Jacob Zimmer Photography Photographer Louisville Kentucky USA

FOR MODELS, SENIORS & BOUDOIR CLIENTS:

How to Prepare for a Photo Shoot
(This is what is sent to new clients prior to a session and answers common questions such as wardrobe, what to bring and so on)

Levels of Clothing Coverage and Skin Exposure for Female Models and Boudoir Clients
(This was written to give clients proper language to express the style of images they want to have; and has become so popular I have been told that many other boudoir photographers have plagiarized it)

FOR WORKING AND ASPIRING MODELS:

I am frequently asked: "How do I get started in modeling?" Frankly it is easier to answer that question with advice on what NOT to do and the following two articles cover both in detail.

Briefly, the first step is having a photo portfolio. Outside of meeting a client in person, models need recent portraits to show clients what they look like. The second step is accumulating experience. There are countless opportunities for models to volunteer for shoots, fashion shows and other events, especially charities. Most people recruiting volunteers will do some training. This helps build a resume and portfolio. The fatter your resume, the more experience and the more networking you do, the more jobs you will find.

Having said that, be wary of for-profit companies that claim to be producing a charity event when in fact the charity's name is used just to get people to work for free. If you do not receive training or learn marketable skills, then its probably a good idea not to volunteer for that same organization again. So check out the charity and make sure they are legit.

There are many so-called "agencies" or "model management" companies that provide both photography and classes (usually greatly over-priced) with the understanding that paying for their services will result in jobs, but they tend to be scams that make their money from aspiring models who really aren't marketable and thus the great majority of their students/customers get ripped off by spending far more money than they ever earn.

Take the time to read the following articles for detailed information:

A Note of Caution to Aspiring Models
(How to spot modeling scams, business frauds and predators - a must-read for aspiring and working models in Louisville and across the country)

Models: How to Use craigslist.org and Other Classified Ads to Find Good Paying Jobs
(Originally posted on craigslist.com)

MISC:

FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS posed to Jacob Zimmer
(Originally posted on MySpace with some humorous answers)