What are Your Goals?

What is your goal in modeling? Is it to work locally or global? Are you interested in acting and other types of entertainment - or are you strictly interested in quick cash? How long do you want your career to last -- months ... or decades?

These are all important questions that models should ask themselves.

If you have ambitions of appearing on magazine covers, do you have the height and proportions and age for high fashion runway (women 5' 8" minimum and less than dress size 4 and should get "started" in modeling age 14, men 6' 0" minimum and less than a 32" waist and should be involved in modeling by age 16)?

There is very little chance of a model making a living off of traditional fashion modeling unless they specifically fit the proportions of high fashion. Even if a model is lucky enough to get signed with big agencies in New York or Los Angeles, the career for a woman usually only lasts from age 14 to age 24. For men, it's ages 16-30.

Building Strategies for Long-Term Success?

If you want long-term success, the best course of action is to pursue acting and other entertaining along with your modeling. If you are lucky enough to break into the "big leagues" with modeling, you can continue and diversify your career with commercials, films, and television roles after your runway days are done.

Also, long-term success depends largely on getting fast and immediate recognition, which you can use to build momentum for early success.

A model's prime time for making money in modeling is ages 15 to 22, while the entire career can last a few years longer. Even starting at age 20, your career life is almost over -- which means you really need to call attention to yourself if you want a fighting chance at making it. There are very few "models" who are older than 24 appearing for the first time on magazine covers (most models this age have been working 8 to 10 years already).

One Method to Consider

For models who want national fame and long careers -- posing for adult magazines (such as Playboy (tm) or Penthouse (tm)) and posing for nude artwork is a fantastic way to draw attention to yourself and to break into larger markets.

Many models feel that posing nude is beneath them and will tarnish their career. In actuality posing nude for a adult magazine may be the best single method of launching a model's career.

Many, many of today's top celebrities and models got their first "big break" after their nude photos appeared in nationally distributed magazines. Playboy(tm) magazine has produced several special newsstand editions of celebrities who got their start at Playboy(tm). There are literally hundreds of currently popular actors and models who got their initial "big break" posing nude for some type of magazine or advertising project.

The reason why they get a break is because the magazine and advertising photos get distributed around the nation, if not around the world. People seeing your photos will include movie and advertising casting directors plus millions and millions of "viewers." If you fit someone's needs, the magazine or advertiser will forward an offer to you.

Also, advertisers and directors often want to use "celebrities" in their commercials and films -- and if you're already recognizable by millions of the magazine's readers -- you will likely be picked for jobs even if you aren't as qualified as other actresses / actors for the role.

Think About the Purpose of "Modeling"

Face it. A large "chunk" of modeling is nothing more than "selling sexuality." You're representing an "ideal" person. You are exuding charisma and sensuality. Many view you with desire, while others view you as an ideal person to emulate and to become like.

At the end of the day though -- you go back to being "you." Most (but not all) people understand that "what you portray" is likely not the real you.

Modeling is essentially acting. You are representing a "type of person." One day you may be a person who is in a crisis because their car was just run into. Another day, you'll be acting as a nurse giving medicine to a small, sick child. The next day, you might be playing a steamy, sexy person in a commercial for butter.

You shouldn't think that the "job defines you." It is the fact that you are versatile and able to take on many "roles" which is what makes you highly employable as a model.

Is Posing Nude Bad?

Artists models pose nude all the time, and no one thinks ill of them. And now after the movie "Titanic," hundreds of schoolgirls AND THEIR MOTHERS want to be "Rose" posing nude for the young artist.

Why should posing nude for photography be any different? Photographers are just people who "paint" with a camera and light rather than a brush and watercolors. Photographers are artists, and just like with other forms of art -- it's easy to see and identify whose work has merit (is good) and whose does not.

Again, rather than consider just the "nude / no nude" decision, a job should be evaluated on:

• what kind of benefits (cash, exposure, secondary opportunities) the model can get from the job,
• the purpose / intent of the modeling job,
• and also how the finished images will be used.

If the purpose and use of the model's image will be handled in a professional and classy manner, it's likely in the best interest of the model to take the job.

Don't Make Snap Decisions

A model who outright refuses to pose nude "ever" is being extremely short sighted. Again, it should always depend upon specific project and context.

Posing nude for a cover of a fashion magazine (such as Demi Moore's nude covers on Vanity Fair Magazine) will likely energize and enhance a model's career. If a model has stated they will "never" pose nude -- then juicy and top-paying jobs or great opportunities (like a magazine cover) may well never even be offered to them.

