Building a Successful Portfolio: Vol II

By: Shoshana

For Vol I: Successful Promotional Images for Burlesque Entertainers click here

There are “pin-up models” and Pin-Up Models.  The biggest difference between the two?  Professionalism and a killer portfolio.  Here’s a list of tips and tricks to build a portfolio that gets you noticed!

The Do’s and Don’ts for Pin-Up Portfolios

1. Do invest in your first impression. If you are taking your pin-up modeling seriously, you should take your image and likeness seriously as well.  You are creating a persona that will be your calling card- represent it well.  Pay for your first photoshoot, and get the best photographer possible.  Just as you want to be paid for your time, quality, and professionalism; photographers deserved to be paid for theirs as well.  Remember, you get what you pay for.

If you can only afford one photo shoot start, that’s ok- make it count!  Get the highest quality and most variety you can out of your first paid shoot.  If you have a great session under your belt, many more will follow.  Having one fabulous photo shoot on your pages will do so much more for you than a hundred crappy shoots.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

2. Do: Be careful who you shoot with. Outside of the obvious safety concerns- there is the obvious truth that your image matters in this business!  Shooting with sub-par photographers and hobbyists can hurt you.  (Now there are plenty of talented photographers who choose to make photography their hobby as opposed to full time work.  I respect that- those guys & gals are not who my comment is directed at.)  In a digital age where anything and everything can be found with a few clicks, you do not want sub-par images of you floating around.  Poorly lit, unflattering, or “cheap looking”, photos can hurt the professionalism you are trying to convey.  You’ve seen ‘em- you know what I’m talking about.  Does this mean you can’t seek out free photo shoots?  No, it just means a lot of research on your part to make sure the project is one you want to be a part of and the photographer is worth working with.

3. Don’t: Post more than two images from a series.

Choose the absolute best from a shooting series to post.  It’s sometimes very hard to narrow down, but it’s important to do so to prevent it becoming tedious for the viewer, and to make sure you are putting your best foot forward.

4. Do: make your portfolio as diverse as possible!

Shoot with as many talented photographers as possible.  Shoot different concepts, characters, themes, and lighting styles.  Shoot as much as you are comfortable with; avoid being pigeon- holed by shooting fetish and fashion, pin-up and conceptual. 

5. Do get real high resolution images of your shoots- Size Matters! I cannot tell you how important this is.  In the digital age, it is very easy to tag & snag images from sites like Facebook, or live shots from online media sources.  This is not the same as having a high resolution image. A high resolution image is at least 300 dpi/ppi, AND either 1000 pixels (or 8 inches) in at least one direction. It must meet both of these criteria to be high res.

You cannot artificially make a low res image into a high res image simply by changing the numbers in a photo editing program. The print quality still sucks, because even though your numbers are correct, you have taken that small amount of digital information and spread it over a larger area, making the image grainy or pixilated.  The original source file must be large enough to qualify as high res. in order to have good print quality – period.

Do Not Shrink Them to Email!- The bigger the better!  If sending them one at a time is still too much- try zipping them, or use an external free program such as Dropbox or You Send It.

Only High Resolution Images are print worthy!

6. Do Get your own website as soon as possible. No matter how useful and essential they are for marketing purposes, sites like MySpace, Face Book, Twitter, and Model Mayhem, and anyone else we forgot- do not replace a real website!

Why? Go to a random computer and Google or Bing Yourself.  Follow those links and you’ll see how many things are not visible.  If you are not logged in, or not a friend, or a member- or whatever other criteria are established for that site- you won’t be able to research you- period.

Example (True Story): A major national advertising sent me an email asking me as the editor of Pin Curl, to help him locate a model we featured.  He found her on our site, knew her name, but couldn’t find contact information and wasn’t going to create a Facebook or MySpace page simply to find her.  She ended up landing the major contract because I put them in touch, however, if he hadn’t been willing or able to reach out to me, she could have just as easily missed out on that contract- all because she didn’t have a website.

A personal website also allows you to properly represent yourself.  Instead of every single image you’ve ever been tagged in showing up- drunken club nights, etc.  This allows you to control your brand (You are your brand) fully.  You don’t have to worry about bad snapshots of you making the rounds, or random thoughts about last night’s dinner party leaking out into your professional persona.

