Before you build a portfolio, decide what kind of model you want to be. It shapes everything else: who you shoot with and what you post.
How Much of Your Life Is This?
- Full-time pro. Modeling is the income, from runway to steady commercial work. Requires real investment in body, mind, and career.
- Part-time pro. Same skill set, supplemental income.
- Professional amateur. Built around a social media presence; self-management matters as much as posing.
- Hobby model. Modeling for the love of it, sometimes paid, usually collaborative and private.
- Amateur or first-timer. A one-off experience, usually guided closely by the photographer.
Commercial vs. Amateur Work
- Commercial: images serve a business purpose and are governed by a model release. Read it before you sign.
- Amateur or hobby: more private, but still get it in writing. Photographers own the copyright by default. Without a signed agreement, you have no right to use your own photos.
Pick Your Genres
- Promotional: shot for a specific business; they own the images.
- Fashion: casual to high fashion, bridal, swim, lingerie, and more.
- Art: concept-driven; may include nudity or styling in service of an idea.
- Cosplay: recreating characters from film, games, and comics.
- Implied or art nude: nudity suggested or partial, never the focal point.
- Erotic nude: full nudity without explicit exposure; tone over anatomy.
- Dance: choreographed movement, often layered into other genres.
- Fetish: fashion or activity built around a specific aesthetic.
- Glamour: styled hair, makeup, and fashion working as one.
- Boudoir or lingerie: intimate, often for personal rather than public use.
- Runway: live shows; posing, walking, and stage presence.
- Sports or fitness: built around physical performance and condition.
- Adult or XXX: explicit work; carries the most stigma and least long-term anonymity.
You don’t have to pick just one genre, but some, especially adult work, can limit your options in others down the line.
Next up: Posing Basics