Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
Sad, but I am not getting any opportunities.

What do you feel is lacking? It looks like you've built a solid portfolio, worked successfully with a lot of photographers...

Are you just not being offered paid work? What are your goals?

Viator Defessus Photos wrote:

What do you feel is lacking? It looks like you've built a solid portfolio, worked successfully with a lot of photographers...

Are you just not being offered paid work? What are your goals?

My goals are to be able to travel the world and model everywhere.

Chuckarelei wrote:
Majority of the aspiring models fail to reach their dreams. That's just a reality. Too many people/talents chasing for so few opportunities.

thank you for your honesty.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:

My goals are to be able to travel the world and model everywhere.

Let's be honest- that is a VERY lofty goal even for strong models (or any creative) in a major market.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
Sad, but I am not getting any opportunities.

I "quit" twice a year. And each time something great happens that changes my mind. But sadly it's a temporary feeling and I'm back to wanting to quit again.

Danielle Reid wrote:

I "quit" twice a year. And each time something great happens that changes my mind. But sadly it's a temporary feeling and I'm back to wanting to quit again.

Caitie Elizabeth Photo wrote:
What you might want to do is to focus on your career in a week by week way. Instead of giving yourself such a huge goal, focus on working every week to get closer to success and set smaller goals for yourself so that one day you can finally reach your overall dream. It will put less stress on yourself and also make your goal seem more realistic and in your reach.

This would be my immediate suggestion.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
im willing to travel and do anything except nude. ...

I guess you are aware that you have some implieds in your credited photos?

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
im willing to travel and do anything except nude.
I knew it wasnt going to be easy, just thought i'd be somewhere after 3 years.
i work out every day. by the way. im super fit.

Okay.

Do you realize how many thousands of girls model?  What are you doing to get photographers to hire you instead of them?

FYI, your competition works out, is super fit, do nudes, and are getting paid to travel, but they are also working their butts off every day to succeed.

I wonder if there is something obvious that they are doing that you're not.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
My goals are to be able to travel the world and model everywhere.

Very sorry to say this, but at 5'4" that's a bit unrealistic. It is even unrealistic for 99% of the 5'8" and taller, 16 year old, agency models.

Commercial work normally tends to be local.

TheVisionHarry wrote:
For what this is worth, despite the fact your profile says you are "friendly and goofy", the rest of your profile comes off as very short, "I" focused, snooty and standoffish, at least to my eye's "ear". 

The written word is a horrible medium for establishing mood, intent and personality.  It takes time and effort and editing to create something that reads well to everyone.  Perhaps if you were to read your profile to yourself, out loud, several time, with several different emotions attached to your voice, it would help you with a re-write.

IMHO, reduce the use of the word "I" at the beginning of every sentence, and try to make it read a little softer.

Height you can't fix.
No nudes really limits your opportunity for paid hobbyist gigs, but people should respect that choice, and it is yours to make.

The one thing you can fix is the impression you give in your profile.  I don't know how many people read it when considering a model to work with, but I have read every word of every profile of every model I've ever sent a request to.

You've got the physical tools, maybe this could help... but then again, waddoIno?  I tend to be wordy and I know most people are not.  Maybe I'm the only one with that opinion, and it's not worth the time it took to write.

Regardless, best of luck if you stick with it.

Op did not ask for critique here. Unsolicited critique is not permitted here in this section.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
My goals are to be able to travel the world and model everywhere.

Have you tried travel on your own expenses and looking for opportunities on your way?

Also, you don't have to be professional to be able to enjoy what you like. Often being not a "professional" is easier and better in many aspects.

I mean, if you really like modeling you keep doing it doesn't matter what. Unless you have a bigger dream you expected get through modeling.



Márcio Faustino

Caitie Elizabeth Photo wrote:
What you might want to do is to focus on your career in a week by week way. Instead of giving yourself such a huge goal, focus on working every week to get closer to success and set smaller goals for yourself so that one day you can finally reach your overall dream. It will put less stress on yourself and also make your goal seem more realistic and in your reach.

+1

Light and Lens Studio wrote:
My opinion, along with many others responding is that you need to broaden your horizons.

+1

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
im willing to travel and do anything except nude.
I knew it wasnt going to be easy, just thought i'd be somewhere after 3 years.
i work out every day. by the way. im super fit.

Nude work makes up probably 80% of the income-earning opportunities you will find online. That's just a guess, and honestly, I might still be being too generous in my estimate. The modeling opportunities you will find OFF the internet are geared toward fashion and editorial models, who are close to six feet tall.

