Fashion photography and becoming a model in this glamorous industry is the dream of many a beautiful young woman and more than one great looking guy as well. But because the allure of making it to the top level in the modeling world is so alluring, there is a lot of competition for those few top slots that produce the world’s “super models”.

If you are just starting out, the challenge is how to pick the perfect photographer who can do a top-notch portfolio for you. You want a portfolio that cuts through the pack and gets your portfolio noticed by those elite agencies who can get you the big jobs modeling for fashion magazines and commercials. So what are the qualifications for such a photographer? Your first consideration is location. If you live in Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago of one of the other major metropolitan centers, there are elite photographers who already have the contacts they need to get your portfolio to the key decision makers in the business. If you don’t live in these cities, you have two ways to resolve the problem your “remote” location might cause. The first one is to learn the ropes of the fashion industry so you know who the key players are. Then you can interview the photographers you do know to see if they are aware of the networking they need to do to get your portfolio noticed. This can be a tall order if you don’t have insider information but networking with models you may know who have “made it” to at ;least some success is a good start.

If there are no photographers in your area that understand the fashion industry to your satisfaction, you may have to travel to a major city to find the right photographer. But above all, don’t compromise your values on this. Just being well networked is not enough for a photographer to be qualified to handle your portfolio. There are some other critical tests for you to apply.

. The agency has to be legitimate. They don’t ask you to pay for the portfolio and they don’t advertise to get models. A good agency is making plenty of money selling their work and they can find good models without stooping to such measures.

. The photographer has to be well equipped and know his equipment. Interview him or her and discuss the effects you want to see achieved for your portfolio. They should be able to discuss with ease how they will achieve that effect and show you examples of how they have done so in the past.

. The photographer should have a good eye for color, lighting, framing and staging your shots. Look at other portfolios of theirs so you can see that they know how to get what you want from a shoot. Also, get references from other models who have worked with them. You want to be confidence that once the shoot gets underway, you are in top-notch hands.

Above all, you have to “click” with your photographer. Having your picture taken is a very personal event. These photo shoots may get long and difficult. Perfection is hard work. Listen to how the photographer talks about his work. The most important thing to come from these shots is personality. That is what is going to break you through the pack and get you noticed. If your photographer can get that from you, they can take you a long way toward your goals of success in the modeling world.

A Career In Fashion Photography We see them everywhere, in Magazines, on the Run Way, in advertisements on TV. They are the slender women strutting their stuff or extra ordinary Beauties with their sultry looks flashing their pearly whites while wearing the newest Styles from the hottest Designers. We are talking about the fashion models of today, yesterday and tomorrow. They are everywhere we look, but who brings them to us? Their images are captures with care and precision, patience and that special look for style, color and lighting composition. I am talking about the fashion photographers. In the fashion circles famous names like Mario Testino (easily one of the hottest names out there) and Eva Mueller (photographer for Fashion Magazine Allure) are just as sought out if not more then those men and women sauntering their way into our conscious. High Paychecks and glamour’s Lifestyle of hob nobbing it with the rich and famous might be the dream of many young shutterbug, however it is not easy to reach the golden Staircases of the well-known fashion houses and magazines. For every one talented photographer, hundreds are left panting at the sidewalk, only dreaming about the moment that their photo will be chosen. Here are a few tips for the novice and dreamer of dreams in getting started in fashion photography. Study your subject. You can never learn enough. Read and look at any fashion Magazine you can get your hand on. There are fantastic books on Fashion and fashion photography available. Amazon.com has a true treasure trove available. You need one or two good cameras, tripod and a lighting system. Always make sure that you have plenty of film and batteries available. SLR and digital cameras take different photos, so make sure you find the best for your field.

When submitting your work, hopefully to give a chance you have to have a portfolio on hand, just in case the editor of the fashion magazine wants to see samples of your work. I assure you if they consider working with you that is going to be a fact. The sharp, bright images of a 4X5” transparency show of your work to its best effort. If you have already had a publication, no matter if, it was a small neighborhood magazine/paper or a contest a tear sheet (literally a sheet you tore out of the magazine) works well. If neither is at hand a good high quality 8 X 10 “is acceptable as well. You want to make sure that you have a minimum of 20 photos in your portfolio and preferably different styles. You want to show your expertise in full figure or just partial body parts. Remember, fashion includes jewelry and accessories. Sometimes a watch from a famous maker on the slender wrist of a beautiful woman is a good fashion shoot. If you are applying for the job, be prepared to leave your Portfolio behind for an extended period of time, sometimes as much as a couple of weeks. I would advice you to make copies and have several on hand. This comes in handy when showing your work to many different people for consideration for fashion work. In the time of modern technology, it is good to display your talent as a fashion photographer online as well. Set up a website; submit your photos to contests. Submit them to an online fashion gallery. This helps with getting your work seen and people can see what type of work you actually do and can do for them. Most editors are looking for your personality in the photos you take. Each fashion photographer captures the soul of the fashion and its model differently. There are a couple of very good “how to get started” websites on the net. You might wish to start out with http://www.fashion.net/howto/photography/ or http://www.stylecarrer.com/fashion_photographer.shtml. Most importantly, if this is your dream, don’t give up. Keep trying and I hope to see your images on the cover of my next hot fashion magazine.