These are some of the more popular genres of modelling. It is by no means a complete list.

Fashion

Modelling where clothing is the central focus.

Figure/Art Nude

Modelling where the body is the central focus. Usually whole body but may include specific body parts (i.e. hands, eyes)

Fittings model

Models are used to test the sizing of sample garments before they go on sale.

Glamour

Modelling where the model is the main focus. This covers models who pose topless or nude (think Page 3, FHM, Zoo, Nuts Playboy), but can also include non-topless/nude work where the focus of attention is on the model and not what he/she is wearing. This is probably the most competitive genre of modelling. It is important to note that it is illegal in many countries (including the UK) for anyone under the age of 18 to pose for topless/nude glamour photos.

Lingerie/Swimwear

Like fashion modelling, but concentrating solely on lingerie or swimwear.

Parts Model

Similar to figure modelling but concentrates on specific parts of the body, such as the model's hands or feet.

Print Model

Unlike runway modelling, this is generally done in a studio producing images to be used in printed media such as magazines, catalogues etc.

Runway/Catwalk Model

This is fashion or lingerie modelling involving a catwalk for models to display a designers clothing line to a live audience. For this type of work you usually have to be at least 5'9" (although Kate Moss is only 5'7")

A lot of girls dream of being published on websites across the World, of there being digital images of them hanging in Art Galleries and being in glossy magazines. There are a lot of very very attractive ladies out there who have never succeeded in their attempts to get into the industry, and a lot of reasonable looking girls who have. So success is not about looks, it's about having the right photo. There are hundreds maybe thousands of photos being sent into magazine editors etc, all of which, lets face it, must be pretty same-ish after a while. It's not down to how the girl looks, whether she be brunette/blonde/red-haired or whether she has big boobs or not. It's down to whether a particular pic stands out from all the others. Take yet another pic of a girl in her undies in front of a curtain..... now put that girl on the back of an elephant..... yeah yeah it's a ridiculous comparison but it's different. see what I mean? It's a very competitive business. You need to be thinking about what you are going to do to make you stand out against the other girls. Think 'outside the box' and produce something different (picturewise) that will get you noticed. Otherwise you might find yourself producing endless photos with your boobs out, bum out, red underwear, black underwear, etc etc etc just like all the other girls.

Glamour is about fantasy, but not always fantasising about girls in bedrooms (although for some guys that is all they need). It's about the model making a connection with the viewer (I say viewer to cover the fact that both male and females look at the photos). That's why when guys see photos of girls smiling or looking straight into camera (and creating the effect of looking into their eyes) the guys will often take notice. It's also about putting the viewer into an imaginary scenario that they find appealing/attractive.

So now you've got a friend to take some photos of you and you've put them up on a forum to ask what people think. The photos are unlikely to get you anywhere other than to introduce your face to people, which is okay. Not many beginners get much luck with their first photos. The more photos you can take and have taken the better.

Experiment with your poses. Keep thinking of locations, indoor and outdoor where you could get some great shots. If it is getting a bit cold to be doing outdoor underwear shots, think of clothed shots instead. For example, if you have a nice full length coat you could do a 'glimpse of stocking top & suspender', or lingerie under an open coat. I'm sure you have lots of ideas. Do some simple portrait shots. Photographers won't only book you to do glamour shoots, you'd be surprised some of the normal stuff or the weird and wonderful fetish stuff that models are asked to do.

Different people will give you different advice, all of which may be just as valid. Listen to everyone. Decide which people sound as though they have genuine knowledge to pass on, and take on board that which suits you and your way of thinking. You might find glamour doesn't suit you, there are plenty of other modelling genres. Decide which you want to do, and set your limits.

The work isn't going to come to you, you have to go out and get it. It's not all down to luck, to a large extent it's down to hard graft. That means deciding what you are prepared to do, advertising, networking, making good contacts, being reliable when you get the work, being prepared to work long hours, travel long distances sometimes in the early hours of the morning or very late at night. Be prepared to do your own styling, Make Up Artistes (MUAs) can be expensive and photographers don't always use them. Often you'll need to take a selection of your own outfits and props as these are not always provided by the photographer.

Set your levels i.e. how far you want to go  - portrait, body part, fashion, lingerie, fetish, art nude, implied nude, full nude etc. and stick to them. Never let a photographer pressure you into doing something outside your personal comfort zone. You should have discussed your levels with the photographer at the time of booking the shoot, so you should be prepared to work to the agreed levels (i.e. don't turn up at a topless shoot and announce you've decided to do clothed only). However if a photographer asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable (for example a certain pose feels a little too revealing) or you feel uneasy doing what the photographer has asked for (e.g. being tied up for a bondage scenario), you are within your rights to say no. Be prepared to walk away if necessary. Professional photographers will respect your wishes and would rather you say something now rather than regret it later.

Be really sure that you want to do fetish or any of the nude levels before accepting work of this nature. Being in a studio or on location with a photographer and any number of his male and female staff wandering around while you are naked is very different from taking pictures in the privacy of your own bedroom, and once the photos have been taken, they can never be un-taken.

