Have you found yourself wanting that dreamy photography portfolio to share about on Instagram, but haven’t booked your ideal client yet? We’ve all been there, friend, but say no more! Model calls may be the perfect answer for your business!  Model calls are an opportunity for a photographer to practice, build his/her portfolio, and reach new potential clients.  You can have a public model call where you post on your social media for interest, or you can put on a more personal and private model call.  Sometimes the private model call is much more ideal. 

Reasons to do Model Calls

Whether you’re an aspiring photographer or you’ve been in business for years, model calls are a great avenue to explore in your business. There are various reasons a photographer may choose to host a model call.  A big reason is to attract new business (hello ideal clients!).  If you’ve recently moved cities, a model call may be a good way to get your name out in your new area! I think it’s safe to say our style changes over time. If that’s you, then host a model call to test out your new style! It’s a no pressure, fun type of session. This leads me to one of the most important reasons yet, and that’s creativity! It’s easy for photographers to get caught up in doing the same things for each session, and never having time to actually be creative for a photoshoot.

Benefits of Model Calls

Model Calls can be extremely beneficial for you and your business.  One of the biggest benefits is making updates to your website portfolio.  Like I mentioned earlier, having ideal clients in your portfolio will attract those same dreamy clients to book with you! Have you wanted your clients to dress according to your photography style, but haven’t been able to make it happen? Send them a style guide with images from your model call showing EXACTLY how you recommend they dress for their session! We know social media is like a mini-portfolio when clients go to book us for their session.  Posting photos from your model calls is a great way to ensure your ideal clients are booking you.  For business and SEO purposes, using photos from model calls for blog posts and Pinterest is a great way to boost your website traffic!

Goals for your Model Calls

Model calls shouldn’t be scary or overwhelming to do! Just remember, they’re really all for YOU and your business! A great goal to start with is having five sessions. Make sure your models are diverse.  By this I mean, ethnicity, age, number of children, 1-2 parents, time of day for shooting, age of newborns, etc.! You want to be able to show a wide variety of types of sessions and models.  Another great idea to keep in mind is partnering with local businesses, such as florists, hair & makeup artists, clothing boutiques, etc.  You can find more info on this specifically in the How to Plan a Styled Shoot masterclass I hosted in your Membership for Motherhood Photographers portal.

Want to know more about Building your Portfolio with Model Calls?

Finally, I am SO excited to share that this month in the Membership for Motherhood Photographers, I’m hosting a masterclass giving you all the details on building your portfolio with model calls! You’ll leave the masterclass knowing EVERYTHING you need to know!

So what’s covered?!

• How to set boundaries from the beginning (Be sure to also check out a blog post on this here!)
• What to offer models (a complimentary session fee, limited images, or full gallery?)
• Qualifications
• Wardrobe
• Email and social media templates
• And more!

If you haven’t already joined in on the fun of the BHP community, be sure to do that HERE! We can’t wait to welcome you inside!