This is one of the most commonly asked questions by people seeking entry into the world of modeling, and the answer from anybody reputable involved in the fashion industry will ALWAYS be the same.
No. There is no need to have a portfolio to show prospective agents.
When you go and visit reputable model agents they never need you to have a portfolio in order to take you on as a first time model.
In fact, as explained in what to take with you when you go to visit model agents taking professional pictures with you can actually work against you.
A model scouts job is to find “new faces.” When scouting new models, model agents love the thrill of a new discovery. They want to be the scout that discovers the next Kate Moss. If a potential model shows them holiday snaps or similar, they get that sense that they are new, fresh, young and undiscovered. If, however, they are shown a portfolio of “professionally” taken pictures they will feel that somebody else has already discovered the model and the potential model will lose much of their appeal.
Professional pictures are also unlikely to meet the agencies standards, however good the potential model may think they look. If the photographer was good enough to be shooting for a top agency he would be working for magazines, not shooting portfolios for prospective models.
Agents want to pick the photographers that shoot their models. They will almost certainly have a vision for the way that they want their books (portfolios) to look. They want to use their experience and contacts to create the best book possible to launch a model’s career.
An agency will therefore never let a new model use any of their expensively acquired pictures in their real portfolio. Huge sums of money are wasted every year in this way by prospective models who are duped into believing that a “professional portfolio” will help them get an agent.
A great way to get an idea of the pictures needed is to take a look at the scouting pages of the website for Storm Models Agency in London; the agency that discovered Kate Moss. They explicitly state: “Remember, we do not need professional shots, holiday snaps are just perfect”
So what kind of pictures do you need to show prospective agents?
A few snapshots, some showing full face, some face in profile, and one showing full length body (clothed is fine). Print a few sets of these, place each set in an envelope and keep them ready to hand to prospective agents at open calls. Also, using the lists elsewhere on this website, email your pictures and details to prospective agents. Many of the top agents now have areas of their websites where prospective models can submit applications. Make use of these.
The most important thing to remember is that none of this should cost you any money. Anybody that tries to charge you ANYTHING with promises to help you get a model agent should be treated with the utmost suspicion.
See also: “How to get a model agent”
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