I have extended my casting call for a model to be the face of the spring 2012 season at Wolf Kettler Photographer to run until the end of February. This modelling opportunity is now open to adults and children.

The resulting photograph will be on the cover (home page) of my website, www.wolfkettler.co.uk, and you may be featured in my blog. This is a unique opportunity for aspiring and experienced models to work with me and my makeup artist, and to gain exposure over a period of about three months, during which the photograph will be on my home page. The shoot will take place in early March at my studio near Devizes, Wiltshire.

Group 1 – Adults
Minimum age is 18. Previous modelling experience may be useful but I am open minded. Even if you have no modelling experience, you can still apply.
Pay: Either at my standard rates or “for time”, i.e. you will receive a collection of six digital images that you can use on your own website, social networking page or modelling site.

Group 2 – Children
You may nominate your child or children aged between around 3 and 7. Also: Twins (boy and girl), two siblings (boy and girl, very close in age) and identical twins. No experience required.
Pay: “For time” – you will receive a collection of four prints and two digital images.

How to apply
Go to the contact page on my website and click on “E-mail instead of using contact form” (on the right hand side, just under the form submission buttons).

Adults: You must include your full name, age, where you live, height and weight.
Children: You as the parent or legal guardian must include your full name, age and where you live, together with the child’s name, age, height and weight.

You may also include any other information that you feel is relevant.

Attach two recent photographs – snapshots are fine: One should be a close-up of your (or your child’s) face without makeup and the other should show all of you (your child).

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I am looking for a model to be the face of the spring season at Wolf Kettler Photographer. This is a unique opportunity for experienced and aspiring models to work with me and my makeup artist on this exciting, new project.

The photograph will be on the cover (the home page) of my website, wolfkettler.co.uk, where you will be seen by around 100,000 people over a three months period. You will also be featured in my blog.

Age range: Minimum age is 18.

Sex: Females only, please.

Nudity: There is no explicit nudity but we may experiment with see-through materials.

Experience and skills: Previous modelling experience may be useful but I am open-minded. Even if you have no previous modelling experience, you can still apply.

Pay: By arrangement, either at my standard rates or “for time”.

Date of shoot: Not yet set. Probably towards the end of February.

Location: My studio near Devizes, Wiltshire.

How to apply: Contact me through my website with your stats (*) and a little background information.
(*) Minimum information: Height, weight, clothing size, shoe size; age.

If you are registered on Model Mayhem, you can also go directly to my casting page.

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To vote, please post a comment below with (A), (B) or (C) or vote on my facebook page.

Update 1 June 11: Voting is now closed.

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I would like to hear from female models, who want to work on this special project with me: You will appear in a video documenting a photo session. You will be working with me, my makeup artist and a videographer.

The video will appear on my website (http://www.wolfkettler.co.uk) and/or blog (http://www.wolfkettler.co.uk/blog). It may also be hosted on vimeo and/or youtube.

This is a good opportunity for any (aspiring) model to gain exposure as you will be credited in the video.

Age range: Minimum age is 18 but there is no upper age limit. Apart from that, I have no pre-conceived ideas.
Sex: Females only please.
Nudity: No
Experience and skills: Previous modelling experience may be useful but I am open-minded.
Pay: By arrangement, either at my standard rates or “for time”.
Date: Not yet set – May or June 2011. Due to the availability of my videographer, it will probably have to be a weekend.
Location: My studio near Devizes, Wiltshire.

How to apply: Please apply through my Model Mayhem page. You may have to register on the website but it is free.
> Apply now (best option) or contact me (without Model Mayhem registration)

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Aspiring models often ask how much they should pay for a model portfolio.

The short answer is that prices vary considerably, as does the quality of the photography. You can get a model portfolio for under £150 and you can pay well over a thousand Pounds. In photography, you get what you pay for but there is also a point at which you are overpaying.

In any case, you might not actually need a model portfolio, so let us consider first what you really need in a model portfolio and not what somebody wants to sell you:

Having a model portfolio does not make you a model. If you want to apply to one of the good model agencies, a couple of well lit, in focus shots are all you need.

Remember that models should never pay money to a model agency. Not for joining, not for a portfolio, not for anything. If you are expected to pay money to an agency, it may well be a scam. If an agency offers to sign you up before they have even met you in person, it is most likely also a scam.

Unless you are very young, stick thin and tall, don’t bother applying to agencies. You would only be wasting your time.

Your other route into modelling is to become a freelance model. A freelance model, sometimes also called an agency-independent model, is not signed up with an agency and will advertise her services to potential clients, usually photographers, directly through one of the better online modelling sites. My current recommendations for online modelling sites are Model Mayhem and Musecube.

If you want to become a freelance model, you will need some photographs. You can get away with snapshots at first but a selection of professionally produced shots will attract far more interest.

Your next step is to find the right photographer. Chances are that your local high street family and baby photographer will not be able to create a suitable range of photographs for your needs. Check out other models’ portfolios first, then look at photographers’ portfolios to see whether their style seems right. You do not want a photographic style that was out of fashion in the 1980s already and in case you have not noticed, the cut-out style before a glistening white background is so yesterday.

