Hey guys! My name's Ashley Cote and I am a Bachelor of Commerce student at Grant MacEwan University. I’m married to my schoolwork but I've been doing some modeling on the side for about a year now and it's been going better than ever. I am a freelance model. Freelance means no agency; you are free to do any and as many modeling jobs you want, and you find them yourself. I prefer freelance because as a student, you don't want to be signed to an agency if you get to busy it is sort of a waste. An agency however is better if you are available for lots of jobs the agency will find you and it also can help for more publicity.
The reason I started modelling was really just an experimental thing to see what that world had to offer. I started off by finding a website that allowed models, photographers, make-up artists, clothing, etc., to freely post their portfolios for other members to see. I was a little skeptical with it at first because there are MANY sites like this and I have friends that think after they get one call-back that it may be their "big break." I'm not saying this is the wrong way of thinking, but in this industry, I've rarely seen great success after just one call-back. You have to keep contacting photographers, replying to ads, and responding to people to get to the level you want to be at. They say "ignorance is bliss" but you can't be ignorant if you want to succeed because that could lead to missing great opportunities or wasting opportunities given to you. Like for any career, if you want more, you have to go get it. At the beginning, the photo shoots were few and far between, but I didn’t let this discourage me.
In the summer I moved back to my hometown because school was over and I took it easy with photo shoots, only doing a few, but my modeling career wasn't ignored. I would contact and respond to all the photographers I could find, and that found me. This advice does not only relate to relationships, but also for jobs: if they really want you, they'll wait for you. I had to tell them to wait for when I moved back to Edmonton until I could do a shoot with them.
Since I moved back here in the last week of August, modeling has been great. I've been doing at least one shoot a week. To be successful in modeling you have to put yourself out there and be open to different ideas and concepts. You don't want the same photos as every unknown model out there or you'll never be able to get noticed.
In conclusion, for anybody out there that would like to get into modeling, you should first practice (like for anything) to get better at posing or runway. Having a great attitude and be easy-going is another positive trait. Don't be afraid to try new poses that feel awkward, you never know it looks good on camera and because the worst that can happen is they delete the picture. Do not let the fact that the town you come from has a lack of opportunity discourage you. Remember, there are so many places in this world filled with opportunities, just cause you are from a small town, does not mean that you are limited to all they have to offer. The world is your playground. Thank you for reading. Please follow me on twitter @abcdefcote. Thanks Tylyn!!
photos courtesy of Facebook, Ashley, and Brittney Kallstrom, Zesmyth Studios, Tom Zesmyth respectively.