FASHIFY.COM FASHION MAGAZINE | ATLANTA | MIAMI - Atlanta Miami Fashion Magazine, News, Videos, and Tips

As a professional petite model for five years I have come to realize that life is not all about being accepted by someone else, but accepting yourself for who you are and that everyone is beautiful.

I started off by paying a modeling school to train me on how to walk the runway, pose for photos, and how to apply makeup for professional photography. Although I could have learned these skills on my own – without paying for training – I did benefit from the walking and makeup lessons, which helped my confidence as a young adult to break away from my awkward teenage stage.

In all, if you decide to get into modeling do not pay anyone for training. Most of the time models are discovered by a legit modeling agency like Ford, and Elite. Sometimes you are required to pay some money for your comp cards, but this should only be a percentage from your paycheck that you will get from your modeling assignments. Legit modeling agencies will also require that at least 20% will come out of your modeling paycheck, and this helps their agency to pay bills and  their staff. If you are a discovered model, you won’t be worrying about the 20% too much.

If you are petite like me and so happen to not be discovered you can start modeling voluntarily within your community, for tea room apparel and runway shows, through your local women’s groups and fashion boutiques.

If you have Adobe Photoshop and some great 5×7 card stock for your printer and some great photos that a local Photographer had helped you obtain by trading your time and his time for prints, then you are all set to make up your own professional looking modeling comp/zed cards, to market yourself to legit modeling agencies. Be sure to look up modeling comp card styles on the internet, which includes zoning professional modeling websites to see their preferred format.

Looks are seasonal within the fashion industry and their is tons of competition, so keep in mind that if you are not discovered, you are still a beautiful person, with opportunities only if you keep trying.

Remember to check out your local Photographers for TFP shoots and your communities event coordinators, women’s groups and boutiques for your own modeling assignments to build your resume and to work towards a paid modeling career. Have fun and feel beautiful.

Photography by: FASHIFY Magazine

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