Luminosity Productions wrote:
We're two photographers from Oman, and we just moved to Los Angeles last August to go to university.
.........

However, when we intended to move forward it seemed like there was not much opportunity for us to get paid jobs

horse goes in front of cart,,,,, you have work visa or student visa?

S Employment Rules for F1 Students
Most international students in the United States hold an F-1 visa, which is the U.S. non-immigrant student visa. F-1 students are allowed to work in the United States, but only under certain conditions and in accordance with complex guidelines and restrictions issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year, but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. There are various programs available for F-1 students to seek off-campus employment, after the first academic year. F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment, after they have been studying for one academic year. These three types of employment are:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)
M-1 students may engage in practical training only after they have completed their studies.

For both F-1 and M-1 students any off-campus employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by the Designated School Official (the person authorized to maintain the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)) and USCIS.

Leonard Gee Photography wrote:

horse goes in front of cart,,,,, you have work visa or student visa?

S Employment Rules for F1 Students
Most international students in the United States hold an F-1 visa, which is the U.S. non-immigrant student visa. F-1 students are allowed to work in the United States, but only under certain conditions and in accordance with complex guidelines and restrictions issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year, but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. There are various programs available for F-1 students to seek off-campus employment, after the first academic year. F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment, after they have been studying for one academic year. These three types of employment are:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)
M-1 students may engage in practical training only after they have completed their studies.

For both F-1 and M-1 students any off-campus employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by the Designated School Official (the person authorized to maintain the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)) and USCIS.

What he said in addition you may have to apply for additional Federal Tax #s, State Sales Tax #'s, County Operational Licenses, Town or community enforcement authority and be inspected and approved to operate by the Fire Department;  and be required to post ALL Licenses, and Code References.

Luminosity Productions wrote:
Since we are fairly new to LA we were wondering if anyone has any advice on breaking into the fashion photography industry?

We have two main questions :
1. If you have a print and web portfolio ready, where would you head first?
2. Are there other outlets where you post your work and get approached by designers, agencies, etc. ?

This town is saturated to the brim with photographers.  Both shit and talented, willing to work for way cheaper than they ever should.

You want to get paid and break out, it is all about who you know and having the skills (photographic, business, and people) to convince others you are worth the money.

I don't work in fashion but, I've been in LA working since 2000 in stock, music, sports, and celebrity portraiture.  It always goes down the same way for me.  I either dig up contact information and setup a meeting or I get out to events where the people I need to meet are going to be, I sell myself as a person, I sell myself as a photographer, I ask for an opportunity to work with them.  If I get the chance it is 90% because they like me and my passion.

So, my advice would be to become very active in reaching out directly to people you want to work with. Find out how to contact them. Find out what events they might be attending.  Be a good person people want to work with.

Leonard Gee Photography wrote:
horse goes in front of cart,,,,, you have work visa or student visa?

S Employment Rules for F1 Students
Most international students in the United States hold an F-1 visa, which is the U.S. non-immigrant student visa. F-1 students are allowed to work in the United States, but only under certain conditions and in accordance with complex guidelines and restrictions issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year, but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. There are various programs available for F-1 students to seek off-campus employment, after the first academic year. F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment, after they have been studying for one academic year. These three types of employment are:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)
M-1 students may engage in practical training only after they have completed their studies.

For both F-1 and M-1 students any off-campus employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by the Designated School Official (the person authorized to maintain the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)) and USCIS.

Why did you pick Southern California with intentions of shooting fashion?  If I wanted to focus on fashion photography, I would move to New York and do an internship with one of the many awesome fashion photographers there.  Getting paid is the least of your worries if you have any intention of getting accomplished as a fashion photographer.   I'm now knocking Los Angeles, either for the fashion market, but LA is so very saturated with photographers in every aspect.  What little fashion photo jobs that are done in LA are usually going to be given to those already long established.  Either LA or NY, you will run into some heavy competition.  There is more fashion work done in New York.

Patrick Walberg wrote:
...If I wanted to focus on fashion photography, I would move to New York and do an internship with one of the many awesome fashion photographers there. ,,,There is more fashion work done in New York.

+1 QFT Firas & Razanv NYC is the center of the US Fashion industry and has been for decades... Chicago does some catalog, and Miami is in the midst of it's swimwear season...  trust me, there is no better path into the commercial side of the equation than assisting other tenured shooters in the marketplace... experience is a brutal teacher here...

All the best on your journey...