Be prepared to go out on location shoots. Be prepared for anything from unsuitable weather, bystanders watching and yelling comments, having to cover up quickly and sometimes having to run. It can be fun, but it's also hard work. You'll probably be asked to help lug all the equipment around.

When you first start out you'll probably be using a phone camera or a compact digital camera. You may be taking the pictures yourself or have a friend take them for you. If it is an amateur taking the photos, they are probably using a camera with a slow shutter speed. Lighting is important. If you've been in a studio you'll know that the photographer will change camera angles and move lights constantly. Watch your backgrounds too, if you're pale or you're wearing pale coloured lingerie/clothing don't have a pale background. This is even more apparent in black and white pictures. People can't see you. Watch out for the flash reflecting off the walls and mirrors too.

A professional photographer will be using a much better camera and lighting and will take several hundred shots during a shoot, so all those dodgy photos where you blinked at the wrong moment, or where your hair was out of place, will be discarded when you and the photographer go through thephotos to pick out the best ones.

Make up for photography is like stage makeup apply it much heavier than you would normally wear because of the lighting paling the model out.

A professional pic will be digitally retouched before being presented to the viewing masses. All professionals use digital retouching on photographs, even world-famous supermodels have images retouched. It's not about whether you need it, it's about whether your images could be improved by it. Enhanced lighting, red-eye taken out etc. Airbrushing will sort out lumps, bumps, scars, spots, stretchmarks etc so don't worry too much about any little imperfections you might have. That said, a good photograph can be totally ruined by over-the-top retouching. It should be used to remove little imperfections, not to completely change the way you look.

Professional pictures will be copyrighted to the photographer. The photographer owns them not you. When you do a shoot the photographer may ask you to sign a release form agreeing to your images being sold, possibly to a magazine, newspaper or web site. Read the release form carefully before you sign so you know what you are agreeing to. If there's anything you're unsure of, get clarification before putting your signature on it.

You do not have the right to sell photographs yourself unless the photographer has specifically given you permission to do so. You are also not automatically entitled to put the pictures up on any public forum, networking site, facebook etc or even on your own website without the photographers permission.

An agent's job is to find you work. Always remember an agent works for you, you don't work for them! It's not worth having an agent unless they are actively seeking work for you,  after all they'll be the first to take a cut when you do get a job. Many models freelance, advertising on websites such as PureStorm, Net-Model and Model Mayhem. They will build up portfolios and good working relationships with photographers and other models who, if they like what they get, will frequently do repeat work with them.

Stick with the big UK names. Some smaller agencies promise the earth but deliver nothing in the way of regular work. Many of them are so grossly over-populated because of lowered standards of model applying that the decent models get lost in a mist of mediocrity.

Never EVER pay an agent a fee upfront to put you on their books. From 1 October 2010 an agency finding you work as a photographic and/or fashion model is banned from charging you an upfront fee for including your details in a publication or on a website.

A professional attitude is needed, always send proper well written communicative emails. An organised email will convey an organised model. Don't use text speak, always use a business like manner. Use spell checker if you have it.Get all details in writing, double check with the photographer the day before. Make sure you have a telephone number you can contact him/her on while you are travelling to the shoot. Be punctual.

Whenever you attend a shoot, let your parents, partner or another person know where you are going and give the exact location address. Always consider taking another responsible adult along as a chaperone. Most genuine photographers will not mind you doing this. Some will ask them to help out, others will request that they keep out of the way, or may even ask your chaperone to wait in another room.

Be warned, the industry has more than it's fair share of con artists and scammers, whose sole intentions generally include parting you from your hard earned cash or soliciting photos on the premis of seeing if you're suitable for the (non-existent) work they have to offer. More on this here.

If you haven't worked with a photographer before, you are within your rights to ask him/her for references before you accept the booking. Once you've obtained details, check them.

When posing for a photo imagine there are fish hooks on your eyebrows, lips, nipples, the small of your back, your hips and your butt. Then imagine they all have wires attached to them pulling them up. Pretend to blow tiny bubbles with your lips. Avoid trying for a sexy pout until you've perfected it otherwise you'll end up looking as if you are scowling. A smile is a winner every time.

If the shot calls for you not to be smiling, don't look miserable. Use your eyes to bring life to the picture. A miserable look and dead eyes is not good.

Often, like an actor getting into a role, a model will use her imagination to get into role. Her thoughts will then reflect through her eyes, her stance etc. Make contact with the person looking at your picture. That means don't look into the camera, look through it as if you are looking at a person behind the photographer. You might not realise it, but the size of your pupils change as you focus on something, and this makes a big difference to the resulting picture. Relax, but don't slouch. That's not as easy as it sounds so practice.

