When starting out in modeling this is a question you should ask yourself! Even if you are not sure at first at some point you need to pin down what type you want to be. There are many different types out there.
Alt Model: This usually consists of models with; Tattoos, Piercings, hair ranging from shaved to colored and everything in between! Usually doing, Alt Pin-Up, Fetish, Goth and Latex. Though I have seen Alt Models in “Period” shots, meaning time period not the other…hahaha! I have also seen them in High Fashion! It depends on the Photographer though, since that isn’t the norm for them.
Mosh is a wonderful example of an Alt Model! http://www.modelmayhem.com/219654
Fashion: Runways, Editorial, High Fashion magazines like Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire…to name a few. This comes with the price of being very tall and very thin, though like with everything exceptions have been made!
Nude/ART Model: The name explains it all I think! Models range in size, body type, ethnicity, shaved body hair to all natural. Sometimes it depends on what the Photographer wants they will accommodate. Most of this is done in black and white. Some has a Fashion feel or Glamor feel.
Here is a good example of an ART model http://www.modelmayhem.com/435770
The Everything Model: This is what I look for in a model! One who does it all! Not afraid to try anything! They are in it for the Art and experience! To push themselves, and become anything the Photographer asks them to be! The kind of model who wants to become someone else, to get their hands into everything! They range from doing, Gore, Horror, Fashion, Glamor, Nude but not always, Expressive, Fetish, Pin-Up…the list goes on! Of course I made up the name “The Everything Model” because I am not sure a name exists for such a thing!
Examples of The Everything Model
Vincent http://www.modelmayhem.com/1366785
Miss Saint Deville http://www.modelmayhem.com/1404020
Victoria http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1660962/viewall
Kay http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1388709/viewall
JJ http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1014582/viewall
To name a few, some of the Models I work with do not have an online portfolio, they just do it because they love it and me!
These are just a few examples, there is sooo many categories out there and sub categories it’s crazy! This will help you a bit and get you thinking about what kind of model you want to be.
The Everything Model is my choice! That is who I like to work with. They range in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from Tattoos, Long Hair, Short Hair, Race, Tall, Short, Men and Women. I will say, I like my models to have normal hair colors, though I use wigs allot, the less tattooed and pierced the better for me though allot of my models have Tattoos and Piercings which I can work around. Since I like to use costumes and do vintage things the less a model has going on the better…but as you can see they pull it off just fine. I wouldn’t trade them for anything, without them my Photography would cease to exist!
Before you start Tattooing up your body and sticking things in your face, figure out what kind of model you want to be!
Do your research! Look online! Look at examples! Find what works for you!
Visit my website! I do pretty much everything!
www.hmorgen.net
