Have a website
If you can’t afford one get a Flickr, Tumblr or a Facebook page. Don’t make a website with one of those free services that stamp their logo and ads all over your site. Most services that allow you to make a professional looking site will start around $10 a month. If you are serious about being a professional on either the model or photography end you should be able to invest $10 a month.
Only show your best images
Less is more with portfolios. If you have 5 amazing images people will think you are amazing and want to see more. If you have 5 amazing images and 40 mediocre images they can see maybe you are not absolutely fabulous. Whether it is posting to your website, blog, or social media page do not upload entire galleries of one shoot/look. Select your very best images to show. Your portfolio will build over time so don’t worry about it appearing too sparse. Try to arrange a shoot where you can get as many different looks as possible. One great way of getting different looks is hiring a hair and makeup artist. They can transform the model for each setup to give you dramatically different results.
Have professional profiles/about pages
Potential clients will always read up about you. Try to present yourself in a professional yet honest way. Show some personality as they want to know the real you. Be sure to use proper spelling and grammar and limit emoticons to zero, or maybe one. Notin makes u look more amature then trin 2 B kewl riting like dis. Same rules apply for correspondence. There is absolutely no need for short forms and poor spelling in emails, and messages. Also for your about pages take time in crafting what you write. You want to come across as open and easy to work with. Stating demands can cause people to turn away thinking you are a diva. Venting and sounding bitter can suggest you have a poor attitude. Clearly state your expectations but don’t demand or complain about poor experiences.
Practice
On either side of the camera it is essential to practice your craft. As a model you want to practice your facial expressions and poses. Of course a photographer will give you direction but if you can’t provide different expressions you will have some pretty boring looking photos. As a photographer there are always new techniques and tools to create amazing photographs. Constantly be reading tutorials and trying different types of photography.
Act professional... duh
I constantly read on various profiles “this is not a dating site”… which leads me to assume people try and pick up models while working. Are you insane? Why on earth would you consider acting inappropriate towards a model or any other collaborator in this business? I understand being friendly and playful but any kind of inappropriate behaviour can destroy your reputation. I won’t even get into the issue of it being wrong, and think purely from a reputation standpoint. One stupid move and you can literally kiss your career goodbye. While shooting, you’re working.
Don’t misrepresent yourself
A number of things fall into this category. For models it’s okay if you have out of date work and are looking to update, just be clear about it ahead of time. If your look has dramatically changed just say so ahead of time. It can be frustrating setting up a specific concept and arranging a certain model to fit that look and they show up looking nothing like what they represented. If you plan on getting a full body tattoo a week before the shoot that’s cool, just declare that ahead of time so there are no misunderstandings. A majority of the time it won’t matter and you can shoot away, but surprises are not good in a visual industry. For photographers; do not suggest you are something that you are not. Do not present yourself as super capable and professional if you are just starting. Admit that you are starting your portfolio so there are no false expectations as to what images the model will receive. One example I have heard from models is a photographer will have a very strong looking portfolio and when the models gets the edits back they are mediocre or poor quality. The scenario here being the work in the portfolio was taken at workshops with professional equipment set up by an experienced instructor. Lights, and camera settings were all set up, and the newbie just pressed the shutter button. Don’t get me wrong that’s not a bad thing for someone learning the ropes, just be clear about how those were taken.