Welcome to Modeling 101
An information resource for new models

Newmodels.com has been providing information to the modeling community since 1995. By 2000 there were many forums and sites for Internet modeling. We realized that there was a special need for a site devoted to clear, straight, no-nonsense information about the commercial and fashion modeling industries, and changed newmodels.com to deal specifically with those fields.

There is an enormous amount of information about mainstream modeling available on television, in books and on the Internet – not to mention all the sales pitches from people trying to sell you pictures or classes or services you don’t need. And much of that information is misleading, if not flat wrong.

All too many "modeling information" sites are run by folks who have very limited experience in the industry. A lot of well-meaning advice is dangerous, or will cause you to make incorrect judgments about what you find in the industry. Some of it is even worse: people who have self-serving personal agendas and use their supposed position in the industry to "warn you" about real or imagined dangers that serve their personal needs, not yours.

Unlike other sites, we won't warn you about specific people or organizations. Rather, we will try to equip you with the information you need to make your own judgments. We will help you to understand your place in the industry, how to find an agency, what to do when you have an agency and go on a modeling job, and how to recognize and avoid the many scams that are waiting for you. The contributors to this site collectively have decades of experience in the industry, as photographers, model agency owners and bookers, makeup artists in major market cities, in the US, Europe and Asia, and both fashion and commercial markets. We have extensive experience both with "brick and mortar" agencies and with the Internet modeling scene. Our purpose is to share some of those years of expertise with you.

Although this site has always been free and non-commercial, we now do have one offering for sale. If this is Modeling 101, there is a need for a larger, more comprehensive work that deals with topics in more depth, and beyond the scope of this site.  If you find the articles here helpful, we urge you to purchase our book, The Professional's Guide to Modeling, which tells you the things you really need to know about all of the various modeling disciplines.

Mother Agents? Agents? Test Photographers? Clients? Who are these guys?
The Players in the Modeling Industry
 

What does it take to be a professional model? We tell you all about it:
An Introduction to Professional Modeling
 

A modeling school wants you to take their classes. Is that how you get into this business?:
Should you go to Modeling School?
 

You've been invited to attend a model search or convention. Is it a good idea for you? What is it all about?
About Model Searches and Conventions
 

Do you really have to be tall to be a model? Well, it all depends on what type of modeling you want to do. Here's the scoop:
Height and Professional Modeling
 

Lots of scary stuff in the press about fashion models and eating disorders. Is any of it real?
Eating Disorders and Fashion Modeling
 

What's that? You say you can't possibly get to Size 2? Here's another option for you:
All About Plus Modeling
 

How do you get pictures from Internet photographers without having to pay them?
All About TFP
 

Hey, what's this "Model Release" they gave me, and do I have to sign it?
All About Model's Releases
 

I did a photo shoot, and the photographer won't let me use my own pictures. What's up with that?
All About Usage Licenses
 

What do fashion and commercial models look like? Are they all young white folks? We tell all.
All about Race, Sex and Age in Commercial and Fashion Modeling
 

I got an email from company, and I saw their agency site online. Is it really an agency?
What is a Model Agency?
 

How do I apply to a model agency? What do they want to see? What mistakes can I avoid?
How To Apply to a Model Agency
 

How do I get modeling jobs? What's a go-see? What does "on hold" mean? A survival guide to the process of getting hired.
How Professional Agency Modeling Works
 

Your child is adorable! Everyone says so. Should you try to make her a professional model?
How Child Modeling Modeling Works
 

Are you living outside the US and want to work here as a model? How do you qualify?
Visa Requirements for Working in the USA
 

Do I need a "Mother Agency?" What the heck are they anyway?
All About "Mother Agencies"
 

Some guy just emailed you and wants to be your manager. But he doesn't have a real, brick and mortar management business.
About "Internet Managers" and Internet Agencies
 

So this Internet agency has all these great jobs available. Should you join them?
The Bogus Internet Modeling Agency Scam
 

You just got this great job offer from the Internet. Congratulations! But is it real?
The Nigerian Scam comes to Modeling
 

Think you know how to tell a scam from the real thing? Are you sure? It's more complicated than you think.
Myths and Reality about Modeling Scams