Monday, March 9, 2009

Your images need to have credibility to get you work

The boom of amateur modeling Web sites has created a dilemma for casting agents. Amateur and semi-professional photographers along with upcoming stylists read more spend inordinate amounts of time collaborating to create highly stylized images that can not only look good, but also make the subject “beautiful.” These types of images have flooded the market causing distrust in the industry.

The problem for casting agents and agencies is that the images are so manufactured, they can’t rely on them. Have you ever wondered why so few models from these Web sites ever get contracts with the big agencies? Now you know. Casting agents discount the images, the people who create them, and the models in them.

The name of a branded and renowned photographer on the image enhances your credibility and gets industry trust. Respected commercial photographers do not allow modifications to their images, and won’t put their names on pictures that are “manufactured” in Photoshop. That does not mean that the images are not retouched. It implies that they are retouched to industry standards that agencies accept and respect.

The date of the image is also important. All casting agents have been misled by out of date images, therefore a shot with a certified copyright date goes a long way in making them comfortable. A photographer who is well-known in the industry, along with copyright dates gets you the credibility you need to be successful as a model.

By Laurens Antoine, premiere photographer for FHM mag and more

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