I get asked the question "How do I get Started as a Model" so many times and I have to say there's not an easy answer to this.

First are you really sure that this is what you want! If the answer to this is yes and if you are at least 1.7 meters (5ft.7inch) tall, slim and beautiful and self confident and between 14 to 18 years of age, there is just a slim chance that you might make it.

But you need something to be in your favour, in fact it's so important that you stand little or no chance without it and you might as well give up right now and get back to your high school studies.

So what is so important that it will make or brake you, the answer to that is quite simple, it's your Mom. Without her blessing and indeed her help your going nowhere baby.

Lets start with the law, you are a minor until the age of 18 and unable to be photographed without your parent's permission and unable to attend a shooting session with a photographer unless your parent or guardian is present at the shoot.

Now you can understand the importance of this, as it not only safeguards the Model who is a minor, but it also safeguards the photographer as well.

After the shooting session is over a 'Minor Model Release' form has to be signed on behalf of the minor by the parent or legal guardian. This form is a standard document in the profession and it gives the photographer and his client permission to use the photos for whatever advertising purposes that are required, in exchange for a modeling fee that has been previously agreed upon and paid on the completion of the shoot.

How do you get discovered and believe me this is the difficult bit. Years ago when I was a full time Advertising/Fashion Photographer, it was sometimes just good enough to be found by the photographer and his opinion would add some weight when the model presented some recent photographs of herself to a Modeling Agency, providing of course she had all the above requirements. However today, things have changed with young model hopefuls posting their photos all over the internet and of course many of the model agencies keep a presence on line as well.

But I know of a story of a 14 year old girl in London, who at the time had no idea that she really wanted to be a model, but in the summer vacation was doing 'Work Experience' in the offices of one of the UK Fashion Magazines when she was 'scouted' by a model agency rep.

Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time, this of course does not prevent you from applying to all the top agencies yourself, getting to see as many as possible and if you are as good as you say you are and if they are looking for that special look you might just get lucky. But not without some hard work and discipline and dedication.

For example healthy eating and living, or put it another way eating correctly and getting to bed early. This healthy lifestyle would also include daily exercise to keep your body in shape.

Unless you become dedicated, when the time comes and you find that you have put on an extra kilo or two in weight, you've only yourself to blame if you didn't get the job.

Last August I received an e-mail from a 14 year old girl who wanted to be a model. She had seen my website, read my comments on 'wanna be models' and wanted my opinion about her looks. I replayed and explained that I would run some test shots in return for adding a page of these photos to my website.

I contacted her Mom and we set up a meeting to shoot at my favorite beech location, this page has now become one of the most popular on the website. I think you should take a look to.

To read more about the above article go here: Wanna be Models.

About the author: I'm from London. I started out in the days of the Swinging Sixties and London was quite a place to be. In those days we use to shoot catalog fashion shots with a 10X8 inch View camera, so the color transparency images would be the same size as the image on the catalog page, I have to tell you right now that took quite some doing.

Now I spent most of my time with my website Pro SECRETS of Money Making PHOTOGRAPHY, writing about and teaching photography, occasionally shooting assignments.

To check out the story and Images of our 14 year old model go here: Teen Bikini Beach Shoot