Get your photographer to do lots of different poses with you. Do full length and portrait. Go through them and see which angles, facial expressions etc bring out the best in you. Be brutal and only use the very best images. Don't decide the photos are 'OK' or will 'have to do as they're the only ones I've got'. If you're not completely happy with them, scrap them and start again. Remember that of maybe 1000 professional shots taken during a shoot, often only half a dozen are chosen to use.

Plan ahead

If shooting at home, take a good look around before starting to take photos. Tidy up. Make the bed. Clear away laundry (clean or dirty!), children's toys and anything else not intended for inclusion. If shooting in a studio or on location discuss what outfits, lingerie etc. you will be wearing in advance so that you can decide on accessories etc., to ensure you remember to take everything you need with you. Planning ahead will also save valuable time at the shoot as you will already know what you're doing and in which order.

Little things

In addition to clothes, lingerie, accessories and cosmetics etc., your model bag should include:

• Sewing kit for emergency repairs
• Safety pins
• Pair of Scissors
• Comfy shoes (especially when working outdoors - you don't want to be tottering across a field on 6 inch heels!)
• Small bulldog type clips (useful for making oversized clothes fit)

Doing a mix of clothed/lingerie and topless images?

Red marks left on your skin when you remove underwear will spoil photos. They take at least 2 hours to fade and disappear. Whilst it's true these marks can be removed by air-brushing, many photograhers - especially those shooting on a TF basis - will not retouch images (or may charge for this service). If you plan on doing a selection of images including some clothed, some topless (including implied) you should ideally do the topless shots first.

Labels / Tags

Don't spoil an otherwise great image by having labels or tags visible. I'm talking about the fabric care / washing instructions. The shop tags should already have been removed (you did remove the price labels from those new shoes, didn't you?!) Always remove labels and tags from underwear, swimwear and any other sheer/transparent clothes. This is one reason you took a pair of scissors!

What is TFCD/TFP I hear you asking? TFCD stands for Time For Compact Disc. TFP is used less since the advent of digital cameras, but stands for Time For Prints. Both terms are used to describe a type of photoshoot where you and the photographer agree to do the shoot without payment either way. In return for your time, you get a disk of images or a selection of prints. This is a great way for novices to get an idea of what a professional shoot in a professional studio feels like, whilst getting some photos to start their portfolio with. A lot of amateur photographers offer TFCD/TFP too. Get a TFCD shoot or two if you can. When you have enough pictures to make up a portfolio then you need to be thinking of your own website where you can showcase your look, advertise for work etc.

Agents

Modelling and talent agents provide representation to actors, models and other talent. The agency helps models find work and collects payment from the client. The agency takes a commission (usually 20%) and passes the rest to the model. By law once the agent has received payment from the client (hirer) they must pay the model within 10 days

Agency Terms and Conditions

It is normal for an agency to produce Terms and Conditions (T&C's) but be careful as some can be very restrictive and control what a model can/cannot do elsewhere, and some aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Always read, then re-read them and do not sign anything until you understand them 100%

Booking 

When a client selects (books) a model for a particular job.

Casting

also known as a Test Shoot, it is an interview or audition for a potential client prior to work being booked. Castings are usually unpaid and attended by many prospective models.

Callback/ 2nd Casting

This is where a client is interested in a particular model or actor and would like to see them for a second time, prior to making the final selection as to who will get the assignment.

Composite Card/ Z Card

Also known as a "comp" card. They usually have a small selection of photographs and brief details of the model (eg stats etc). Think of it as your business card - taken to castings to leave with the client.

Exclusivity 

This means that a model is signed exclusively to one agent and all work must be booked through them (their T&C's will often contain a clause which entitles them to commission on all work undertaken, even if they don't find it). You would be asked to sign an exclusivity contract - make sure you read and understand it completely before signing.

Extras ('Supporting Artist') Agent

An agent that specialises in finding work in the film and TV industry. An extra is used to add to the background of a scene (customers in a pub, crowd at a football match etc) and doesn't speak any lines. This can be a good way of gaining extra money whilst waiting for modelling jobs to come in. Sometimes these agencies also get good photographic jobs. They usually charge you a fee to go on their website which is quite normal, and they also take a commission (usually 15-20%) for finding you work.

Fitting

A bit like a casting but for fashion or lingerie jobs. The model tries on the clothes that will be used on the assignment, allowing the client/designer to see how they will look so that a suitable model may be selected.

Model Bag

Any bag used to carry everthing a model needs on an assignment (e.g. change of clothes, combs/brushes, mobile phone, change, Z cards, portfolio, make-up, map etc etc - so really the content's of most handbags!). 

Model Release

A form a model may be asked to sign at a shoot giving the client/photographer permission to use the photos in a particular way. Read carefully before you sign! (see also the section about copyright elsewhere on this site).

Portfolio ('Book')

In simple terms a photo album of test shots and specimen photos from previous work. Used at castings to show a model's versatility and often used to determine which model will be selected for a job.

Show Reel

A short video to showcase a model's versatility and personality, especially useful for people wanting to become a presenter or actor/actress.

Tearsheets

Cuttings from magazines, newspapers etc of the work a model has done.