Just say NO to naked....

Ok- I just had my stomach turn this morning so this must be said. If a photographer wants to shoot you naked or nearly naked because CLAIMS he is going to get you in a magazine or make you famous with those shots- RUN. I know this probably sounds totally logical to most but sadly it is not to many young people. If a photographer thinks you have the right "stuff" then he can keep your "stuff" covered up and shoot you! If you are beautiful and have potential then you will get work. Period. Clothes on. If you have ANY questions on this matter email me or call me at my office. info@amsmodels.com 315 451 8553 ‪#‎appalled‬

Do you know how to like a professional?

This is actually from our AMS Models Facebook page and I am making a post out of it as it was viewed over 1500 times.

Are you submitting to an agency like a PROFESSIONAL? I am constantly surprised by the way people email us or they FB message us (WRONG!) about wanting to be a model. First- in the 15 years I have been an agent less than 10 people have gone on to be BIG things and I have rep'd 1000's. That is the reality no matter what you have been reading. The best you can hope for here is that you can make some ...cool pocket cash. So if you are going around town or FB bragging and calling yourself a big time model that's like being the tallest guy in a hobbit movie. Get over yourself. It is Upstate NY. Have fun, make a little money, be HUMBLE and be realistic ,
If you wouldn't send the correspondence to a potential employer in that fashion don't send it to us in that fashion. So that means use capital letters. (Yup, stretch that pinky finger over to the shift button), give us your NAME (so we know what to call you), your phone, your address (so we know you aren't submitting from the Ukraine) and current photos. (just so you know, I have been doing this for over 30 years. I know a shot from the 80's when I see one, and please NO SELFIES! Also-If there are bathroom fixtures in your photo you can keep them as well) You should use complete sentences and NO Profanity. (I wish I didn't have to include that last thing and I can't even tell you why I must- its just too unbelievable) FYI- the proper way to submit to this agency unless we ask for direct submissions is to go to our on line app on our web page. Happy submitting!

Additional comment based on a question: They asked how models are supposed to find info when they are lied to....and who trains them?

First this is largely an etiquette issue and transcends this industry. Professionalism is professionalism. ALSO there is a LOT of good info out there and a lot of bad. JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. Often people want to believe what they want to hear not the truth. Research! There is no substitute. We live in a world of Google and YouTube. ..you should have started when I did! Lol. There is so much info at your fingertips but if you are gathering from non - credible sources you are subjecting yourself to scammers and bad info. I spend1.5 to 2 hours (for free) with every new model I take into AMS MODELS. Knowledge equals power and confidence. :)
This is also mostly for models vs actors. Acting is a craft and you must train and have a special skill set. ACTORS in my industry bring something extra as the standards are much higher. (I tip my hat to you...)

Here is the link and thread: https://www.facebook.com/AMSmodelsandtalent?fref=ts 

How badly do you want it?

We sometimes hear from models who ask us why they haven't gotten a job yet or in a while. There is no one answer to this question. One possible answer is another question: "How badly do you want it?"

If you really want to get the job(s) there are a few things that you simply must do:
1. You MUST have good, recent professional photos. Period, end of it. Often the person with the best photos wins. It is not about who is the prettiest model, it is about the model with the best photos. The photos that are the most diverse, best styled, best lit etc. Very few people with bad photos work regularly. They also must look like you do RIGHT NOW. If you have changed your look at all you must update your photos. If the photos are old you should also update. My clients look at our web site all the time and they are pretty discriminating and savvy. If they even think your photos might be out of date they will skip over you for new talent. The thought process being: fresh talent, fresh photos. Even if you still look like your photos, a good model updates them.

2. Do you attend auditions? Booking the gig(s) is not about getting an agent and waiting for the phone to ring. You must be proactive. My top bookers are also my most proactive talent. Coincidence? I don't think so. Attending auditions also gets you in FRONT of clients. That is never a bad thing. Even if you don't book every job you got out for, the clients will know you and see your dedication. I have had models book assignments for jobs they didn't even audition for because the client has seen them so many times before and remembered them or already had them on a reel. This type of over exposure is a good thing.

So sitting back and letting your agent do all the work is not really how its done. It should be a partnership. If you have a job change and you are now more available than you previously were, let your agent know. If you think you need new photos, ask your agent. Consult your agent BEFORE you get photos so they can coach you on what kind of photos are appropriate for the area you will be booking. (all locales are not created equal) Every time you get a booking your agent makes money- they want you to get work as much as you do. Every bit of advice they give you is to that end.

