Modeling portfolio
A modeling portfolio, also called a model book, is a set of 12–20 of a model's best pictures. The agency shows it to clients, printed or digital, and clients use it to decide whether to book the model. Today the portfolio is mostly digital: it lives on the agency's site, in a PDF and, in reduced form, on the comp card.
Whether you need one depends on where you are in your career. A beginner does not: an agency first asks only for digitals, plain unretouched pictures without make-up that show what a person really looks like. If the agency sees potential, it says which pictures are missing, recommends photographers who know how to shoot models and helps build the book later.
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How a portfolio is built
The book grows in stages. It starts with digitals taken from the front, in profile and at full length, which are enough to apply to an agency. Test shoots come next: sessions in which the model learns to work with the camera, shows character and different emotions, and the photographer looks for the strongest sides. Published work is added as the jobs come.
A test can cost nothing or a few hundred euros, depending on the photographer, the studio and the team. At the start many shoots are done in exchange for pictures, so a first portfolio does not have to be expensive.
What to do and what to avoid
Do not spend hundreds on a professional shoot before approaching an agency. It is a common mistake, because the agency only needs digitals at that point and prefers to guide the rest.
Keep the selection tight and varied instead of long. Update the book whenever your look changes or you get better pictures, and keep the digitals fresh, since they are what shows how you look now. When in doubt about a picture, ask the agency: it shows the book to clients and knows which images are missing.
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Frequently asked
01What is a model book?
It is the model's portfolio: a set of the best professional pictures that the agency shows to clients, printed or digital.
02How many photos should a modeling portfolio have?
Usually 12–20. Quality and variety matter more than number.
03Do I need a portfolio to get signed?
No. Digitals are enough to apply: plain pictures without make-up from the front, in profile and full length.
04How much does a modeling portfolio cost?
It depends on the market and the photographer. At the start many shoots are done in exchange for pictures, and the agency helps build the book.
05How often should I update my portfolio?
Whenever your look changes or you get better pictures. Retake your digitals every few months.