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Minh-Ly | VIP Member | Verified Credits (123)

Where are you from? Where are you based now and do you travel for shoots?

I was born in Montreal, Canada. At the moment, I am in the process of moving to France with my fiancee. We plan to build a touring van which will allow us to travel together and shoot across Europe. I absolutely love to travel for my assignments and you can usually find me on the road.

Who or what inspired you to become a model?

Actually, I didn’t intend to become a model, so I wasn’t really inspired by anyone. In the beginning, no one supported me in this hobby which later became my profession. What started as a challenge to overcome my fears, became a hobby, and eventually a profession. It was the opposite of everything I had experienced before.  I thought it was bold for me to seek out strangers and posed naked in front of them, the thought of owning my business and managing it successfully was exciting, and I love expressing myself as an entrepreneur. I felt truly connected with myself and it was uplifting to use my body and mind for art.

How and when did you start modeling?

I am grateful to Pascal Duchene as my meeting and collaboration with him was one of the main turning points of my life. Seven years ago, a colleague from my old job, Pascal, approached me and wanted me to pose for an analog session. I honestly thought he was kidding, but I accepted the request anyway. The session was actually very pleasant. Relaxed and casual, Pascal guided me into his vision and, in two hours, we did one roll of twelve shots. I was impressed with the results. I thought I didn’t look too shabby and I loved how intimate the process was. I continued working my regular job, but fast forward one year later and I needed to change my life somehow. I had been diagnosed with clinical depression. I remembered my photo session. That’s when I decided to jump into modeling. I used all the pictures from my first shoot to start a portfolio on Model Mayhem, and have been building it since then.

What type of modeling do you enjoy the most?

Although I’ve explored many types of modeling, my calling is art modeling. I love how vast the field is. I love communicating my vision, and when I share my vision with other artists we can create something new and different together. I find that art modeling is the least restrictive category and I have more tools to convey my ideas. I can choose to be and do anything I want.

What do you look for when deciding to work with a photographer?

I do my research. I look at the photographer’s body of work and check his or her references and I ask myself, how do I fit into his/her artistic world? Does that world interest me? Will I be just another pretty girl or do they want to create something worthwhile together?

Going back to the references, I look at how the photographer is communicating with me. Is he/she respectful in his messages? Does he/she take the time to clearly state his/her intentions regarding the shoot? How does he or she respond when I quote my rate? Are we on the same length on the conditions and information?

Which models or other artists currently inspire you?

The list will be too long to get into, but here is for a glimpse. For models, currently, the ones that have consistently inspired me are Kate Snig, Madelyn Winter, Clara Cloutier, Mia Liberum and Roarie Yum. Aside from their sheer beauty, I find their charisma spellbinding, creativity limitless, and they have this odd talent to perfectly position themselves in space and make magic by a simple gesture. For photographers, to name a few, I adore Robert Mapplethorpe, Vivian Maier, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Richard Avedon, Irvin Penn, and Guy Bourdin.

What would be your dream shoot?

A dream shoot for me will be a single long assignment, either a week-long or an ongoing project. I love to work with people on a regular basis and it stimulates me when the assignment implies some traveling, moving from location to location, a mix between outdoors and indoors, and different concepts and styles. Any shoot that involves something that I have never done before is also very fun!

How important is social media in your success?

It is rather important for my business, but I try not to get involved in the race for “likes” and stories about the idealized version of my work. I have been too involved in the past and it has been toxic for me to obsess on my virtual identity. I post the kind of work I love to do or would like to get in my future assignments even at the cost of lower visibility and likes. I also use social media to communicate with clients/future clients and reach more people.

What else do you like to do outside of modeling?

I daydream a lot. I love to read, cook, listen to music, sing, dance (sort of), watch videos, and travel. I also do photography and would like to get back into designing clothes.

What’s the best career advice you can give to new models?

I don’t think I can offer a single best career advice that will solve all problems as it will never be enough just to get better in modeling or to last in the business. Two things I can’t stress enough are, “don’t flake” and “answer when you have to cancel a shoot.” Don’t just ghost. It is disrespectful of the photographer’s and your own time and resources setting up or talking about a shoot that you already know will never happen. When you are starting, you have no reputation so it is crucial to nurture positively and solidly.

Check out Minh-Ly’s Model Mayhem portfolio to see more of her work. You can also follow Minh-Ly on Instagram, and her website, https://minh-ly.com/.