Do not be seduced by some photographer offering to provide you with hundreds of shots on a CD for virtually no money. Equally, you should not pay close to a thousand Pounds for a makeover shoot. If you want to become a freelance model, your most likely employers will be photographers and they want to see what you really look like not what you could look like. Makeup is okay, makeover is not. If you submit photographs to one of the big agencies, you must not wear any makeup. Do not go for the ultra ugly skin smoothing (sometimes called digital enhancement), which will only make you look like a shop window dummy.

In your portfolio, you want quality not quantity. Between four and twelve images with a variety of clothing is about right.

To find out what I offer at the latest prices, please visit my website.

I have since discovered that there is such a thing as a sock fetish but don’t go googling it because it will only put you off.

Thing is, I cannot make the image of lace socks disappear from my mind now – some things stick. Stick a bit like Camillo, who has just this moment settled on my lap but this is a different story. I suppose I will have to invest in a pair. Lace ruffle top socks, that is, not Camillos. He is a one-off, which is a claim that some people would actually dispute, but I can assure you that there is only one Camillo.

If you are a model with nice feet, I want to hear from you. Owning a pair of lace socks will put you at the front of the queue.

Oh, and I could not resist making this photograph of a pair of socks.

Read the update to this post here.

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To book your own photo session, please contact me.

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It costs less than a pair of fancy boots and the style of my model portfolios is age-appropriate, which will keep your parents happy if you are still under 18.

First things first: You are probably young and inexperienced, so check me out on my website first, read the client testimonials and see what other people say about me.

There are two routes into modelling: You can apply with one of the good, big and reputable agencies or you can go it alone by offering your services on one of the trustworthy sites.

The style of my model portfolios is age-appropriate.

My model portfolio is designed to give you the best of both worlds without overcharging you. You should not spend hundreds of Pounds on shots that model agencies and photographers do not want to see. I know what model agencies want to see and what works on Internet modelling sites:

My model portfolio will give you the unposed and not made up shots that the big agencies want to see as well as a collection of posed shots for use on the Internet that will appeal to the photographers, who want to book you.

Model bookers and photographers do not want to see what you could look like but what you do look like. There is nothing worse for a photographer than to book a model, who does not look like her photographs.

Makeup is optional: No makeup, do your own or bring your own makeup artist. I can also provide a suitable makeup artist for a small extra fee. The younger you are, the easier you can get away with no makeup.

From your photo session, you get a carefully edited collection of photographs on your own, password protected page on my website, from which you select your choice of images. Your final images will be edited by hand and optimised for use on the Internet.

Don't limit your chances of modelling success by using the wrong images: My model portfolio will give you the shots that you need to apply to agencies as well as images that will work on online modelling sites.

The Model Portfolio costs from only £65. Please refer to my price list for details.

Don’t fall for the “will put all your shots on a CD” routine. Only self-respecting photographers are good photographers. There is always a little post-production to be done and the photographer should edit out the inevitable awful shots, too. You do not want hundreds of shots because you have neither the expertise nor the experience to select the ones that are just right. Let the photographer do the work. After all, you are paying for it.

A few good shots in a portfolio are better than lots of mediocre ones.

The model portfolio shoot is available at my studio only. If you are under 16, you need to bring a parent with you. If you are between 16 and 18, I will at least need to speak to one of your parents on the telephone. If I am satisfied that they really are your parents and they agree, you may come by yourself. If you are or look under 18, please bring some form of photo ID.

You should bring a small selection of clothes and a two-piece swimsuit.

Update April 2011:
How much to pay for a model portfolio and updates on model portfolios for freelance models

Book your model portfolio shoot now (don’t forget to mention your age)

If you want to become a model, the most important message is that you do not need a model portfolio.

• The second most important message is that having a model portfolio does not make you a model.
• You can apply to many of the good agencies through their website. All they require are a few clear, well lit snapshots. Yes, snapshots. They should be reasonably good quality but anyone can do it. If you pay a photographer, don’t pay too much. If the agency of your dreams signs you, they will take care of your portfolio and it won’t cost you a penny.
• If an agency wants you to pay for a model portfolio, it may well be a scam. The only business they do is to sell model portfolios to naïve would-be models. Some do it in more deceitful ways than others.
• Digitally retouched model shots are useless. You may think that you look beautiful but photographers and model bookers do not want to see what you could look like after a digital makeover but what you really do look like.
• If you want to be a freelance model, selling yourself directly to photographers, put either a few good snapshots on one of the better model sites (e.g. modelmayhem, musecube or OMP, etc.) and offer to work for time for a while or get a professionally produced portfolio by a photographer, who knows what he is doing.

To learn about modelling, how to get started and sell yourself, about agencies and modelling scams, visit the Models Guide.

If you still want a model portfolio, but a really useful one, book yourself in with me.

The philosophy behind the photographs is to make the point that looks are unimportant. The photographs are personal work for my own portfolio.

Pay is by agreement, either at my standard rates or “for time”, which means that you receive digital images and/or prints instead of money. This may be your chance to get a free photo session.

Requirements:

Age range: Minimum age is 18 but there is no upper age limit

Sex: Males and females

Experience and skills: Previous modelling experience is not necessary

How to apply:

1. Read the general information about modelling for me. (Link opens in new tab/window.) “Work for time” reimbursement will be more generous than mentioned on that page.

2. Fill in the application form from the link on the above page. Please mention this blog post in the “comments” field.

Apply now