7. Do: Choose an online portfolio viewer that’s easy for website visitors to navigate.

You want it to be as easy as possible to be your fan- and that means looking at your images!  Don’t force people to sift through pop up viewers or download to view your work, or sift through countless folders.  I like simple viewer- it’s just what it sounds like- a simple and efficient way to organize a portfolio- and it’s free!

8. Don’t have more than two or three portfolios. Have clear organization.

In following the same easy to use theme- be organized.  Have your portfolios listed by the time of images therein – I.E. pin-up, fetish, conceptual.  Don’t list them by photographer, or anything else; it results in too many folders to go through and becomes cluttered.

9. Do: Update your portfolio on your website often.

I know it is often easier just to update your social media sites (IE Facebook), but if you only update those, before you know it your official website has become outdated and it defeats the purpose of even having one.  Remember: Your website is the official representation of you!

10. Do: Have permission. Make sure your photographer knows you want the images for promotional purposes and that you will be sending/posting them everywhere.  You can run into serious legal trouble using images without permission.  Do not assume that because you paid for the shoot that you own the images- because you don’t.  For more on the laws regarding photography, usage, and copyright; check out our Copyright Law: Myths vs. Facts article.  Also, make sure you always give credit where credit is due.  A simple caption with the photographer, make-up artist, hair stylist, and stylist is a great way to help out people you enjoy working with, while simultaneously covering your ass!

Related links:

Tips and Tricks for Pin-Up Models

Tips for Building a Quality Portfolio: Vol. I

Copyright Law & Images: Myths vs. Facts

I have always wanted to do 1940’s style modeling as I am a passionate fan of the era of 1912-1945. Do you know how I could get into this sort of modeling as I really don’t know how other than signing up to agencies? Thank you for your help!

Ella, UK

My name is Liz. I have been fascinated with the 50’s, pin-ups, and just the whole era for a long time. I do my hair pin-up style and love to wear red lipstick. I get comments all the time from people saying I look like a pin-up model, or that I should do car shows. I feel like this is something I want to be involved with for a long time but I feel like I’m outside of this secret club and don’t know how to get in. Should I just start taking photos and build up a portfolio? How do the pin-curl magazine cover models get started with you guys? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Liz , Houston

Hi Ella and Liz,

Since you both have similar questions about a very popular topic that I am asked about frequently; “How do I become a pin-up model?”. I’m going to address this response to both of you.  Although it may seem like the world of pin-up modeling is a secret club it’s really quite open to anyone.  You hear lots of people talk about determination and passion getting you a long way towards your goals and as cliché as it sounds, it really is true.  Also, now is the time to become involved in pin-up culture.  We are currently seeing a huge resurgence in the pin-up lifestyle, thus making it more accessible to you.  More than likely, there are multiple pin-up photographers in your area.  Here are a few basic steps you can take towards becoming a pin-up model.

I recommend you learn how to do classic 40’s and 50’s hair and makeup.  Hair and makeup stylists may not always be available or affordable and knowing how to do this yourself is a huge feather in your cap, especially when you are just starting out.  Also study some of your favorite models or pin-up artists for poses and facial expressions.  Practice these in the mirror!  Good photographers will be able to coach you into the poses but if you already know what you’re doing you’ll seem much more professional and your shoot will have more of a natural and fun flow.  Purchase a few staple pin-up clothing items.  You can get great stuff from Pin-up Girl Clothing and Girdlebound and even Ebay.  A good pin-up swimsuit, dress, underbust corset, and lingerie set with stockings can last you a long time.

Alright, so you’ve painted on your red pin-up pout, coifed you hair into victory rolls, and cinched up your corset over your Capri skinny jeans.  If you know any friends who are photographers or are aware of any local photographers contact them about doing some shoots to build your portfolio.  It’s not a bad thing to pay photographers for quality shots that you can use for your portfolio.  Professional quality photos will also help grease the way to working with lots of other photographers.  The absolute best way to book shoots with photographers is to show up on time and not flake or cancel.  A lot of really successful models got to where they are by showing up for their shoots.  There are lots of different modeling portfolio sites that can put you in touch with photographers, designers, and hair and makeup artists in your area such as Model Mayhem and One Model Place.  PinUpLifestyles.com is also a great site for meeting people specifically in the pin-up culture and finding shows and events.  You can set up a free account with these sites and begin finding people to connect with.  Getting publications is all about who you shoot with.  Check out the photographers who shoot for your favorite pin-up magazines and book shoots with them.  While you’re at it… it may not hurt to think of a cute pin-up name to start marketing yourself as.  Just make sure when picking out a name that you’re not inadvertently using someone else’s name.  If you’re blessed with an awesome sounding legal name you may want to keep that.  Believe me, a whole book could be written on picking an alias alone.

