Modeling and Age Discrimination

About three weeks ago I worked with a model I’d never worked with before. She is gorgeous in every way. Polite, intelligent, beautiful skin, gorgeous full and shiny hair and an amazing fit body. As long as a person is of legal age I don’t really care how old they are. If they suit the look I’m going for then I really could care less beyond getting the job done. But I was stunned by what she told me. She mentioned that in her experience many people were turned off by her age. She perfectly recalled an occasion, when a photographer she had just finished shooting with asked her age. When she told him he visibly expressed shock and immediately became dismissive and treated her horribly. I personally just don’t understand the obsessiveness with age. Clearly this model was perfect before the photographer knew her age. I was appalled and very disappointed in this photographer’s behavior. It makes the entire industry seem so very very superficial.  All we really want or really need is a competent and talented subject to meet the criteria of the task. 

I might have known that something was off when she asked the average age of the models I typically work with early in the photo shoot. She was unnaturally interested. When I mentioned all ages she was visibly but pleasantly surprised. I clearly remember saying, “I don’t have an age limit. I only have qualifications. If a person suits those qualifiers then I don’t care. If she is slightly older then all the better since statistics tend to suggests that more mature models are more reliable.” Then she told me her story. I couldn’t get over how someone calling themselves a professional could behave in such a manner. In her estimation, anyone over 30 years of age was at a horrible disadvantage. Clearly she had been shaken and somewhat discouraged by her experiences and given her talent and her looks I was simply baffled why anyone so beautiful might have developed such a distrust and negative attitude about the industry at large.

It didn’t take me long to realize she was not alone. I did a bit of research and spoke to a few colleagues and other models. While there are certainly more mature models working, many have experienced some form of push back when they revealed their age. It wasn’t because they didn’t look the look, walk the proverbial walk or that they didn’t meet all the criteria of the task - NO! It was only because of their age; a simple number that often disqualified them from further consideration.

When did we become so shallow a society to care how old or how young a person is if they perfectly suit the task at hand? In fact, I have argued that on occasion it might be more attractive to seek out a slightly more mature model because of their attention to detail, their work ethic and dedication. Paid or unpaid, collaboration or commissioned, I have never had a model over 30 years of age not show up. From a marketing perspective, any smart person would know that models in their 40s, 50s and 60s is a rapidly growing and sought after group due to the amount of products and services seeking that demographic. More specifically, the amount of quality images needed to promote products to that group is rapidly expanding. It is quite simply, a smart move to work with this rapidly expanding market. If anything, this photographer should be bowing and pleading for the pleasure. But even that is not really the argument here. The lack of common business sense is argument enough for the imbecile that has a problem with age. But what truly perturbs is the fact that this age-nazi expressed no problem whatsoever until he or she actually learned the model’s age. It’s baseless and ignorant to age discriminate for any reason short of not being able to perform the task and that can be true of any person at any age. 

This photographer, whomever they are is simply a fool. It was a tactless thing to do, a blatant lack of professionalism and it shames me to know that someone as kind and as beautiful as this model has to endure such ridicule for being who she is. 

Lucky for me I did photograph her and quite frankly I loved every second of it. She was perfectly qualified, punctual, experienced, respectful, communicable and gorgeous. What else could I possibly want? All things being equal she was perfect and I don’t care how old she is beyond being of legal age. 

5 Mistakes You're Making With Your Portfolio

5 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Portfolio

If you’re out there in front of the camera or behind it and just having a bit of compensation free fun then who cares, this will not apply to you. But if you’re serious about how your port is perceived, if you’ve devoted time to even having a port, then you owe it to yourself to understand how it might be perceived when these common mistakes are made. 

1. Too many selfies. If you’re serious about your port (meaning you really want to attract and land some high quality assignments or attention) dispense with the selfies. Put them on your Instagram Page, your Facebook personal account or whatever is being used to house your casual going ons. But a professional account or any page where you’re trying to bring in quality collaborations, you’re not going to get them with selfies. Sure, I know you want to show clients and other potentials your casual fun loving side. Trust me, they’ll get that when they meet you in person. The port is your resume and your first chance to deliver what you’re about and what you’re capable of. You will not be landing any big fish with selfies today.

2. Too much of a good thing. It doesn’t matter how hot you look in that dress, showing 15 different variations of smiles or poses in it will get you laughed at. It demonstrates a gross ignorance of the process of selection on the publishing and booking side. Agencies and booking agents want to see one and at the very very most two images of that dress or blazer you’re so proud of. If you’re booked for a job, they’re likely looking for one image of any given look (two tops if it’s catalog work) to sell or advertise what they need to. To land the big fish you need to understand the industry and the selection process of advertising and publishing. STOP WITH THE SERIALS of that same jacket, in that same scene with little to no differentiation between the shots. Even a catalog will show two maybe three of the garments they advertise so that you get a good viewing of the overall look, one closeup for detail and perhaps (very rarely) a third showing it in the context of use such as a lifestyle scene. Lose the serials. Even the best look can get boring after the third pic.

3. Too much emotional attachment. I know you really really love that designer. You’ve seen his or her work everywhere. Plus you have met them and have a deep friendly connection. You’re pretty much pals. But it might stand to reason that their particular garments do not suit you. Bad colors, poor fit and just cuts unflattering to your body. It doesn’t make you any less of a model or them any less of a designer. It just means it’s not for you. So while you might absolutely love that skirt in your port, to the unbiased eye it a horrible horrible fit. It makes you look plump, or anorexic, or just plain wrong. It also extends to photographers as well. You love this model. She’s easy  to work with, professional, always on time but the pics kinda suck for some reason or another. It’s not her. It’s not even you. It’s just poor creative chemistry but you really really like her cause “she’s good people” you say. Change the nature of what you’re shooting or move on and get it out of your port. 

4. Too much randomness. No direction. No clear objective. No clear path of what it is you’re trying to achieve. It’s great to have variety but you risk being a jack or jill of all trades and a master of none. I understand. You want to give yourself the broadest chance of being discovered. Look I can do all sorts of looks. Let me be honest with you, it doesn’t work that way. The same way you have to tweak your resume for each individual job you want, you have to tweak your port for each assignment you want to book. Some of the most popular models in the world all said their agents literally ripped out over half of their port pages and started from scratch because they were all over the place. Do yourself a favor a narrow your path and focus on your strengths. You’ll be better off and you’ll thank me later.

5. Too much of the same crew. You love your stylist. You adore this model. You want this photographer to shoot your entire port. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. By all means, do what I do and come back to them as often as possible for your more ambitious creative projects. Yet, when building your port which may include credits, you would fair best having some personnel differentiation. It proves you can work with different people in different circumstances. It also proves you can step outside of your comfort zone. When I see 10 out of 15 pics from the photographer in a model’s port I cringe. It tells me she’s absolutely brand new with zero experience and that this photographer may be the only one they’re comfortable with thus far. Not to say that he or she is but it implies same. It may also suggests you don’t get along with people or that you’re shy and unwilling to branch out. It’s a deal breaker.