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Six Male Modeling Tips By Danniel Giraldo

“Every male model needs to feel as if they are the prize, the king of the castle…”

I have been a professional model for about six years now, since the age of 18. It’s not as glamorous as people think, especially for guys. Men do not get paid nearly as much as women do, unfortunately. There also isn’t a huge demand for male models as there is for females. All that being said, with these tips that I’ve picked up on my journey, hopefully I can help a few brothers out there get ready to take it to the next level!

ONE: YOU ARE THE PRIZE

Remember that every time you stare Into the lens of the camera. Every male model needs to feel as if they are the prize, the king of the castle, if you would. It’s like the method in acting. The camera can read your thoughts and inner thoughts. You can not fake it! Believe in thyself, kings.

TWO: BE COURTEOUS TO EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER THAT YOU SHOOT WITH

You never know when a photographer is on his way up to becoming the next hot photographer in town. It is very important to treat everybody respectfully, the way you would like to be treated. You want to build a reputation as someone that’s easy to work with. But also build a network of photographers that like you and trust you and that you can keep working with and upgrade your portfolio. Chances are, when you are starting out, you’re also going to be shooting with people that are starting out as well. But just like any craft, people get better with time. If you treat people badly in the beginning, chances are they won’t want to shoot with you when they become more established.

THREE: LEARN THE CRAFT OF MODELLING

It is a craft just like anything else and there are levels to it. But the basics, like the runway, the portfolio, the outfits, knowing where your shoots are, knowing lighting, knowing what a photographer has to know, knowing the craft in general will save you a lot of time and a lot of effort. Being well aware of the craft will save you two years of working with terrible photographers and having awful pictures of you on the Internet. Do not do things that you are uncomfortable with!!! It is very important to keep the image that you want as an artist. It’s good to venture out, but that doesn’t mean doing things that could potentially harm your image and your brand! I recommend to stay as classy as you possibly can to open up doors in many different avenues. This applies to both male and female models.

FOUR: STUDY THE GREATS

Study the greats that came before you. Nobody is so incredibly unique to the point where they can’t learn from somebody that came before them. A lot of the time modeling is picking a vibe and going with it. It’s important to be well aware and cultivated in the arts in order to be a better model. So that means start watching more films, watch theatre, read and look at old magazines, look at old pictures, look at ads…look at everything that could potentially influence you in your work, because that’s how you start to build mood boards. And you’ll be able to organize better what you want to do as a model.

FIVE: LEARN FASHION

Simple, learn fashion. Simple as can be, but you would be surprised how many beginners don’t read a book on fashion or even watch a YouTube tutorial on fashion and color coordination.

SIX: BE IN SHAPE

The most important tip that I can give somebody that wants to be a model is, Be IN SHAPE! TAKE CARE OF YOUR INSTRUMENT! I know there’s a lot of plus-sized modelling going around for women and that’s awesome! Congratulations to them. But until I see plus-sized male models for Calvin Klein underwear with a hairy stomach and beer belly, I am under the assumption that men are held to the standard of being in shape, shredded, lean and mean.

This is what we have to do. And if you want to do this professionally, you have to put in the work! There are no excuses. You show up to a shoot and you show up in shape. If not, reschedule the shoot to a time when you are in shape! Now that doesn’t mean you have to be 5% body fat. It’s not a Bodybuilding show. Anywhere between 7% to 10% body fat looks really good on camera. And if you’re doing a couples shoot, it’s relative to what the other person looks like.
But you have to be very objective and look at yourself as a professional and take pride in the work. However, a lot of things are out of our control. Like our height, skin tone, eye color…our facial structure. These are things we can’t control, but what we can control is our conditioning, our fashion sense, our attitude and our work ethic.

BONUS TIP

Plan ahead for your shoot, with enough time to get a good wardrobe selection, be in shape and hire a great photographer to help you with a comp card. Always invest in the best if you want to look your best. You get what you pay for. So, if you hire some bum photographer for fifty bucks…well…you’re going to look like a bum model. Not to disrespect anyone, but this is serious business and there are careers to be made.

Some amazingly talented actors started off as models, such as Taylor Kitsch, Paul Walker, Marky Mark Wahlberg and even Tyrese Gibson. These are just a few examples of the hundreds of both male and female models that had doors opened through modeling. But overall, managing your image, staying hungry and working your tail off will open a lot of doors for anyone willing to step through them. My name is Dan and those are my six tips on modeling.