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Permalink Reply by Patrick Rooney on September 14, 2012 at 12:59pm

Hi I'm in Vancouver I can do a photo shootfor you to get started

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Permalink Reply by Jamie McGrath on September 14, 2012 at 9:47pm

Try to find outfits in thrift stores in your area; it's a great way to build wardrobe on a budget! Then see if you can find some photographers that are just starting out who are willing to trade photos for your modeling time.  Depending on what your interest in the pin-up genre is, you can do anything from photo shoots to car shows and everything in between.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda Moore on September 18, 2012 at 1:35pm

From my personal experience, trade shoots do not make a very nice portfolio. Most photographers "just starting out" will shoot your picture for free, but they are going to most likely stink. I have more embarassing, "no one can see these" photos than I have ones I love because of trade shoots.

A lady has to be willing to invest in themself if they want to get somewhere in life. Yes, I know not everyone has money to spend on things like photographs, but saving up for a shoot is not impossible. You can do a nice photo shoot in the $50-$100 range, and even I on a really small budget (heck, I have 3 kids and a mortgage!) can save up a $100 in a month or two. In the time you are saving you can work on your make-up, hair, and posing. Or save longer and go all out with a more expensive, more fabulous shoot.

PRACTICE posing. It's not stupid. Do it in front of a mirror. Have someone take some snapshots with a point and shoot camera. Get an idea of the poses that look good with your body type and face expressions that look pleasant on you.
Reference photos you like, try those poses. Try poses from classic pin-up drawings (Varga, Elvgren, etc) they have stood the test of time for a reason!

I started with a Model Mayhem account (you need something highter quality than a snapshot to open an account) and doing fashion shows for local designers.
I have done 6 runway shows in 3 years and have one this coming saturday. I am in a book and a catalog. I have gorgeous photos of myself. I AM NOT FAMOUS AND I HAVEN'T MADE ANY MONEY - and never will. Model if you enjoy it, but do not think you will make any money at it. It's expensive on the models part and time consuming.

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Permalink Reply by Tahitia Belle Fille on September 18, 2012 at 7:28pm

Hi Jeanie and welcome to the community! My advice is to look into thrift stores, the salvation army and general second hand clothing stores for starters, they're nowhere near what you'd call a guarantee to find runway calibre material each and every time, but you'll definitely find a good collection of pencil skirts and summer dresses with a vintage look to them.

I've also found that most cities have one or two "rebel" clothing stores, mom and pop stores that sell off beat, unique, sometimes custom made and really cute outfits. These are great places to find vintage looking and rockabilly clothes too. Usually you'll find these in more artsy areas of town, but really they can be anywhere so you just have to keep an eye out.

As for the photoshoots, Amanda is dead on the mark. This is one area that you do have to spend money on, and I can promise you that the results are worth if you find the right photographer. Most community's these days will have at least one photographer in driving range that will do work in fashion/pinup photography. I've also found that especially in this economy photographers are more willing than ever to negotiate custom pricing packages for client shoots.

Also like Amanda I haven't made a cent in this and I don't expect to. It really is a hobby when you get down to it, a really fun one. As long as you're doing this because you love it, and it really sounds like you do, I'm sure you'll have an awesome time in pinup modelling! :)

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