5 Must-Have Photos in Your Plus Size Modeling Portfolio That Will Get You Booked

Want to know the best photos to put inside your Plus Size Modeling Portfolio that will get you booked??? These are the 5 must have photos in your portfolio that you need to know about!

 

Putting your modeling portfolio together can be nerve racking and exciting! What picture should go first? Or second or third? Which images represent me best? What are agencies or brands looking for? What do they want and need to see from me?

As a plus size supermodel myself, I’m giving  you the tips of what 5 Must Have Photos you should have in your plus size modeling portfolio! You’re going to learn what brands, clients, and agencies are expecting to see from you when they open up and take a look at your portfolio.

After learning these 5 Must Have Photos, you’re going to be prepared when bringing your portfolio to any casting director or agent interested in booking you for their next job! 

This post is all about the must have photos in your Plus Size Modeling Portfolio that every model should know about! 

Perfect Plus Size Modeling Portfolio 

 

1. Plus Size Modeling Portfolio: The Headshot

Your headshot is your most important photo in your entire portfolio because it is the photo that is most sent around of you. Meaning, when a casting person or brand looks at your audition, the first thing they see is your headshot followed by any other photos and details they need. 

Even on Instagram, the first thing you see is someone’s profile pic which is usually a headshot! 

Your headshot should be updated at least every 3 – 6 months or if your facial features change for example, but not limited to: 

• If you dye your hair a new color or drastically change the length of your hair whether it gets shorter or you add extensions to make it longer
• You get a new tattoo/piercing that affects your facial features
• New scars 

I can’t stress enough, there is nothing an agency or client hates more than seeing outdated photos from a model. And to be honest, it can be embarrassing for you as a model to come to an in person audition/meeting not looking like the photo they received and they may even ask you to leave so don’t put yourself or your client in that situation!  

 

2. Plus Size Modeling Portfolio: Full Length Body 

Coming in hot, second place is the full length body photo and when I say full length I mean from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes!!! For obvious reasons, full length pictures are important so a casting director or agent can get a feel of what you look like as a whole. 

Having a great yet simple full length body photo is key.

 

3. Plus Size Modeling Portfolio: Side Pose/45 Degree Angle

When I first started modeling, sometimes I would be on set and the photographer would tell me “45 degree angle, 45 degree angle” and I never knew what that meant till they pointed in the direction they wanted me in which was sooo awkward, not gonna lie lol. 

And then not too shortly after, it finally clicked, 45 degree angle meant me walking towards the corner of the room aka it’s a side pose! The best way to explain it, imagine you’re standing in the middle of a square room, you would essentially walk towards the corner of the room and that’s a 45 degree angle. 

So if you’re on set and they say 45 degree angle, just walk or stand in the direction of the nearest corner of the room.

This pose is essential because it’s almost like giving the casting person in charge or buyer viewing the product, a 3D photo of what your body looks like from all angles. Showing off the depth and dimension of your body at the same time showing fluidity and movement while still seeing your beautiful face and/or outfit without turning fully to the side! 

I know it seems like a lot, but like playing a sport, it will become muscle memory and you will start doing it out of habit on set after a while – don’t let people fool you, modeling isn’t easy!!

For example, when you go on a website, you usually see a 45 degree angle pose so you yourself can imagine what you would look like with/in the product as a consumer. And to be honest, as you can imagine already, side poses can sometimes be the hardest because you usually have to mimic walking and/or running with this pose without actually walking and/or running!!

I would suggest practicing this pose especially a lot and in a mirror to create that muscle memory I mentioned so it looks as natural as possible and doesn’t come off stiff or too posed when your on set without assistance from a mirror. 

 

4. Plus Size Modeling Portfolio: Quarter Length

 

Quarter length photos are key because it’s a great way to show your silhouette up close. For your quarter length photo, I definitely recommend wearing a fitness, swim, or lingerie outfit to show off your body’s natural curves and lines.

Remember, this is the plus size modeling industry, they WANT to see your curves, imperfections, and more – this is not a time to be insecure. All of those things are what makes you UNIQUE and that’s what agencies and managers are looking for – uniqueness! 

 

5. Plus Size Modeling Portfolio:Wild Card 

Lastly, your wild card photo! For the most part, esp. your first portfolio shoot, it’ll be mostly commercial photos meaning clean, happy, energetic, simple, but quality photos. Being a model, your job is to be a blank canvas so a client and brand can imagine their vision of their brand on you aka your bringing their vision to life which can be such an amazing feeling and experience. However, once a while there’s a wild card image that just stands out!! 

For instance, when modeling with a fashion brand, you’re usually trying to show off the details of the clothes so for example, let’s say you’re modeling a pair of jeans. Usually, you’re trying to show off the outside of the jeans, the details, the pockets, the design, etc. so you wouldn’t want to do anything to cover up the jeans, but sometimes there is a pose or an angel that just really stands out even though it may block some details of the jeans – that’s your wild card image! 

Note: The exception to this would be if you’re only looking into getting into one or two kinds of modeling which is totally okay!! For example, high fashion modeling is more avant-garde and some models wish to only do high fashion which in that incase you would want your portfolio to be mostly more grande, avant-garde, editorial work. 

However, most models I know and work with, are open to many different categories of modeling which is why a portfolio that is simple yet quality is usually suggested and more importantly, KEY to booking jobs in the fashion industry. 

This post was all about the 5 must have photos in your plus size modeling portfolio to help you be prepared as possible when investing and creating your modeling portfolio. 

Other Posts You May Like:

7 Things Plus Size Modeling Agencies are Looking For in a Plus Size Model

5 Easy Ways to Book Plus Size Modeling Jobs with No Experience 

3 Go-To Plus Size Modeling Outfits for Auditions