Artwork projects are generally a lot "safer" to pose for than adult magazine posing. Artwork carries more prestige, and few models can be accused of "selling out" by posing nude for artwork. Additionally, the artwork poses are often included in portfolios -- and the uniqueness and style of the images make the model much better remembered after the modeling interview for commercial projects.

When you are a model or an actor, you are selling "yourself." You are being paid for what you look like and what you can perform. Often times it means portraying roles that are nothing like the real you. You are simply "acting a part" in a commercial or film.

Name and Face Recognition Equals Big Bucks

Since the amount of pay you earn is based largely on how much experience and "face recognition" you have, it stands to reason that the more jobs you take and the more places your photos are seen, the more money you'll eventually make.

While face recognition is important, "name recognition" is the really key. You may be a marvelous model or actor, but it's only when "the man/woman on the street" knows who you are (by name) that you'll be able to get the big money.

The key factor is building a list of jobs where you get your face and name in front of the public. Even if you don't make any money on the jobs -- if you can get public exposure which convinces the "paying public" that you are a professional and "hot rising" model / actor -- the job will be well worth doing.

Success as a model/actress is based largely on popularity. Ever wonder why Demi Moore keeps getting paid more and more to make movies that turn out to be "flops?" Because the paying public "loves" her and wants to see her.

Demi Moore's pay for movie roles increased substantially after her VANITY FAIR covers (the pregnant cover and also the completely frontal nude with body paint). They buying public said "she was hot" -- so she became "worth more." Also -- the covers themselves created controversy -- so other media outlets (news broadcasts, tabloid newspapers, radio talkshows) carried the stories as well -- only increasing her already high name recognition.

One way to get popular is to do poses that LOTS of people are interested in looking at. Everyone is curious to see what others "look like" under their clothes (men and women alike). Posing for artwork projects and adult magazines is a great way to get millions of people to "look at" and remember you.

Posing nude can be a springboard which gets you a lot of attention fast. Plus, it is one of the few ways a model can make good money right from the start of his/her career and to create enough "public recognition" to work well past the normal career end age of the fashion runway.

Let it Lead to Other Projects

Of course, the nude posing should be a "marketed" building block. It shouldn't be the only thing a model does to get the career started, and likewise, the model shouldn't try to base his/her entire career on this type of posing.

Again, while it may not be for everyone, being featured in a national men's entertainment magazine is perhaps the single best way to get the instant celebrity a young model needs. If a model is lucky enough to get picked to be featured in one of these national magazines, it will often lead to other paid guest appearances and promotional work for other companies.

In addition, models who have posed nude often have a great "secondary" market, where they can sell autographed photos or mementos to a curious and eager public.

But perhaps the biggest side benefit of posing nude for magazines is still getting other acting and modeling roles. As stated before many casting directors subscribe to these publications. The reason? Movies, rock videos, and television shows always need "incident" characters who aren't afraid of being nude or showing off their bodies. And for budget movies -- a casting director would much rather hire someone who is already a "celebrity" over someone who is not. Appearing in a national magazine gives you that "instant" celebrity.

You DON'T HAVE TO Pose Nude!

After all is said and done, the decision is still up to you. No one can force you into posing nude if you don't want to -- and if you don't want to pose nude -- saying "no" is the best decision for you.

However, if your decision is based solely on "what would the neighbors (or mom & dad) say..." then perhaps you're not making an honest and intelligent decision about your modeling career.

Of course there are some super models and actors who have never taken their clothes off for the camera -- but these are few in comparison to those who have. Many more models and actors have found that posing nude threw them on the fast track of popularity and success.

The classic case is Anna Nicole Smith. The "model" with the ever-changing waistline was originally seen by a photographer while she was working at a Wal-Mart in Texas. After her initial photos in Playboy(tm), Guess Jeans contacted the magazine with an offer for her to be the new Guess Jeans girl. From Wal-Mart to Madison Avenue in a couple of months (and only about 10 hours of work invested in the photo shoot). Seems like the "modeling jackpot" to me.

A Final Word

Nude posing isn't for everyone, and not every body type is appropriate for nude posing. You should never feel forced to do something that you don't want to do, and if you feel in an uncomfortable situation -- you should simply leave (or decline the project in the first place). You are responsible for your own career, goals, and ambitions. Nude posing should be carefully considered based on many different issues. The choice is yours. Consider it carefully.