How to Avoid Modeling Scams
The modeling business has a lot of scams and I think that you have to be careful. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. Learn about the business that you want to be in. We live in an age where information about specific models, you have access to.
If you want to learn a story of a model and how she started and what happened, there’s enough online and enough information for you to learn her story. It’s not going to be your story but if you listen to enough of those stories, you’ll get the idea that models all come from different places, they all come from different walks of life. How they were found and discovered is completely different.
Some models send their pictures in. Some models are scouted by somebody on the street. You need to find somewhere, whether it’s very local and very close to you or some place that’s a regional place that’s close to you where you’re actually working with people who work with clients. People who are actually teaching you what you need to know to get a job.
Modeling’s really an on the job training situation. You learn as you go. You grow in the process of getting better and better at your job the more you do it. So, you don’t become a model in a day. You don’t become a model because you take a class. Nobody says you have potential and you take a picture and, oh, my gosh, you’re going to be the next Kate Moss.
If anyone tells you that, they’re lying. No one can tell you in one picture what kind of star you’re going to be, what kind of model you’re going to be. You have to be in the environment. So, every step, I always think of it as like a layered cake because you can’t get to the top layer of the cake without all the layers underneath. Every house needs a foundation. Every career needs a foundation. So, don’t go into things blindly. Don’t believe, necessarily, everything that everyone says unless it’s concrete advice that applies to you. Something that you can see that is tangible that you can understand.
Like, for example, you need to have a portfolio. We want you to test with this photographer. This is how much it’s going to cost. Okay. Well, find out about the photographer. Go and look online. Look at the photographer’s pictures. Use your common sense as to whether you think those pictures are going to be something that you’re going to benefit from.
You are going to depend on someone for information because everybody is going to know more than you in the beginning and it’s really frustrating that you are the commodity that people are trying to groom but you don’t know as much as everybody else. So, there is a dependency factor. So, be skillful and be smart about who you want to entrust that to, who you want to talk to, who you want to talk about you. Those are the kinds of people that, it is a fast business, it is a hard business. There are a lot of scams. There a lot of downfalls. There are a lot of people that are not interested in your best interest.
So, you have to be careful. It’s not true that you don’t ever have to invest anything to do this. There are investments but the investments are tangible. They’re things that you actually know. If you’re learning to walk on a runway for example, you want to learn from somebody who’s actually walked on a runway.
MARCI AND CHRISTY are selecting 2017 SENIOR MODELS – INDIANAPOLIS SENIOR PICTURES
2017 SENIORS It’s your time!
We are seeking fashion forward students from the senior class of 2017 to be part of our exclusive central Indiana MARCI AND CHRISTY SENIOR MODELS!!!!
If selected as one of our MAC SENIOR MODELS you will compete for a GRAND PRIZE SWAG BAG valued at more than $1500. It’s not the bag that counts though.. it’s what’s inside the bag!
We selectively go out and shop for gift cards, prizes and fun things to put inside the Swag Bag. Gift cards from (but not limited) to Free People, Altered State, Younique Culture, The Buckle, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Rae Lynns Prom Store, Love Culture, Charming Charlies, Anthropologie, Aeropastale, Journey’s, Delia’s, Hollister, American Eagle Outfitters, Pac Sun, Starbucks, Chipotle, Hot Box Pizza, Cheesecake Factory, Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, Panera Bread, Pitaya and Francesca’s!
Trust us when we say.. YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BAG!! It is full of FREE shopping that mom and dad do not have to spring for!! It’s all yours to stock up for new fashions for when you head off to college or summer break! AND with one of the cards being a Visa gift card of $500 you could use that to buy a ticket to a fabulous destination vacation spot or the concert tickets of the year!
HOW DO WE CHOOSE OUR SENIOR MODELS?
The very best way to receive an invitation for consideration is to be referred to us by one of our previous MAC Senior Models.
Look one of them up at your school (or on instagram) and get them to add you to a list of potential candidates on our MODEL CALL posts on Instagram @marciandchristy
ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO APPLY?? Of course…
- You may also apply at the bottom of this post. Just make sure you read EVERYTHING before you move on to that step.
- As we pour through hundreds of applicants, we typically choose 25-30 senior models out of approximately 250-300 applications. So make YOUR application stand out!
POINTS SYSTEM!
- [ONE] referral point is awarded to you by any one person who books a paid session of any kind with MARCI AND CHRISTY PHOTOGRAPHY who at the time of booking or completing their session simply tells us they were referred by you.
- You must get at least [THREE] referrals to qualify for any prize being awarded.
- You can also earn BONUS points by doing things like making your own ad for us on Instagram. For example: tagging our posts with your friends names or…..making a great sign that says I LOVE MARCI AND CHRISTY PHOTOGRAPHY, take a selfie with your sign, post it on Instagram and tag two 2017 friends and tag @marciandchristy.
- Keep in mind…It takes 5 {five} bonus points to equal 1 referral point.
We’ll share a list of things you can do once you’ve been selected.
DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO BE A SENIOR MODEL?
At this time we do not charge a fee to apply to be one of our exclusive MAC Senior Models. Bottom line, you will be paying for your senior portrait prints just as as any other clients do. Your minimum order for prints and products is $599. This is the same for any senior we photograph. However, our exclusive SENIOR MODELS are our very special clients with very special perks!
BONUS #1 No session fees for our exclusive senior models.
BONUS #2 Senior models pay half-price make-up artist fees. Every image you see on our social media has had their make up done by our amazing MUA- Christy!
BONUS #3 If selected for this exclusive honor, you will have the option of doing two photo-shoots for your senior pictures. One in June 2016 [required] and the possibility of more styled photo shoots in the fall, winter or spring of your senior year (providing you get at least 3 referrals).