Hints for a good photo shoot

• Make sure that your make up is PERFECT! Hire a stylist for your shoot unless you are very good with hair and makeup (and by this I mean you do this for a living). If your hair and make -up are not good- your photos won’t be good. If you hire a stylist (ladies) they will stay and change your hair and make-up as you change your outfit. This will give you a great diverse shoot. Make sure you discuss this with them when you get your price.
• Your main head shot is the MOST important shot so (for us) it must be a plain white background (let your photographer know this!) and you must be smiling with your teeth showing. (here is an example of a great photo of one of our models and she gets a lot of work. Nilde) This is the shot that will draw people into your web page. It must be a knock out! Focus on solid colors vs busy prints and steer clear of logos. These are all distractions. Avoid trends as well as these will “date” your photos.
• Bring and assortment of clothing- upscale casual, business etc. Bring and assortment for the photographer and you to brainstorm over. Don’t just bring a few things.
• DO NOT wear excessive amounts of jewelry or bejeweled clothing. The star of this shoot is YOU. Excessive accessories are a distraction and can also “date” your photos.
• There IS a difference between photographers who shoot weddings & senior portraits, and model portfolios. Agencies want lifestyle photos that look commercial and editorial (not like you are the manager of the month at Walmart) If you are unsure- ask your agency and they will review the photographer's site/work.

ALSO- try not to go crazy with your photos either. A picture of you with a flower pot on your head with bizzare make up is not going to help your career much. Sometimes TOO much diversity is a bad thing. Lately we have been seeing a lot of new photographers taking photos of models that look good in their portfolios but don't help the models. (and by help the models I mean: GET THE MODELS PAYING JOBS!) If you are helping a photographer out, that's great! It is a good way to get photos for free, but make sure you get photos you need out of it too. Ask the photographer if at some point during the shoot you can get your critical head shot, or business shot or whatever else it is that YOU need as well.

The bottom line is your professional photos are not just for your friends to OH and AH over on FACEBOOK. They are supposed to get you paid jobs.

So you think you want to model?

We have recently been receiving many new submissions which are wonderful but it has prompted me to write about the proper way to send photos to an agent to be considered as a model. These things to vary from city to city so these are mostly my preference but some of my preferences will transcend different zip codes and time zones. (As they can be construed as common sense) While I try not to sound cynical, I hope you can forgive my occasional transgressions. Until you have opened the mail in our office for a month you couldn’t possibly imagine our perspective. Most of these nuggets are founded in actual events but instead of changing names to protect the innocent I have just gone ahead and left them out.

Keep in mind these first few shots you send us are just the preliminary step before we meet you. They don’t have to be professional shots but there are some guidelines.

First: Don’t send photos with sunglasses on. Unless we specifically said we were casting for the Unibomber or Paris Hilton- no photos with sunglasses please. We want to see you and your whole face not just the 2/3's you've decided to show us. Same with hats- do you have a bald spot, widow’s peak? They could work; but we need to know that to make an evaluation.
Another novel thought: SMILE! Forget about what you've seen on TV. If you are sending an agency photos to an agency for consideration (especially mine) I need to know IF YOU HAVE ALL YOUR TEETH. That's right, we take nothing for granted here. If some one sends me six tight lipped photos the first thing I gotta ask myself is "What are they hiding?" Maybe they do have teeth but they are the color of pond water or they have been opening soup cans with them. So send us a nice clear, smiling head shot so we can see what your face looks like. (And for the record; that whole pouty, scary, America’s Next Top Model wannabee look just makes you look silly.)
Next: Please, in the name of all that is sacred, send me photos of yourself WITH clothes on. This agent does not want to see you guys in your "da da dah's" or see Victoria’s Secret, Suzie's Secret, or anybody else's. Send us a full body photo (uh-clothed but not in a parka and mukluks either) wearing what you normally do.
The bottom line is to evaluate you properly we need to see what you REALLY look like in all of your fully clothed glory with all the perfections and imperfections that God gave you. None of us are perfect including those folks in the magazines. If you don't have teeth like Donny Osmond or hair like George Clooney, its OKAY- we just need all that information to make a decision. If you don’t have a perfect body that is okay as well. This market tolerates ALL shapes, ages, ethnicities and sizes and so do we. Our assessment is made based on whether or not we think we can get you work in THIS market. Often we get photos of people who are very attractive but have a look that is better suited to another city like Miami or LA but we don’t necessary think we can get them work here. We get back to everyone and let them know if we think that we can honestly get them work in the upstate NY area. If you are not sure you might as well just send in a photo- it won’t hurt anything and we are always nice. I am only sarcastic when I blog…LOL!