Model Portfolio Tips from a Pro

Professional photographer Billy Pegram says that when you go into a photographer to shoot your portfolio, there are two unshakable rules that all models must follow. In his long career, Mr. Pegam has seen many models waste their expensive portfolio shoot—which they are paying for out of their own pocket—because they did not follow these very simple rules.

First rule: bring your own clothes, and bring a lot of them. In fact, bring as many clothes as you can carry in the back of your car. Do not count on the photographer having clothes for you to wear. The reason you want to bring a lot of clothes is that the photographer will want you to wear something more generic, something that will not become quickly dated. Many models find that when they get busy, they have difficulty updating their portfolio, thus pictures in their portfolio often display past, outdated fashions.

Second rule: make sure that the majority of those clothes are fairly generic and “timeless.” The photographer will also establish a few basic shots such as a head shot, glamour head shot, a basic body shot, and other conventional angles. Don’t be alarmed if these angles appear to be fairly static and boring; the reason for this is just to show your basic body type.