Once you’ve started building a portfolio and networking with other pin-up enthusiasts you can start making yourself seen around the scene.  Find out when burlesque performances and car shows are happening in your town and go!  Introduce yourself to people, pose for pictures, and have fun.  If you take yourself seriously others will follow suit.  Contact promoters and ask how you can get involved.  You may get some “no’s” in the beginning but if you are tenacious, enthusiastic, and professional those will quickly turn into “yes”.

Have a question for our Ask a Model or Ask a Performer Section?  Send them to editor@pincurlmag.com and you may be featured next!

We asked three highly successful pin-up photographers to share their tips and tricks for getting great pin-up images. We compiled the list into the best Pin-Up Posing Tips you’ll find anywhere. Everyone from pin-up virgins to semi-pro models will find useful tips and tricks in this handy guide.

Contributors:

Roy Varga, California

Varga started back in 2004 as something fun to do on a boring Sat morning, He had the bright idea to shoot his friends along with himself in the retro style he loves with a bit of attitude, you can still find that shoot in his gallery today. From that innocent action of fighting boredom it started him on a track that would quickly snow ball into what is Varga today. Varga now travels to 24 locations across the U.S. including Hawaii offering Pin-Up shoots and has been published in over 22 magazines and 3 books, As well as producing his annual Varga Calendar. Labeled “The Hardest working Man in Pin-up” Varga continues to produce eye-catching work and plans to for as long as he can push that button.

Stacey Barich, Atomic Cheesecake Studios, Baltimore

Stacey Barich is a self-trained pin-up photographer, vintage hair guru, make-up artist and owner of Atomic Cheesecake Studios. Her journey of transforming girls next door into sirens of the past began in October of 2006.

As an artist she celebrates the subtle sexuality of pin-up; as a woman she embraces her feminine wiles. Armed with a tube of red lipstick, snug pencil skirt, devastatingly high heels, she’s on a one-woman mission to bring glamour and sex-appeal to the yoga-pants set. If there’s any message she’s passionate about it’s that modern girls should discover that their sexual power is their greatest asset.

Shoshana, Through the Looking Glass Studio, Dallas

After receiving her BA in Photography, Shoshana pursued many different genres before finding her love for pin-up. What started out as a gift of a sexy vintage photo shoot for a friend to send to her deployed husband, became a full-time obsession. She went on to found Through the Looking Glass in 2008 and loves the studio’s mission of helping to raise the self-esteem of women everywhere, while embracing the fact that a wink and a smile is hands down sexier than thongs and low-rise jeans any day of the week.

