How to Become a Male Model
So You WAnt to be a Male Model?
Starting a modelling or acting career as a male isn’t too different from following the tried and true path that females do. You’ll need to cultivate a look. You’ll need to have an engaging personality, be professional, stand from the crowd. And most importantly, you’ll need to have that special something that will persuade photographers to turn their lens towards you.
Of course this is all in addition to your personality outside of the frame. Being confident, ambitious, hard-working is a must to succeed.
The rules on starting your career as a male model aren’t to different from those for women but you don’t necessarily have to be a lean muscle machine to succeed as a male model. In fashion, male models are usually between the height of 6”2 an 6”3, however other areas of modelling are not so strict.
You do need an outgoing personality and most of all have this special quirks about you, a “look” or a story. Agencies love individualism in their models, as they can use their backgrounds to sell them to potential employers.
The Basic Requirements for Male Models
When it comes to high fashion modelling, most modelling agencies have very strict requirements such as height, posing skills and portfolio. This makes this part of the industry fiercely competitive. However, there are male modelling opportunities that cater to niche markets such as men over certain age, fitness models, various ethnic background or even a hand models! You can find out more about the niches for male models here >>
So how can you become a successful male model?
These days there is a demand for all manner of body types, ages and ethnicities so it is no longer venture limited to those that look like they stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.
While there is no set look that will guarantee your success, but an outgoing personality is a must if you want to get booked over and over again. You need to be confident (even though there is plenty of criticism or you might come across un-pleasantries), ambitious, hard working and very professional. Being shy or nervous simply will not work!
You will need a lot of confidence in yourself and be able to put your trust in your photographers and stylists as you will be expected to wear make-up for photo shoots to get the right look for the shoot. Some shoots can be a little odd too- I remember shooting swimwear collection in the pool in the middle of February!- so a willingness to be open-minded and adaptable is also required.
Male models have the luxury of selecting between several different career paths. However, with opportunity comes indecision. Thankfully, I have the experience to advise you and help you find the ideal niche.
How Can I Help?
Before you can get anywhere, you will need a basic portfolio to take to agencies and this is the basis of what I offer. However taking the pictures is only part of the story for a portfolio that will get you noticed.
Of course, a portfolio needs to sell you to your prospective clients, so before we start I will go through your look and which industries you are best suited to. We can tailor the shots to make a portfolio that sings to your chosen niche.
Regarless of whether you choose to pursue commercial, fitness, fashion you’ll still need to showcase yourself at your best. Therefore, I will capture the intricate facets of your facial expression in order to reflect your personality.
Finally, to create a strong portfolio you will need the ability to pose naturally and effectively for your look and market. You may have the looks but if you cannot move and pose naturally in front of the camera then you simply will not succeed in this field, so as I take the photos to build your portfolio I will coach you on how to get the best from your look.
The odds may seem stacked against you, but remember- a good photo can be the key to developing success in a flash!!
