How to find models

When you are an aspiring photographer, you need to know how to find models. There is only one thing as important as your camera equipment and lighting. That is your model. You need someone who feels comfortable around you. Someone who will trust your vision and listen to your direction. If you aren’t sure where to find someone to shoot, then this is a helpful guide on how to find models.

When you are first starting out in photography and have not created a portfolio, then you are going to struggle to find experienced models who will agree to shoot with you. That is why you should start out by taking photographs of your friends. They will help you become more comfortable behind the camera because they are not intimidating. You know them and they know you. It is the perfect way to practice new techniques and enhance your skills.

Friends of friends make surprisingly good models too, so make sure you ask around. See if any of your friends know someone who has dabbled in modeling or someone who is willing to try anything once. Friends of friends will be more likely to agree to model for you than complete strangers because they trust your shared friend’s judgement and know they are not walking into a sketchy situation. There will be a certain level of comfort between you since you have a friend in common.

When you are ready to shoot someone you have never met before, someone who has more experience modeling than taking an occasional selfie, you should search through social media. Look for Facebook groups meant for models near you and join so you can interact with people in your area who will be willing to meet up with you. Browse through relevant Instagram tags (#model, #modelsearch) for models who you can imagine shooting.

Once you find someone who catches your interest, send them an email about collaborating. Make sure you appear friendly and professional because no one is going to agree to work alongside you if you rub them the wrong way. You should also make sure to include a link to your website or a few photographs you have taken in the past so they can get a taste of your style and can decide whether you would be a good fit for them.

There are websites and apps specifically meant for models to join, which you can use to your advantage. Take for instance, The Hub! If you search through these sites, then you will have an easier time finding exactly what you are looking for in a model. You could even try getting in touch with a small modeling agency in your city and see if they are in need of any photographers. They might ask you to shoot their models for free — or if you’re lucky, they might even be interested in offering you payment.

Even though there are plenty of online sources you can use to find models, you never know when you are going to stumble across someone you would love to photograph while walking down the street. That is why you should carry a business card with you at all times. If you meet someone you want to work with, then you can hand them your card and explain your proposal. You will seem more professional with a card because it will show you are serious about your work.

If you want to make it as a photographer, then you need to put in the effort to find willing models who share the same vision as you do. They are not going to come to you. You are going to have to come to them.