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Frequently Asked Questions from Aspiring Models

Such and Such Modeling Agency just contacted me, are they legit?

I can’t tell you how many models I’ve met that spent hundreds or thousands of dollars at agencies for “portfolios” and “modeling classes” and once their check cleared they never heard a peep from the agency again.  In California there are all sorts of laws against up-front fees charged by talent agencies, that is not the case with most other states.  Protect yourself and your money by doing some research before investing in classes or a portfolio with ANY agency.

There are lots of fake agencies in Utah, you can avoid them all by doing a  bit of research before you do business with any of them.  These are some great websites to start with:

KSL News Story • www.modelingscams.org •  www.newmodels.com

You can also compare the prices they are asking with what I charge to do a portfolio www.jakegarn.com/private/booking

Do I really have to be 5′9″ tall to be a model?

If you want to be a fashion model you need to be tall otherwise you won’t fit in the clothes you’ll be hired to model for.  They don’t custom make outfits to the models and the clothes they do make for high fashion shoots and shows are typically for tall girls.

If you are 5′7″ or shorter there are some options to model for commercial, art and lifestyle shots or even promotional modeling.  I’m not an agency though, so if you want more details than that you’ll have to find a more qualified expert than I am.

Can I model for you?

I have discovered some of my favorite models after they emailed me an application.  Unfortunately I get so many requests that only 1 in 20 or so are accepted.

If you’re really interested in having me take your photo you can also pay for a session, that guarantees an appointment and I have actually discovered a number of models that way as well.  There are a couple girls that I still shoot today that originally paid for their very first shoot.

www.jakegarn.com/models-wanted Apply for a test shoot with Jake Garn

www.jakegarn.com/private/booking Rates and Packages for a photo shoot

How much do you pay your models?

If I am doing a commercial project then the model’s pay is heavily dependent on the budget, if I am shooting for fun or for a personal project then I do not pay models, in those cases we all do it for the love of the end product!

Do you have a question that I didn’t answer?  Feel free to leave it in the comment section and if I know the answer then I might just answer it in Modeling Questions Part 2!