Size matters
I enjoy working with newcomer models. They are fresh and excited about modeling. This enthusiasm is really helpful when working together. But, I often realize that they feel insecure, because they are not as tall as the super models on the catwalks. Is five feet and nine inches the minimum height for a model?
Many people believe you need to be tall to become a model. This may count for runway models, simply because the designers created garmets that look good on tall women. And they want the runway girls to look out of this world. Therefore, they need to be taller than the average. So they stand out.
But for nude modeling it's not so much about the clothes as you might have guessed. The secret formula is the leg to body ratio. While a leg to body ratio of 1:1 is deemed the ideal for men, for women it's said to be 1 to 1.4. Or close to this value, at least.
I have worked with tiny women, but in the photographs you are absolutely unable to tell how tall they really are. Simply, because they had a perfect leg to body ratio. And this fools our eyes. We think they have the perfect body. What is perfect, anyways?
Try it out
To find out your real leg length, you need to lay down on your back. Find the bony joint where your hip meets your leg. Measure from this point to the bony joint of your ankle. It's difficult, so the result won't be 100% accurate.
You can find out more about the leg to body ratio in this study.
Besides the fact that long legs are attractive, I actually wanted to say that body height doesn't matter for nude models. Small models are always welcome!
For women the perfect leg to body ratio
is said to be around 1:1.4.
Don't eat before a shoot
Not eating is the worst you can do! It happens so often that I meet girls who skip their meals because they want to be slim on set. Not only you won't have energy during the shoot. It is most likely that it will have the opposite effect than intended.
It's like your stomach is searching for something to digest. But because you haven't eaten, your body instead creates gas that leads to bloat.
So, I highly recommend to eat before a shoot. But take a close look to what your body can digest easily. Learn what is good for you. And if you don't know yet, here are my tips.
These five foods work fine and won't make you bloat:
- Bananas
- Eggs
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Cheese
For cheese and nuts, just nibble on some. Don't eat loads and loads of this.
Other things that might work for you, but don't work for everyone are things like greek yogurt (without added sugars), cucumbers, grapes or melons.
In the end, many small meals will work better than one big meal for the whole day. Getting to know and understand your digestion and what type of food does you good, helps a lot. Only one thing is for sure: skipping meals before a shoot is wrong!
An empty bag cannot stand upright.
Polas
When doing casting calls, it usually is preferred to see what a model looks like in real life. A portfolio with retouched images is nice, but clients need the unvarnished truth.
Basically it means that you take a snapshot of yourself in front of a mirror. From the front, the side and behind. An additional portrait shot is helpful, too.
It's important that these photos are unaltered. No funky filters, no crazy angles. It's ok if you don't look super hot in those images. Clients and photographers can tell what they can create with your looks.
I hesitated a lot if I should really mention polas. It's so obvious. But when you receive applications, 90% of the girls don't send in pure and natural polas. They usually send you wildly retouched images with light and angles that you can barely tell who the person on the picture is.
Strengthen your core
I often meet young models. As young adults they are wild and don't think about the future. This looseness is good and appreciated. Yet, it is important to see your body as your instrument. It is the best instrument you ever own. This counts for all of us.
Therefore, I highly recommend to do sports. Some are afraid, they'll instantly look to muscular and lose their feminine side. This will never be the case. You need damn hard training to get a sixpack and the kind of sports I am speaking about, is to strengthen your core.
A strong core will help you with your posture. You will automatically look slimmer (because your muscles act like natural spanks) and this will lead to more confidence. Your core stabilizes your body and you will find balance more easily.
I am pointing this out because many of the beginner models have no clue about this. They believe they have good genes, but if you strive for a career that lasts longer than five years, sports will do the trick.
No matter if you go to the gym, do yoga or pilates. Please begin strengthening your core while you are young. And don't forget the stretching after your workout.
(Sorry for sounding like your dad.)
Models wear high heels
High heels change your posture. They also make your legs appear longer (see leg to body ratio above). And this attracts men. So far, so good. But wearing heels is not good for your feet. Walking in heels may easily lead to painful hammer toes. There simply is too much weight on not enough surface. Not good.
Therefore scientists suggest a maximum heel height of 5cm. Sorry, but this is not attractive for a shoot!
The conclusion is: Wear flat and comfortable shoes. Shoes you can easily walk in. Then switch to heels for the moments the photos are taken. That's the way the pros do it.