Finding ANY modeling work is hard, and requires constant, focused commitment to hustling and even being willing to question your own boundaries, and often take jobs that you might not be particularly excited about. Even people who work in offices, do plumbing and install hardwood floor, occasionally have to take jobs they hate, with customers who suck. That's the nature of making money.

I've put in close to a decade (it will be ten years next spring) as an income-earning model - first for figure drawing, painting and classical arts, then later as a nude model working in many different genres of non-mainstream photography and video content. Suffice it to say that the time and energy I have invested into keeping my body in good shape is above and beyond what normal people devote to that (I'm also a certified trainer) --- and finding work is still HARD. It's hard, and it's constant, and if you want it to be your primary source of income, you will have to get used to putting in thousands of miles of travel. I put 8,000 miles on my car from the beginning of last March, through mid-April --- and a lot of that travel cost must come out of your own pocket. You have to be willing to sleep in stranger's homes while on the road, and to meet photographers in random locations without hesitancy, or fear.

Modeling as a living requires a lot of bold risk-taking, fearlessness, and willingness to question a lot of mainstream ideas about what is "normal" or socially acceptable. It also requires well-developed business acumen.

Being shapely and beautiful is only a smallish piece of the puzzle. A living wage comes with incredible devotion to your craft - including being willing to sleep on air mattresses on the floor of a hotel room you might have to share with another model and photographer or two. Willingness to sit next to stinky people in buses or on public transit for hours at a time, between locations. Willingness to explore shooting content that you don't really like, or aren't interested in, willingness to go hard, and when someone calls you a name because they don't understand your work, you just have to not give a fuck and move on.

The day to day life of a traveling model is not glamourous, and you're highly unlikely to be pampered or adored. You're going to have to work hard, and just tell the world to fuck off. That's about what it really boils down to in the end.

It worked for me, because I never felt like I belonged to the larger society, or conventional ways of living and being. Conventional rules and jobs never made sense to me to begin with. Women who thrive as traveling models seem to identify more with being the "underdog," living outside the mainstream to begin with, or having not fit in well anywhere else.

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
Sad, but I am not getting any opportunities.

It is doubtful that I am going to say anything that hasn't been said, but sometimes reinforcement is good. 

Consider travel and networking your travel (send PMs and tags and let people know you are coming, even though some people see this as a sin and will block you.  Not everybody reads travel notices). 

You have implied in your port, maybe it is time to take it a step further and shoot nudes.  One of the comments that you will often see in the forums, is that some of us won't shoot with anyone that doesn't do nudes, even if nudes aren't required. 

Adjust your goals to something more specific.  Traveling the world may come eventually.  Think of something a little more attainable and something more defined.

If you aren't in college, then start thinking about another career and what it will take to prepare for another career.  Understand that models have a short shelf life.  You will be beautiful for as long as you live, but that doesn't mean you can model that long.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
...My goals are to be able to travel the world and model everywhere.

Elyse there are options which will allow this... primarily the path is to become a promotional model, a spokesperson, better known as a brand ambassador for an international entity... this requires a radiant smile, effervescent personality, sparkly and cheerful to the extreme... while your height is less important it still may be limiting... but not nearly as much owing to your Asian ethnicity... even top agencies lower height requirements for Asian models...

There are indeed agencies that specialize in promotional modeling... seek them out and proactively (but not aggressively) court them... stay in constant touch with these agencies... there needs are fluid and rather dynamic... if your comp card is in front of the right person at an ideal moment then you could realize the beginning of your dreams... but this is a journey... upon which you may find yourself in new realities... I've seen this time and time again with gifted talent I've worked with...  hope springs eternal...

As for Mayhem? The MM Forums can indeed hold precious industry information as well as council from those with their own hidden agendas... speaking of which you are extremely wise and savvy to avoid doing nude modeling in as this can be a serious career limiting move... case in point I recently received an urgent plea to remove in image from my book... this was from a talent with whom I collaborated with over half a decade ago... she was being denied a wonderful career position in teaching because her name was linked to nude work done years ago... If you have even the slightest aspirations of working with youth or adolescents best not to accept any assignment that will have you posing nude... experience is a brutal teacher...

You have gorgeous symmetrical facial features and beautiful skin tone... there are so many wonderful options available to you... All the best on your journey...

Elyse Nicole Craft wrote:
Sad, but I am not getting any opportunities.

If you truly wish to pursue your dream...

Make opportunities.  Network, hone your craft, network, constantly reevaluate how you plan to achieve your goals & network.