Posted on June 16, 2008 - by admin

Modeling Agencies: Friend or Foe

It’s incredibly rare for someone to have a successful career in modeling on their own steam. Even the tallest, skinniest, most beautiful women start off with a great agency representing her. It is important in the modeling world to have a good agency representing you, because a bad agency won’t put you up for the jobs you deserve. Although many people are apprehensive about a company taking 20% of their earnings, it is far better to give someone 20% of a big paycheck than 0% of a small or non-existent one.

When looking for an agency, it may take some searching before you find one that will take you on. There can be many reasons for this, none of which should stop you from trying to find one that’s right for you. Many agencies have height requirements that exclude a large percentage of the female population. They will have specific clients who may not want to buy what you are selling. Also, agencies can only take on a certain amount of similar looking girls. If they have a lot of brunettes already on their books, and you are a brunette, there is less chance of them taking you on because they will not have the work for so many girls with the same look.

To apply to an agency, it is a good idea to already have a basic portfolio available. This usually means digging deep and hiring a professional photographer to take the pictures. Pictures taken by your friend in the garden won’t show you in your best light, and the competition for places at any good modeling agency will be fierce. Agencies like to see that people are willing to invest in themselves, because it means they have more chance of making money by investing in you.

One thing you need to be very careful of is fake modeling agencies. There are some things to look out for when trying to decide if an agency is a scam or not. If an agency has been around for a while, but has no clients or track record, while they may not be a scam there is a good chance that they won’t be able to find enough work for you.

You should always be very careful of agencies that offer to put you on their books for a fee. If an agency ever asks for money from you, it will generally be taken from your initial earnings rather than asked for up front. It is their job to get you work, so asking for money before they have found you any is generally not done. Be especially wary of agencies that offer to put you on their books without meeting you. This simply will never happen at a real agency. They may make up their mind from your pictures, but a legitimate agency would never put a girl on their books without meeting her first.

After all is said and done, just remember that if you walk through a door with confidence and a portfolio of kick-ass photos, you will hopefully be able to convince a great modeling agency that they need you as much as you need them.