Building a Model Portfolio: Kate’s Second Shoot at the Studio

Kate was back at the studio recently, the second time she and I have worked together. Having shot with each other once before, we already had a sense of how the other works, and that counts for a lot. Kate is fairly new to modelling, but she has a good grasp of what a shoot needs from her, and she is really good fun to work with. That last part makes more of a difference than most people expect. A relaxed model who is enjoying themselves gives you far more to work with than someone simply going through the motions.

She has kindly given me permission to write about her here. I always ask before writing about anyone, and I only ever use a first name unless the person tells me otherwise.

What a model portfolio shoot actually is

A headshot has a specific job to do, and a portrait is usually about the person for their own sake. A model portfolio shoot is different. It is about building a body of work that shows what a model can do, so every image is chosen with that goal in mind.

Kate already has a portfolio on Purple Port, so that is where we started. She wanted something different from what was already there, so we talked through a concept and a few ideas to begin with and then ran with it. That is usually how the best sessions go. You start with a plan, and you let it grow as you shoot. I was also lucky enough that Kate let me film a quick behind the scenes video of the session, which you can watch here:

Building a portfolio is a journey, not a single shoot

Here is the thing I wish more new models understood. A strong portfolio is not built in one afternoon, and it is rarely built with one photographer. Most models put theirs together over years, working with different people, trying different styles, and slowly finding out what suits them and what they actually enjoy. That last point matters more than it sounds. Modelling you enjoy will always look better than modelling you are enduring, and it is the enjoyment that keeps you learning and improving.

The steady approach is the one that works. Start, learn, shoot, look at what you made, then go again. It is not about racing to some finish line. It is about finding your feet and getting better each time.

It is not about taking your clothes off

I will be honest about something I find hard to get across to newer models. A lot of people arrive believing the quick route into modelling is to take their clothes off. I understand where that comes from. Scroll through Instagram and a photo of an attractive young woman wearing very little will make you stop, but ask yourself why you stopped. If it is only the lack of clothing, that is not the photograph doing the work.

A good image stops you because it is interesting. Something about the shape, the light, the mood, or the expression holds your attention. That is what I want for the models I photograph. The real skill in this kind of work is creating shapes and being interesting without revealing. Get that right and you have an image with a much longer life than a quick scroll-stopper will ever have.

Safe for work, and the model is in charge

All of my shoots are safe for work. I am particular about that these days. Implied, lingerie, and boudoir are all fine, and none of that is a problem in itself. What matters is that the model is the one in charge, not me. The ideas, the direction, and the goal for the images belong to them. My job is to get the best pictures I possibly can within whatever they are comfortable doing.

I should be straight about how I earn from this as well. My income comes from selling images, so of course it is in my interest to create as many strong pictures as I can. What a model chooses to buy at the end is entirely their decision. I do not push anyone into anything. The shoot is theirs to shape, and the choices afterwards are theirs to make.

You need a strong set, not a big one

One more thing worth saying to anyone starting out. You do not need hundreds of images. I often look through portfolios, both of models I have worked with and of people I am hoping to work with, and I see galleries packed with picture after picture. Twenty strong images, sometimes fewer, will show your range and your strengths far better than two hundred average ones. Edit hard. A tight set of pictures you are proud of will always do more for you than volume.

It is also worth thinking about how your portfolio changes over time. Your style and your taste will move on as you go, and your confidence will grow with them. A portfolio is not something you build once and leave alone. It shifts as you settle into the areas and genres you enjoy and work out the direction you want to take. What felt right a year ago may not represent you now, and that is fine. Keep it current, keep it honest to where you are, and let it grow as you do.

Model safety matters, and it is not up for negotiation

If you are new to this, please read this part carefully. There is no physical contact between me and a model during a shoot. If a pose needs adjusting, I describe it or show you from where I am standing. I never touch a model to move them into position.

I also encourage every model to bring a chaperone. A friend, a partner, a parent, anyone you trust. I make that offer before every shoot, even if you decide in the end to come on your own. If a photographer ever refuses to let you bring someone, or tries to talk you out of it, treat that as a serious warning sign. There is no honest professional reason to say no to a chaperone.

Your safety is not something you should ever have to negotiate for. The right photographer will explain everything clearly, answer your questions, and have no problem at all with you bringing a trusted person along. If something feels wrong, trust that feeling and act on it.

Working together in Suffolk

I work from my studio at Base Business Park in Rendlesham, on the former RAF Bentwaters site near Woodbridge. It is an easy reach from Ipswich, Woodbridge, and across Suffolk and East Anglia. If you are building a portfolio and want to know how I approach model shoots, you can read more on my model portfolio and aspiring models page: https://foyers.photography/rates/model-portfolio-and-aspiring-models/

Thanks again to Kate for an enjoyable session, and for letting me share it here.