Is Modelling Lucrative?

Very few models make money. Most people will end up spending more on their portfolio than they will ever earn through work. It's only supermodels who earn a lot of money and you don't know when you start if you'll be successful or not.

DO NOT go to school - it's not necessary and does nothing to increase your chances. All any agency looks at are your face, height and body - things no school can change. An agency will train you themselves. Also DO NOT get a portfolio before you get an agent - you are just wasting your money. Again no agency requires a portfolio before you get in, and after you get signed they won't use any pictures from photographers they didn't approve, so you'll just end up having to pay for a completely new portfolio with new photographers. Be careful - 90% of the 'agencies' you find online are not agencies at all but are scams out for your money.

You can either submit photos to agencies or better yet, attend open calls. This is a time where you can visit the agency office, be seen by an agent, and told on the spot if you are model material or not. And if not, they will also advise if there is anything you can do to improve your chances (lose/gain weight, tone up, get a nose job, fix your teeth, see a dermatologist, work on your posture, etc)

The following London agencies hold open calls

Storm M-F 10-12 and 2-4 http://www.stormmodels.com/become-model-holder/bec...

Premier M-F 10-12 http://www.premiermodelmanagement.com/BecomeModel....

Elite M-F 10-12 http://www.elitemodellondon.co.uk/become.aspx?nav=...

FM Agency M-F 3-4 http://www.fmlondon.net/become-a-model

Union M-F 10-12 http://www.unionmodels.com/join/

Nevs M-F 10-12 http://nevsmodels.co.uk/wannabe.html

Body London M-F 10-11 http://www.bodylondon.com/?p=join

Hi Sandy! Years ago I dated a girl who worked as a model. She went to school first, put a portfolio together, got listed with an agency and for several years actually eeked out a "living" working as a model.

Heh! I certainly couldn't describe it as lucrative(it wasn't hard staying thin with no $$ for food..lol!). There's endless cattle calls and hour upon hour of going back and forth all over town to wait and wait with dozens of other women just to be rejected over and over. It's just the way it is for pretty much any model who's not in the "super" category. ;) (I had always assumed fashion models spent every day simply lounging about in various attire while people took pictures of them...lol!..not even close)

When she did work the money was good. Sometimes she was on the cover of some fine wine magazine or modeling hair styles on a local tv talk show or standing around a race car in a bikini at some car show.

Back then the average 19yr old made about $3.15hr working at a normal hellish job but she would regularly get $18.00hr or more. The downside however was that often times the job was only a few hours long and then that was it...back to pounding the pavement. ;)

Worse yet, out of whatever money she made 12% of it went to her agency for the listing, copyright and booking fees etc...Ouch! (legally because of image rights laws no one could take a picture of her without some regular person being in the photo too unless her agency got paid..not even at xmas!)

Then there was freakin taxes....

Remember that for 99% of those who stick it out, put in the hard work and make a living in the business ...this is still going to be a temporary career. Eventually the phone will stop ringing....and then what.

My lady friend eventually took a full time job at a health club and left the world of fashion modeling behind but she never once regretted it. :)