BONUS #4 As a senior model you will have the option to wear an extra outfit or two during your session. You may select this from our STYLE CLOSET or you may bring your own.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A SENIOR MODEL FOR MARCI AND CHRISTY PHOTOGRAPHY?
- We are Indiana’s Number One Senior Portrait Studio. Why on earth would you want to go anywhere else?
- We have our own private Studio Backlot… it is like a movie set with dozens of indoor/outdoor scenes…more than any other portrait studio anywhere in Indiana and it has been designed especially for YOU!
- Marci and Christy have 25 years of combined experience in making central Indiana seniors feel their most beautiful.We work hard each year to create an atmosphere of family among our senior model team. Exclusive photo shoots, fun outings and feeling like you are part of something special are memories that will last a lifetime as part of our team. We fall in love with our street team each year and still keep close contact with many of our girls from as far back as 2004. We won’t just be your favorite photographer, we will be your new found friend.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!
We want the best, outgoing, beautiful inside and out, fashion forward students representing our company, so fill it out as you would any job application. Please be sure to complete the entire application, take your time and use complete sentences and grammar.
Simply complete the application found right here below this line. If you or your parents have any questions please, feel free to contact Marci by text at 317-696-7523 or by voice call at 317-696-5481 to speak with Christy or Annie. Please include your full name and school in any text or voice message you send.
* * * * Are you a CENTRAL INDIANA BUSINESS who caters to the needs of teens and would like to donate something to go inside our bag… we’d love to include you! Send an email to us at [email protected] and tell us what you have in mind))
NOTE: We would love to be able to accept all applicants as models for our studio but it is just impossible with the number of applications we receive each year. Whether you are selected or not we look forward to working with each and every one of our seniors every year to provide them with the very best senior pictures possible.
What started out as an add-on to our already successful and long standing MAC Senior Model program.. turned out to have a lot more impact than we realized it might. We had decided early on this year that we would do a Senior Model of the Month as a reward to our girls who are working hard to get the word out in the Indianapolis community about our studio. The two girls selected each month would be participating in a styled photo shoot as an add on to their ultimate senior portrait experience with us.
For our first theme, we decided to do “Newspaper Couture”, dressed constructed completely of recycled newspapers using duct tape as our thread, so to speak. The day came, the girls arrived during a thunder storm but we refused to let that dampen our moods and we proceeded to build our looks from head to toe as planned. Extravagant hair and make-up were going on in our first floor studio lounge and make up area as the rain continued to pour and pour…. and pour. That is when we noticed, over in a far corner of the lounge that there was a puddle creeping towards us! Everyone, including the girls in make up chairs jumped to action, grabbing towels and picking up things and putting them out of harms way of the flood waters. Before it was all said and done there would be two inches of water standing on the polished concrete floors. But we were not going to let that stop us from carrying out these shoots in their entirety as this was something I had been dreaming about for years!
The shoots went on without any additional drama and we were pleased with our results and the experience we were able to provide our senior models. They were happy and we felt it a success! I was pretty excited about the images and went on to post a couple of favorites from the shoots onto our Instagram account that very night. This is where I thought the images would end, besides having printed copies hanging in our lounge as well as them being available to the girls and their families.
However, early the next morning, I received call from a local ABC news anchor, Lauren Bemis, wanting to come out to the studio and do a follow up story for the evening news. We were thrilled and knew this would be additional excitement for our girls! Lauren came out the next day, interviewed us, filmed the segment, took lots of pictures and we had a great time reminiscing about the previous days events. There was a buzz in the air and on our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram and the story aired that night on WRTV 6 at 5pm.
The next morning I was roused by my phone going off at an especially early hour. As I reached for my phone off my night stand I could see that the number was a New York City number. I immediately assessed that it was some sort of spam or sales call for insurance or product I had no use for so I declined the call. By time I was out of the shower, I had missed several phone calls and text messages. I didn’t really think much of it as I got my morning coffee and headed into my office. That NYC caller was quite persistent with 3 missed calls logged amoung other numbers I didn’t recognize. I headed straight into my text message box to see what was happening there, checked our Instagram feed to see loving and excited comments as a result of our previous days shoot. Then I saw in my inbox a note from Lauren Bemis… and a missed call. So I dialed her back and she informed me that the ABC news team in NYC was trying to get in touch with me. They wanted to do a more in depth interview!! WHAT? breathe Marci breathe.
After settling my excitement level down a but, calling Christy and squeeling a bit… I knew I needed to call that NYC number back! What did they want? Were they going to ask us to come there? be on GMA? omg what would I wear? How soon? I am so fat! :8 OMG settle down woman!
Okay, Okay, so I call and the sweet writer on the other end of the phone, Katie Kindelan, assured me that it would all be okay. They just wanted to feature the story on their website after all the buzz that was created here in Indianapolis. So we carried on with the interview and I survived my nerves.
As it all turned out, we all stayed dry, we got the images we wanted and the girls had the Ultimate Experience we like them to have. Our social media was all a flutter for a few days and our post reach on our Facebook page climbed to over 35K as the word spread. It was fun but it all did settle back down to our normal 7k reach within a week or so.
The moral to the story: to never think you cant pull off something amazing. You’ve got to trust your gut and go for the things you really want in life with no regrets! You just never know where your dreams might just take you!
You can see the story and images featured HERE on the ABCNEWS | Good Morning America website.
Styling: Marci Ralph and Christy Maiquez @marciandchristy
Models: Anna Jennings @annajenningss Sarah Reynolds @sarrrah_reynolds
Makeup: Christy Maiquez @christymaiquez
Photographer: Marci Ralph @marciralph
