(For the newbie freelance model)
1. Actually show up. You might think this is self explanatory, but I am constantly booking models that cancel last minute and offer up lame excuses such as, "I woke up with a huge pimple," "I don't have any means of transportation," or "my boyfriend doesn't want anyone else to see me".Or they just don't show up at all and never call you to say why.
2. Show up on time....Okay I admit it, I'll probably be late to my own funeral, so at least show up within 15 minutes of your scheduled appointment. I've had models try to show up over an hour late with not a single call before. One model's excuse? "Oh! I was working on my hair, so I thought it would be okay." Yeah, no.
3. Invest in a good nude bra and panty set and bring it with you to every session. Along with this, ask if you should bring any other color of undies or articles of clothing such as jeans and a plain form-fitted white tee!
4. Lose the boyfriend. No seriously. I'm all for having an escort on the day of your session; in fact, I highly encourage it, but bringing your boyfriend/girlfriend is a disaster waiting to happen. All too often I have seen arguments break loose almost turning into physical fights because said boyfriend/girlfriend got jealous. It makes for a hostile environment, and inevitably your emotions show through in your photos.
5. Notify your photographer if you have any tattoos. I love body art and have done many models with large tattoos, but nothing throws off an extensively planned and styled session more than a host of surprise tattoos, proclaiming, your love for that hipster band, your lover, your lack of religious affiliations, or the bad decision you made while partying. Just tell your photographer ahead of time, so they don't miss the mark in their planning stages.
6. Don't do drugs...mmmkay?! For real though! Oh, and you should probably limit the caffeine intake to what's recommended daily. Caffeine jitters and the inevitable crash immediately following is just a ticking time bomb to bad photos.
7. Don't create a profile on Model Mayhem and mark it, "Paid Assignments Only," and upload a handful of pixelated self cell phone photos. This tells the general viewing public 1.) you're deluded, 2.) you're likely full of yourself, 3.) you're entirely too difficult to work with already, and 4.) you're not willing to put in the work necessary to even get TFP work so why would anyone bother to pay you? You have to prove why you're worth being paid, not that you're some random pretty person. Not all pretty people can model, and that's a fact!
8. Read what you sign. If we have you sign something it's for our protection and yours. A contract is a legally binding agreement, so know what you are signing by educating yourself. Ask as many questions as necessary to know what is the expected outcome of the session and contract. This will eliminate bad business relationships in the future I promise!
9. Don't take a perfectly good photo and destroy it with Instagram filters or a crappy photoshop edit's and claim it as your own. First of all, it's stealing. Second of all, no one believes you took it because 1.) you're in it and 2.) it's not a crappy mirror pic. Share the original (with permission) and credit the proper people, and you'll make a lot of people happy. Also, don't be that person to ask for the raw files of your work so you can, "edit them yourself," because you are a "photographer" too. No. Just no.
10. Have fun! Smile! Laugh! Dance! This industry can be so harsh sometimes, but what's the point if it's not fun?
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