Damiens Blog from Whereverland

When preparing for your first professional photo shoot, there are a million and one things that will be running through your head. Every model has their own rituals, but here are a few quick tips that will serve you well when getting prepped for your next shoot.

1. Keep to a strict (but smart) health and fitness regime. You want your body to not only be in shape, but also to look healthy for your shoot. I don't what you see on TV, thinner doesn't always mean sexier. There is nothing sexy about a sickly, frail looking model with sunken eyes. So instead of starving yourself before a shoot, start a healthy eating program in the two or three weeks before. Eat a balanced combination of sugars and carbs and try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Also, try to regulate your alcohol and caffeine as they can affect your skin and energy levels. Keeping a good routine will energize you and make you feel great and look hot!
2. Try to keep your schedule as free as possible in the 2-3 days leading up to the shoot. Give yourself time to relax and work through any issues you may have (Yeah, I know- models don't have issues right?). It is very important to go into a professional photo shoot with a clear mind, because if you are stressed or upset over external issues, it will show and your photos will not end up as good as you wanted them to.
3. Try to get everything ready with as much time to spare as possible. That way, if there is anything that you have overlooked or forgotten you will have time to get it together. For instance, you might need to take a few outfits to get cleaned. If you take them the day before, and there is a delay for any reason, then you won't be able to use that outfit. Take it in the week before and you will be able to leave it there until they can do it. The last thing you want is to go in to a shoot unorganized.
4. On the night before the shoot, get as much sleep as possible. It can be hard to wind down on the night before a shoot, as you will be excited and probably nervous about what the day will hold. It may not seem glamorous to go to bed at 9.30pm, but it is necessary if you want to look your best. And please, don't go to a pro photo shoot hung-over; the party can wait until the shoot is over.
5. To release any stresses you should use the afternoon before a shoot to pamper yourself. Get a massage or a facial and maybe treat yourself to a new outfit. By doing this you will not only feel good, you will also look good.

If you follow these tips and don't push yourself too hard, you should wake up on the morning of the shoot feeling full of energy, alive and oh so gorgeous!

Damien O'Riley 

It's almost 3pm and there is an actual, honest to god chance that the new site design will be finish and loaded. One thing about being a photographer is that we tend to see everything as a finished image and filtered through a lens of composition, balance, feel and color; which can be a royal pain in the ass when it comes to web design.

I have spent three months designing layout after layout, working with several different freelancers (a story in itself) and just about driving my OCD self bat-sh#t!. But, may the gods of light and shadow throw me a bone...we might just knock it out today. Damien

When a new model sets out to create a portfolio, there are a few 'key ingredients' that, even if you get everything else right, failing to nail these down could cost you many lost jobs - and possibly your dream job. So if you're serious about making an eye-popping portfolio for your modeling pursuits - one that stuns the agents, leaves the clients drooling, and drowns your competition - here's what you need to know and put into practice right now:

Great Modeling Portfolio Secret 1:
Know What Market You Want to Model In

So many new models, after making the decision to give modeling a shot, just start throwing their 'best' photos together and call this a portfolio. STOP and repeat this mantra:

"Get good at one thing first!"

"Get good at one thing first!"

I'll say it one more time (in case you didn't catch it) - "Get good at one thing first!"

Sounds like apple pie & ice cream advice, I know. But whether apple pie or American Pie; it's advice that's been repeatedly proven and put to work every day by world-class models and supermodels.

Really think about what market you most want to work in. Do you dream of gracing the covers of Vogue and Cosmo? Seventeen or YM? Are you into commercials? Catalog modeling? Wish you were a Victoria's Secret Angel next to Giselle and Adriana? Is your goal to be published in a chic coffee table book or have your own web site? Do you watch America's Next Top Model or Make Me A Supermodel and think to yourself, "Why is SHE there?! I could do SO much better!"?

Not sure yet?

When you are staring up at the ceiling at night and your mind starts to paint those exciting images of you in front of the camera, take it a step further. Imagine the photo shoot is over and now you are opening the envelope with your proofs and tear sheets. What do you see? How do your photos look in your mind's eye?

What gets your blood pumping?

Do you see yourself strutting down the cat walk, cameras flashing, people in $2000 suits and dresses clapping and nodding approval? Or would you be thrilled to land some nice commercial shoots promoting the latest health trend with you as the center piece? Do the fingertips of electricity dance across your skin at the idea of stretching sensuously in artistically nude photos, bathed in warm light with your toes drawing circles in the crystal waters of a hidden Tahitian Lagoon?

The choice is yours - and ONLY yours. Knowing what you really want is the first major step to getting it.

Great Modeling Portfolio Secret 2:
Blow them away...RIGHT AWAY!

A friend and model who was notorious for landing big paying jobs right from the start of her career once told me a great piece of advice: "Damien, when you are standing in the checkout counter at the grocery store, do you ever watch people while they scan the magazine rack? They scan fast! Either a cover grabs them instantly and gets picked-up, or it's ignored and forgotten within seconds. The magazine cover has to almost literally reach out and grab them by the eye balls or risk being tossed aside!"

The modeling industry is built on the "first impression" probably more than any other industry in the world. Every potential client, photographer and art director you give your portfolio to pulls the old 'Cover Scan' routine. They have to. They have a thousand other portfolios to look at that day other than yours. You get that first shot at 'grabbing them by the eye balls'. And don't play nice, don't worry about being 'over the top'; do your thing and do it hard. Be the fish hook they can't get out of their eyes.

Demand high standards from yourself and whoever is helping you build your first modeling portfolio. Use a very critical and intelligent eye when deciding which photos make the cut and will grace the pages of your portfolio. Always...always strive to WOW agencies and potential clients. You are only as good as your worst image. I know that's tough to swallow, but if you're going to eat your competition and see your dreams become reality - then swallow it; choke on it if you have to. Photographers and agencies WILL remember the worst image. Unfortunately it's human nature.

Your modeling portfolio pages should be crafted with only the Stunning, the Daring, the Unforgettable, and the WOW photos. Burn the Bad and trash the mediocre. Be remembered for your very best portfolio images - ones that burn a lasting impression into the retinas and the minds of all who dare to look upon them.

Be patient and pursue what makes your happy...always.

Damien O'Riley
http://www.digitalsistere.com

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