Troy knew that to sustain himself during his first years of life as an expat he would need to keep his mind open to a variety of personal and professional possibilities. Like Troy, many who come to Japan pursue a variety of endeavors to support a lifestyle that has more in it than convenience store ramen and a barren flat on the outskirts of Tokyo. Simply put, young expats like Troy have to hustle to prosper. One avenue of possible employment and/or revenue is modeling. Luckily, there is relatively broad market in Japan for foreign models as a range of modeling opportunities in the fashion, lifestyle, and commercial branding sectors are available. For many, modeling is a great way to earn some extra cash while building a life in one of world's most expensive countries. There are several caveats to consider before making a leap into the modeling industry in Japan. One crucial piece of the puzzle is how to align with an agency, the industry's gatekeepers. Most modeling agencies in Japan want to have a collection of images (or a z-card) on hand so that they can promote any new addition to their model roster. Yet, most agencies place the responsibility on their fresh intake to independently have these portraits produced. Troy was forward thinking and realized how the system works. Without any professional images of himself, Troy knew that he needed to book a portfolio building session so that he could put his best foot forward when meeting with agencies. Moreover, Troy knew that having a portfolio skeleton would expedite his ability to land modeling jobs. Troy is a fan of fashion photography and likes grainy, muted imagery. By the end of our pre-shoot consultation, Troy and I decided to rent a studio space to correlate with his goals and visual aesthetic. While I don't considered myself a fashion photographer, I do know the types of images that model agencies need to have to move forward with a new model. Agencies and casting directors want to see a clean headshot, a variety of looks, and a handful of photographs that reveal a bit about the model's personality. Considering this, Our goal for Troy's portrait session was to nail these "must-have" images so that Troy would be ready to approach agencies as soon as possible. I had a blast during working with Troy during our two-hour portrait session and know that Troy has great things ahead of him in the modeling world. Are you interested in starting a modeling career in Tokyo or elsewhere in Asia? If so, give me a shout to start a conversation about how I can help you reach your goals with a headshot, personal branding, or fashion inspired portrait session. More Portraiture Posts |
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