What is a Modeling Portfolio?
There are certain points to remember when you are exploring modeling portfolios. It is a set of photographs which showcase you as a Model to a modeling agency and eventually to a prospective client or a casting Director. Ensure that you entrust a good Fashion photographer who also makes portfolios for new Models as he or She can understand better how to bring out the best in you.Your Portfolio should essentially include the following.
A clean Beauty or Head shot
This is one of the most important part of your portfolio. It shows you with any props or other paraphernalia as such and it's simply you! It shows you in the most natural manner, though it does not mean that you do not wear any makeup but it's kept very natural. makeup is important to provide the right contouring of the face and it helps correct the flaws. So no makeup look also has makeup :-) Usually it's a good idea to keep the shoulders bare or wear a dress which is minimal over the shoulder so as not to cause any distractions.
Editorial shots
Full-length Body shots
A full-length photograph is a must in all model's profile. the objective is to show the proportions and body type to the prospective client or Modeling agency/casting Director. Whether you are aiming for Ramp, E-commerce or Fashion magazine editorial work, this shot is important. Ideally, do not wear outfits which hide the body contours. It's better to get into shape before venturing out for modeling but for photographs you don't really need to hide anything. If you are not in perfect shape, let it be. Just face the camera and pose confidently. there is a place for everyone. If you are perfect, wear what shows your body type well. If you are doing more than one full-length shots then the outfits can be planned accordingly.
Indian wear
Always go for country specific outfits as well unless you have ruled it out of your modeling options. Prospective clients and agencies would like to see how you would look in their kind of outfits. Go for it if you would like to target this area. Both close and full-length shots are important in this case.
Specialised Target Areas like Jewellery, swimwear lingerie etc
Your Portfolio should convey what you intend to do as a model. If Lingeries or swimsuit modeling is not on your list, you do not essentially have to include it as a part of your modeling portfolio. You also have the option to do it and show it only to relevant clients and agencies. This may not be a part of your regular portfolio. However, it's always a good idea to decide before hand and plan your shoot accordingly. If you do not have swimwear shots in your portfolio, you may not get calls for same. So if you have no inhibitions, include these images in your portfolio as well.
A Good combination of Outdoors and Indoors
It's generally good idea to include both outdoors and indoors in your portfolio. besides adding variety to your shots, shows you in both artificial and natural light.
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Presentation matters a lot
Put together your portfolio nicely and neatly in a File or in the form of a coffee table book. Or show the images on your own laptop /iPad as a slideshow. Do remember to arrange them in good order of priority and less number is more. Show off only your best and do not clutter it. Understand the requirement of your prospective client/agency and show the images accordingly besides your main images. If you are targeting swimwear, showing images in Indian ethnic wear makes no sense and vice versa.