I have been asked by a lot of girls lately about breaking into the professional modelling life.  I've written a shirt but informative article about the goals and sacrifices one must abide by to  realize this sort of career choice.  Here are some of the harsh realities:

How to be a Professional Model

It's one thing to get some photos done that make you look great, but it’s another to want to do this professionally. A lot of you are satisfied getting artistic photos done are you local photographer that make you look fantastic. Some of you may even get paid to get into a photographers portfolio. It’s all good. That doesn’t make you “super”
If your goal is to get into the mainstream public eye, get paid to travel, and pose for magazines, fashion, calendars, etc. you’re still way off.  If you think you have an edge, you’re dead wrong.

Once you face the truth that you are competing against MILLIONS of other potential applicants to get into the biz, you should accept the fact that many of them are harsh competition in terms of looks, height and weight. More importantly, if you don’t have the dedication and steel attitude to step over your fellow human being, then you will be the one who gets stepped on.

Modeling has a rigid set of guidelines.  Height, weight, width, proportion, complexion, bone structure; and even then it’s never enough.

Emotions and sweetness have no place in a world where you are constantly judged for you look.  While your ego is continuously being bombarded by your peers and employers about how imperfect you are, you are in a constant battle with mother nature and father time who both tag team your youth into an unavoidable slow and sure decay while you struggle to fight back with malnutrition and dermal-destructive chemical treatments.  All these elements wreak havoc on your self esteem driving you into a deep and sometimes suicidal depression. 

So imperfect.. never satisfied.

Here are some rude, but yet serious tips on what is required to get in front of the lens

1) Being skinny does not make you a model. This does not make you any closer to being a model than the next person.
Work out. A lot. A good model has visible lean muscle mass and good proportion . Professionals religiously look after their bodies in the gym with cardio training and weights. Being skinny is one thing, but having tight skin and a tone body is everything. Stand in front of a mirror and pinch. If you can grab more than a few centimeters of skin, you need toning. Put your curves in place with muscle rather than baby fat and get rid of arm flab with proper weight training. Consult with a qualified weight trainer every few months its not expensive, and it will do your body good.

Watch your diet. Eat healthy foods but don’t starve yourself. If you find that you have to starve yourself to maintain a skinny figure, then modeling is not for you. Genetics plays a big role in the industry.  Eating right does not limit you to eating rabbit food - most diets that localize your food intake to no calorie type of food like salads are harmful to you body.  It can cause you to be weak, and is harmful to your skin, muscles and overall well being. You need protein to maintain muscle. You need muscle to burn calories. Consult with qualified nutritionalists every few months its not expensive, and it will do your body good.  A bad diet can detriment your mental and emotional states
If you are serious, there should be no thoughts, discussions, excuses, required. To hell with your allergies, and what you prefer to eat and what you don’t prefer to eat. I don’t give a damn about how much time you have in your day that you can’t make it to the gym. I could care less about your food budget. If you don’t fit the profile, there are unlimited amounts of others who have the dedication. Get off your ass and do it.

2) Skin hair and nails. Take care of them. Moisturize at least once a day, if not more. Ask professionals what to use for skin products. Always have your nails ready for each shoot; One of the biggest downfalls of a shoot is bad/ordinary nails.

3) You’ll have to spend money, and you’ll have to do things for free. You’ll have to pay for your head-shots, meetings, body care, diets, gyms, trainers, agencies, lessons, the list goes on. Design a website (yes, you need to learn non model related things too). Self promote and follow through.

Now that’s not good enough for some candidates. They want to have things handed to them on a platter and breeze though life. Unless Daddy’s a rich man, it’s not gonna happen. It *IS* a great way for predators claiming to be in the biz to try and take advantage of you though. They’ll see a lazy ass girl who is willing to do anything but work for a shot in front of a camera.

Those who are really in the biz are more concerned about using you to promote to make their organization money, and not so much in treating you like a princess. If you’d rather be a princess, go to great lavish parties and lead a pampered lifestyle where there is little work and no stress, you’ve been watching too much television, in which case you should be on a treadmill.

4) Confidence. If you follow all of the above, you will be in the running and confidence will come naturally. If you still don’t, then you’re not a model and you never will be until you learn. Until then, get off the floor

5) Arrogance. If you want to be arrogant, then by all means proceed. I’ll still work with you if you pay me. Keep in mind that like myself, other photographers only refer their favorites to paying jobs.  Eventually when you’ve made enough enemies in the biz, when you fall, no one will be around to catch you.

6) Dating: Don’t do it. Be prepared to give up your social life. The last thing you need is a jealous boyfriend trying to steer you away from your dreams. Behind every failed model that went on a short trip to nowhere, stands an insecure man. Then there are the friends; don’t let them interfere. If they’re really your friends, they’ll understand be supportive and be there when you fail.

Now if you think that I am harsh, and the rules are harsh, you don’t need to be in the business. If you think all models get discovered off the street, then you’re in dreamland. Modeling isn’t a free ride and you’re not Paris.