And now, onto the tips…

• 1. Groom yourself like you’re going on your honeymoon weekend. Shave anything that needs shaving, wax what needs waxing, tweeze, trim, etc. Also don’t forget to touch up your roots! It’s likely that you’ll be up close and personal with your photographer, stylist and make-up crew so good prep means you can relax knowing nobody is staring at your fuzzy bikini line.
• 2. Don’t forget your nails! Have well trimmed and shaped toenails and fingernails, trim and moisturize those cuticles, and paint your nails. If you have an aversion to polish- and least do a clear coat on all twenty digits.
• 3. If you want to wear a garter belt and stockings, avoid anything that is designed to “stay up” on its own. Rubberized “thigh highs” and “stay ups” can make even the most toned thighs look like sausage. There are lots of online retailers that specialize in classic stockings that won’t bind your legs. Also, if you have less than toned thighs, a good trick is to find some completely sheer “sheer to waist” pantyhose as a foundation. (Make sure they are not control top! A good choice- Sheer Energy Sheer to Waist- they have the green stripe on the box.) The pantyhose will make your legs looks great, and then you can pull the stockings over them to have the stocking look with toned upper thigh.
• 4. It’s all in the face! Pin-Ups are all about facial expression & personality. Find your personal “pin-up personality”. Are you smoldering and sexy? Cute and playful? Figure it out and spend some real time in front of the mirror finding out what expressions are best for you. Do what comes comfortably and most natural and your pictures will show that. We can always tell who has practiced faces before the shoot, and even a little practice means better pictures.
• 5. While you’re at it, practice poses you’ve seen in classic pin-ups, or modern pin-up photos you admire. Have a friend/lover/family member shoot you with a point and shoot or even a camera phone. The quality of the image will suck, but you’ll be able to see if you nailed a flattering pose or not. This way, when you get to your professional shoot, you’ll be sure and get your money’s worth!
• 6. Take some time to tell your photographer about what you see as your biggest assets and problem areas. It helps them choose poses and angles to hide what you don’t like, and show off what you do. A good photographer should be able to pose for just about anything.
• 7. Mention any moles, birthmarks, scars that you are self conscious about. The photographer doesn’t know whether you consider your mole a “beauty mark” or a “flaw”, so be specific about what you want wiped out in Photoshop.
• 8. Understand that you “Get What You Pay For”. If you want good, professional-looking shots for your portfolio, expect to pay a professional that has proven results if you want to build a great portfolio. Same is true for make-up and hair. If the photographer doesn’t provide these services, take the time to find a good MUAH artist that can take care of you. Bad styling makes for bad photos.
• 9. Photoshop is a tool, not a miracle worker! The misconceptions of Photoshop drive me nuts! Photoshop is a tool to create certain effects, create an image entirely (like with green screen shoots), or to fix minor flaws. If a “photographer” offers to fix exposure or lighting in Photoshop — find another photographer. This is just a bad cover for their lack of lighting experience and knowledge.

  Over photoshopped images is also a huge pet peeve of mine — images with total lack of clarity are just not quality images. You want an image of an enhanced you — not someone unrecognizable. If you want a painting — get a painter. You should be realistic — do not expect to lose 20 years or 20 pounds through Photoshop. Expect a beautiful image of the true you.

• 10. Make a CD or bring a loaded MP3 player with all of your favorite songs. Have the photographer play it while you pose. It will help you relax and have more fun.
• 11. Always have double stick tape. This will help keep clothing where it should be while providing maximum cleavage.
• 12. Be on time, but not more than 15 min early. Photographers usually have tight shooting schedules. By arriving late, you are cheating yourself out of time. By arriving early, you are cheating someone else.
• 13. Don’t be afraid to be over dramatic, and really ham it up. Those “cheesy” ones are very often the best.
• 14. When posing, try to keep your tongue firmly glued to the roof of your mouth. This will slim your face, and cut down on the double chin.
• 15. Always, always, always point your toes! Your feet should never be at a 45 degree angle. Pointing your toes adds grace, while elongating and emphasizing the shape of your legs.
• 16. On the same note pay close attention to your hands and keep them soft. Imagine you are holding a raw egg in the palm of your hand, and keep the hands soft and graceful. Study ballet hand positions. Nothing ruins a great shot like hard and sharp angles or fists with the hands.
• 17. If the costuming is not provided- make sure you have a matching set of lingerie that fits well. Try on what you are bringing ahead of time. It really sucks when people show up with things they haven’t worn in years, or brand new stuff they haven’t worn before — and get all dressed up — just to hate the way the clothing fits them.

  On the subject of wardrobe — there is a huge difference between a quality corset with steel or animal boning, and a cheap plastic off the rack clearance item. A quality corset will enhance your bust, and slim your waist dramatically. A cheap “corset” will just make your torso into an unflattering box shape.

• 18. Create lots of angles with your body without pointing a joint to the camera. Never point elbows, knees, or armpits directly to the camera; this is extremely unflattering. Instead create angles where these joints are pointing away from the camera.
• 19. When doing those “staring off to the side shots” stare into the photographers strobe light (softbox, umbrella, whatever) but not past it. The light will brighten your eyes and be flattering. If you look further than the light, not only will your eyes be dull and dark, but you’ll show too much of the whites of your eyes, giving a zombie effect.
• 20. Trust your photographer. If you’ve taken the time to research and choose someone because of their reputation and portfolio, don’t insult them by telling them how to do their job. We do this to make you look awesome, and nothing is more frustrating than a client who won’t let us use our experience and training to give you the best possible outcome.