It is a model’s obligation to arrive prepped and
ready to go for every booking and photo shoot, from hair, skin and nails, to
mental attitude. It's
the true sign of a professional model.
Don't leave things until the night before the shoot but maintain your beauty routine at all times so you are ready to go when the agency calls to say “you’re
booked!”.
- I recommend shaving fuzz and fine hairs from arms and face. To learn about this technique check out a previous post Women's facial shaving {Here}. If waxing do so at least two days before any shoot and really
moisturize your body skin, to avoid redness
- Avoid alcohol the night before so you don’t have a
puffy face that goes for any salty foods too
- Never try a new product the day before a shoot in
case you have a reaction to it! Trust me! This happened to me from a
facemask and I had to shoot a jewelry campaign the next day! Not good.
- Wash your hair the night before, not the morning of
a shoot. Hair stylists prefer hair slightly dirty as it holds product and
style better. That does not mean having any product already in your hair,
or greasy hair.
- Make sure your haircut, hair color, and hair
condition are maintained regularly so you don’t arrive on set with a birds nest
for the stylist to deal with
- Make sure you have clean nails and no colored nail
polish and that includes your toes
- Get a good night’s sleep – woe to the model who
parties all night and thinks she can pull off a great booking in the morning –
no one is that beautiful – or irreplaceable
- Pack your bag the night before with nude lingerie
including a nude thong, bring your toothpaste/toothbrush, and don't forget
energy bars, water, and your phone charger. Even if you are arriving with clean face because a make up artist is booked, always bring the basics - foundation, powder, mascara ... Once I went to an early morning booking and the makeup artist was deathly ill and couldn't make it to the shoot and it the location was far from town in the middle of no-where. Thankfully I had enough to makeup with me to make the job still happen for everyone.
- Check the call sheet for any other specific things
they might ask you to bring - always bring 2 choices if clothing or shoe requests
- Eat breakfast! Do not starve! Models who
don’t eat before a shoot because they want a super flat stomach or are just
nervous, are fooling themselves. They have no sustainable energy to last
through the shoot and clients and the creative team never have patience for low
energy from the model. Eating a normal breakfast will not be an issue by
the time you are shooting, after hair and makeup.
- Arrive with a clean, moisturized face, without any
makeup - sometimes this appears on the call sheet as "clean - clean"
(clean hair, clean face, clean nails
- Sometimes it will be written on the call sheet
"arrive bikini ready" - that means waxed and without any fake tan
streaks
Being prepared is in your own best interest in
helping create beautiful images which can get you re-booked in the future.
Never assume that the photographer or client will be willing to retouch
your roots, shaving stubble or lack of proper hair removal maintenance, ragged
nails or cuticles, or the dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep.
The makeup artist and hair stylist are there to enhance your look and are
not there for your beauty upkeep.
My first agent told every model to always arrive
fifteen minutes before your call time in case you are lost or can't find the
location, or need to use the washroom, or whatever. When you arrive on
set, greet everyone, be respectful, polite, and engaging. Always ask the
protocol regarding social media, selfies on set, and posting. The booking
is not about you but about the client and the project, so be professional.
It's business. When the shoot is finished, thank everyone on set
before you leave. Remember: today's assistant stylist, editor or
photography assistant could be tomorrow's client! Have a great booking!
