Modeling tips: get an agent (what?)

So, there you are. You've followed trough everything I told you last week and now you have 5, maybe 6 agencies offering you a deal. What to do?

Exclusive or not?
The first question is whether you want to be with one single agency, or several. There is no easy answer to this question. Logic tells us that more agencies mean more work, and more of a hassle as well. If you are represented by 3 agents, you will have to update schedules and coordinate portfolio shoots. So if you wanted an agency to get rid of the hassle, exclusivity may be the answer. If you are trying to maximize the number of shoots (and income), then you might want to have more agencies out there trying to find work for you. Unless of course you get a great deal from an internationally renowned agent to sign an exclusive contract.

Avoid scams
Make sure you check your agencies before signing up. Check BBB, look for blacklists and check out thier reputation on modeling discussion forums in your region. Contact models and photographers you know and ask them if they know the agency. Like with photographers, you can check in advance for not-ok signs (see my earlier article):

• The agency requires advance payments;
• The agent has no office;
• Agency commissions over 25%;
• The agency promises you the world;
• The agency does not comply to local regulations;
• Advertisements (most reputable agencies don't advertise. They simply don't have to).

Like with photographers, seeing these signs does not mean these guys are crooks by definition, but be extra careful if you see such a sign.

Aspects to base your choice on
When picking an agency, take a closer look at the work of their photographers. Are they any good? Do they publish in magazines? Similarly, look at the models of the agency. Their achievements tell you a lot about what to expect for yourself. And obviously, look at the offer. How will they help you? Will they help you building a portfolio for instance? What's in the small print of the contract? What contract duration do they offer? It is generally not a very good idea for starting models to sign contracts with duration of more than 2 years.

More resources:
Exclusive vs non-exclusive, the arguments
about scams
BBB
why to get an agent
how to get an agent

Modelling tips: can I trust that photographer?

As a model, you will get to work with photographers. Most of them are nice people, sharing your goal: making great pictures. A small minority has other goals however. They are either after your money or your body. This article is not meant to scare you, it will merely provide you a few tips to help you keep safe. These tips can not offer you any guarantee, but they will decrease the risk of you meeting up with a ‘photographer’ with the wrong goals. Also remember to use your own judgement as well. If it does not feel right, it probably isn’t right.

A first sign that someone has the wrong goals, is that he or she is trying to avoid being tracked. A photographer that has no URL of his own or is reluctant to give you a fixed phone number or an address might be trying to hide something. It does not mean the person has bad intentions by definition though. Good reasons for not wanting to give out these details do exist, so it’s merely a sign to be careful, nothing more. Some modelling sites require photo-ID from their members. Although this is not a watertight guarantee either, photographers at these sites are easier to track and therefore less likely to have illegal intentions.

Always check a photographer’s portfolio. You should do that anyway, since you don’t want to work with someone that delivers crappy pictures, right? But it’s also good for your safety. If the photographer is a real photographer, he or she is more likely to want to make nice pics than anything else. Also check for remarkable style difference, which may (I emphasize: may) be a sign that the portfolio is not the actual work of the photographer. It’s a good sign if an online portfolio contains links to the models. It means the photographer is not afraid of you contacting those models, whereas someone with bad intentions would be. If you want to, do contact the models, they won’t mind. They also realize safety is important.

You may want to try to google the photographers name: bad experiences are likely to be discussed in modelling forums or blacklists. Obviously, someone with bad intentions is likely to work under different names, so again, no guarantee here.

If you receive an offer that seems to good to be true, it probably is. Don’t turn it down immediately, but do some extra checking. These offers are very likely to be scams.

Tell the photographer you will take someone with you. Again, there are good reasons for a photographer not to want that, and he or she might want to set conditions for your chaperone. Conditions are fine, but if the photographer seriously insists on not taking someone with you, be extra careful. Whether you really bring someone is up to you, just announcing a chaperone will often be enough to scare the bad guys away.

Discuss the shoot with your photographer by phone, chatbox or email. Does he suggest weird things or make sexual remarks? Be suspicious. While discussing the shoot, make sure your expectations match that of the photographer, both with regards to the content of the shoot as to the conditions on payment and/or delivery of photos.

Finally, when going to the photographer, take a contract with you and make sure someone knows where you are and how to reach you, just in case.

And let me emphasize again: most photographers are nice and honest people, and often even fun to work with. So don’t be scared, just be prepared.

More resources
More tips and further reading
About agency scams
Site dedicated to model safety
Article containing a helpful checklist