Starting a career or profession in the modeling field is a challenging thing to do. You have to compete among so many other people, and you need something to show off to the potential advertisers and agents. To increase your chances of being noticed, you need to have something ready to kickstart your career.
If you are into modeling or know somebody who has a passion for modeling, you would know how precious and vital it is to have your modeling portfolio. Since we are living in a digital age, portfolios are usually published on the internet. That’s why the best way to present your portfolio is by presenting it in the form of a modeling portfolio website.
In this post, we will discuss how to create a modeling portfolio. We’ll also let you know that it is not so difficult to build a website to publish your portfolio and make it available for anyone in the world to see. But before we get started, let’s quickly clarify what precisely a modeling portfolio is.
What is a Digital Modeling Portfolio?
Your digital modeling portfolio is essentially your online resume for getting your career in modeling started. It is what you show to your potential employers, agents, or advertisers to prove your capabilities, skills, and talent in the modeling field.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
In the olden days, aspiring models used to carry around their modeling portfolios in files. These days, you can easily publish our portfolio online to make it accessible to anyone without carrying out a thick file of photographs anywhere we go. To post it online, you need to create a modeling portfolio website. When you go for an interview, you can tell your website URL to the interviewer, and they can view all your photographs, talent, and past work done on the website.
Steps to Create a Modeling Portfolio
Here are the steps you need to take for building a modeling portfolio that can get you good contracts and make you rock in your modeling career.
1. Determine Your Modeling Type
In the modeling profession, there are many different subfields that you can get into. Based on your passion, you’d first need to decide what specific type of modeling interests you the most. Most aspiring models have their own preferred specifications for modeling. See which subfield fits in best with your preferences.
For example, live models who work at trade shows need to look approachable and positive all the time, apart from being physically slim and attractive. Here are a few other types of modeling.
- Fashion modeling
- Commercial modeling
- Runway modeling
- Stock photo modeling
The photos you include in your modeling portfolio should reflect the modeling type you hope to get into. The earlier in your career you specify the type, the easier it would be for you to focus on that line of career. A more specific portfolio would also make it easier for agencies and recruiters to place you in your category of choice.
2. Hire a Good Photographer
We can all take good-quality photographs of people and objects with our smartphone cameras. But if you want to pursue modeling as a profession, you need to get your photographs taken by a professional photographer. It is important to hire a good photographer to do this job, especially if you’re getting your photos taken for building a modeling portfolio.
A professional photographer would know how to adjust the lighting, makeup, posture, and background. Your portfolio photos will be your asset that will determine whether or not an agency chooses to hire you. That’s why you cannot compromise on the quality of these photos.
If you are serious about making your modeling portfolio as genuine as possible, look for someone who has already been working with other models. If you do not have any such photographer in your network or are tight on the budget, go for any photographer who is still in the process of developing their own photography portfolio.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
The key to selecting a proficient photographer is checking out their work done in the past. Ask them for their photography portfolio and see if you like the kind of pictures they take. The best would be, of course, if they have experience photo shooting other models within the modeling category that you want to join.
3. Hire a Professional Makeup Artist
While you prepare for your photoshoot, your hairstyle and makeup will be quite critical. Look for a professional makeup artist and hairstylist. You wouldn’t want to compromise on the quality of makeup you’re in when you’re shooting for your modeling portfolio.
Again, look for the makeup artists in your social circle, and see if any of them has experience doing makeup for models. Look for someone who is experienced in doing hairdos and faces for pictorials.
4. Do Some Test Shots and Practice Posing
Studio flashes tend to show up differently in photos with different types of makeup. The type of camera a professional photographer uses can capture any imperfections, unevenness, or blotchiness in your foundation and eye makeup. If you wear glitter on your face, it might react differently to the camera flash. On top of that, heavy makeup might get understated on camera. Therefore, it is good to do several test shots with your photographer once you are all set with your hairstyle and makeup.
Since this is the beginning of your career in modeling, you might want to practice posing in front of a camera before having your photoshoot for the modeling portfolio. Use the internet to research the pictures other models in your chosen category include in their portfolio. Practice in front of a full-length mirror with various poses and see which one suits you the most. Change the position of your head, arms and legs, and try out different facial expressions.
5. Have Your Photoshoot
This will be the big day and the most significant milestone in your process of creating your modeling portfolio. Be efficient and punctual on this day, communicate well with your makeup artist and photographer. Choose your outfits wisely. Try to get photos in different styles and positions so that you can choose the best among them to include in your portfolio. Show some versatility. Take some headshots, half-body shots, mid shots, and full-body shots.
6. Build a Modeling Portfolio Website
Once you have your photographs ready, get ready to create a modeling portfolio website. Visit our website building platform, Strikingly, where many of our other users have built a portfolio website as well. Sign up for a free account, and sign in.
Image taken from Strikingly
We provide an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop editor interface, where you can upload your photos in the form of a gallery or portfolio and publish them to make them viewable by anyone in the world. After you register, you will be taken to our template selection page.
Image taken from Strikingly
Since you are building your digital modeling portfolio, choose the template that allows you to upload as many photos as you want. Add captions or descriptions to your photos to make them more appealing. Write a brief intro about your passion, skills, talent, and any past experience in modeling. Your modeling portfolio must include details about you that can entice recruiters and agencies to hire you.
Do not forget to add your contact details. Build a contact form to make it easy for any potential agent to get in touch with you.
7. Market Your Modeling Portfolio
Once your modeling portfolio website is ready, you’ll need to work a little bit on its search engine optimization to make it more discoverable and approachable by modeling agencies. Recruiters searching for talented models online should be able to find your website in search engines. Make sure you do some keyword research and include the relevant keywords in the text of your site. Write a precise site description and add meta tags.
Integrate your website with social media. If you have accounts or pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, upload your modeling portfolio pictures there as well, and connect them to your site by adding social media icons on your web pages. Promoting your digital modeling portfolio on multiple platforms like this and integrating them with each other will help you drive traffic back and forth amongst them.
Many of our users on Strikingly have successfully created a portfolio website for different types of skills and are running it to continuously promote their business. We are happy to see our users’ businesses grow and are here to provide customer support for any technical issues you might face. Our tools and features are suitable for new businessmen and non-tech people to build a website independently, without requiring them to write a single line of code. We understand the headaches of starting a career or business and help you enjoy a smooth experience of building and maintaining a website on our platform.
