Do the glossy pages of Vogue make you weak in the knees? Do you stomp every sidewalk like it’s a Milan catwalk? Do you have “the look”? If you answered yes, then you just might want to be a model.

The world of modeling has something for everyone. There are so many niches and specializations that you can find at least one that fits your look and personality. Once you decide becoming a model is the right move, it’s time to choose which path you’ll take to get there. There’s a lot more to the modeling profession than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

Getting started as a model is no easy feat. It takes time, dedication, and probably most importantly, thick skin. For many, being judged based on your appearance can be taxing, but with the modeling industry becoming more body-inclusive, more opportunities are opening up for aspiring models of all shapes, sizes, genders, and sexual orientations.

If you’ve always dreamed of being a model, use this guide to help get your career started off on the right foot.

To become a model, you will need to research the type of modeling you’d like to do, understand the strengths and beauty of your own body, practice posing in front of the camera, take photos to put together a model portfolio, and send applications and go to casting calls.

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Photography

Jacob Austin

What is Portrait Photography?

Portrait photography, also referred to as portraiture, is a type of photography in which the subject is one or more people and the aim is to convey something about the subject’s identity, personality, or story.

It is usually created with the strategic use of lighting and backdrops, and an important component of portrait photography is understanding how to pose a subject while helping them look natural and comfortable. It’s a style of photography that is often commissioned to commemorate milestones or special events, to help individuals market themselves in an increasingly digital world, or even just to create a memory of a certain point in one’s life.

On the commercial side of things, portrait photography is used by companies and brands to add a human face to their business. It’s also frequently commissioned for storytelling purposes, whether it’s a celebrity portrait accompanying an article about them, a portrait of someone being featured in a news story, or a portrait used in an ad to convey a feeling that a brand wants to associate with themselves.

There is a huge range of possibilities within this type of photography. Portraits can range in style from clean, professional, and practical to highly stylized and dramatic. It all depends on the goals of the photographer and the person or brand commissioning the photograph.

A portrait of a corporate CEO might try to convey a feeling of expertise, trust, and professionalism, while a portrait of an actor might be more geared toward evoking awe at the range of emotion they can express, or appreciation for their beauty. A grade school portrait may aim to convey cheerfulness, while a university graduation portrait might try to represent a feeling of hopefulness for the future. What ties all of these together is the element of storytelling and connection to a feeling or emotion.

Definition of Portrait Photography?

Jacob Austin

Simple Definition of Portrait Photography?

The simple definition of portrait photography is a style of photography that captures people and aims to convey a story or emotion through the image. However, like all photography, there is much more involved in creating a strong portrait than pointing the lens and releasing the shutter. Now that you have a sense of what the purpose or meaning of portrait photography is, let’s get into what it actually entails.