the world of modelling has not really changed, the agencies still rule and that means models 5’8 and over.

But there is no fashion without Fashion! Along with finding models to photograph I have been making contact with emerging designers who have allowed me to photograph their clothes on various shoots. There is nothing wrong with the classic jeans and white tee shirt shot, it still looks great in a models portfolio but its not going to be enough for a new photographers fashion book. Well not White tee & jeans x 30!

My fashion work often has classic leanings and the Centennial Park photo shoot, ‘Park Life’ with fashion by Sami & Sita Paddington delivered some classic shots. Working with Lisa Sciberras on Hair & MU and model Lauren Burnett, from Chadwicks, it was my first attempt at a full editorial style fashion shoot since returning to fashion photography.



For my second ‘big’ shoot I chose Sydney’s Chinatown with its mixture of lanes and restaurants, shop fronts and walls and signage with Chinese characters mixed in with English. It’s a fascinating area and we shot with two models, Sunny and Ashlee with 70s inspired fashion provided by Barbarella Vintage in Newtown. H&MU was again provided my Lisa Sciberras. The shoot went for about six hours with the final shots being made in the available street and shop lighting. These final images added to the mysterious Chinatown feel.



Of course not all shoots can be big production numbers. The logistics of a big shoot can be quite daunting; model selection, garment selection and styling; the editing of a big shoot can easily take a week to finalise. Smaller shoots are easier on everyone and work well for shots for a models portfolio. I will be writing about some of the smaller modelling portfolio shoots in my next blog.