Some of our staff found some good advice for new models written by one of our favorite models and since we are often asked about some of the issues she talks about, we thought it would be good to get her permission to repost her advice here. If you would like to read more of what Ariel X has to say, be sure to check out her blog at Ariel-x.com.
Ariel X has worked as a model with a lot of different people, so her advice is tempered with a lot of experiences that could be very valuable to girls looking to break into adult modeling. You might recognize some of the work she’s done with AltPorn A-List sites like Blue Blood (44 sets!) and CrazyBabe, as well as some of our favorite kinky sites like Ultimate Surrender, Whipped Ass, Wired Pussy, Device Bondage, plus she’s also worked with more mainstream publishers like Playboy and Hustler.
I get a lot of emails from girls and guys who are trying to break into the industry. I actually had one of my sister’s old high school friends recently write to me to ask me about herself getting into the industry. I wrote her this big long letter and I figured I would share it here on my blog in hopes of helping out others who may be interested. Most of what I wrote is very cliche but it rings true so you’re gonna have to hear it 🙂
here goes:
If you are going to take nude pictures you need to think about how it will effect your future. Although you are secure with your body, you should understand that 99.9% of the world’s population frown upon nudity or anything remotely sexual that is performed in public ( on the Internet or anywhere not in the privacy of ones bedroom for that matter). Now you and I both know that this same 99.9% of the population will do the most scandalous things behind closed doors and they think what they do it okay because no one knows about it. Yet they will still judge people like myself who do it in honesty for the world to see.So be prepared to be judge and not just by enemies. You will find that even close loved ones will judge you and try to make you feel like a bad person. You will lose some friends apparently but think of it as a blessing because those aren’t really the type of people you want in your life anyway.
You will need to really think of what your goals are. Why are you doing this? who are you doing this for? what do you expect to come from doing this?
You need to be realistic with your expectations. I was modeling for 3 years before I got any recognition from fans or directors and producers. I did a lot of tfp (trade) work for up and coming photographers. I didn’t want to pay to have my pictures taken but I also knew that no one was going to pay me to model being a Nobody. Some times I got burned and the photographers never sent me the content we shot supposedly for trade. That sucks but it happens and you can’t do anything about it other than bug the photographer every day until he sends you your content or changes his phone number LOL.
I can give you a list of websites you can make profiles on and network with photographers. If a photographers contacts you, it’s important to be respectful and punctual in getting back to their emails. Though you may be doing this for recreation, a lot of photographers do this for a living and want to be treated in a professional manner. If you write a photographer about shooting and he/she doesn’t respond don’t hound them about shooting any more. Chances are he/she just isn’t interested in shooting for one reason or another and their not responding is a polite way of declining your invitation.
Here are just a few websites you can create free profiles on:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/
http://onemodelplace.com/
Beware of scams as they do happen. Both sites have great articles about how to avoid being scammed so please take a look at them. These websites are not dating sites so dont’ treat them like they are and if a photographer or another model asks you out on a date through the site, report them. I fucking hate when people write me on my modeling port and ask me on a date…get real and get professional (yes porn people have standards to…low standards but we have them LOL). If and when a photographer does contact you to do a shoot, check references. Ask who he/she’s shot with in the past and try to contact those models to get feedback. Obviously if he has a picture he took of a girl, he worked with that girl but you should always contact said girl to see how the shoot went for her. Did the guy creep out on her? did he whip his penis out midshoot (yes this happens)? Did she feel uncomfortable at any point of the shoot. Just because someone works with a lot of girls doesnt’ mean he’s not a creep!!!The most important piece of information I can offer you is this:
Always be true to yourself; do not compromise anything you believe in during a shoot. You control what you do in a shoot so don’t let ANYONE tell you what you should or should not do. If you want to do just topless do just topless. Don’t show full nude if that’s really not something you want to do. If you do tasteful nudes, do only that. Don’t go flashing your pink if that’s not something you are comfortable with. You will regret it and feel bad later. Do what you want to do because YOU want to do it, not because you want to make more money or want to make someone else happy.If you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer them. These are the basics and pretty straight forward. Good luck!!!
