Model Portfolio: What Goes In and Where to Start
· checked at the source · Mateusz Pawlik
Contents
- Do agencies require a portfolio?
- Which photos go into a portfolio?
- How many photos should a portfolio have?
- Common portfolio mistakes
- No photos yet: where do you start?
- A portfolio from TFP shoots: how to choose the photographer and the photos
- How much does a model portfolio cost: TFP, polaroids or tests?
- Modelling without an agency: what your portfolio has to show
- Online or printed portfolio?
- What does a portfolio shoot with me look like?
- Frequently asked questions
When I look through a model portfolio as a photographer, I want to see the face from the front and both profiles, to know which side works better. Then the body in reasonably fitted clothes, to judge its type and proportions, plus movement and a couple of photos with a prop. I also want to see a few different emotions, so I know I won’t get just one face on the shoot. About 10 photos like that are enough to start with, as long as they’re carefully chosen. Ideally they come from several shoots, with a different energy, hair and makeup, to show how versatile you are in completely different looks.
For a first application to an agency you often don’t need a portfolio. Agencies ask for a few natural, current photos, usually 3-5 at most, or for polaroids, also called digitals. In my view it’s still worth building one early, because not every agency will pay for book photos of a new face. In my experience, models often add photos from TFP shoots to their book before they start getting paid jobs regularly. And not every paid job gives you photos you can use yourself.
A model portfolio, called a book in agencies, is a set of your best photos from shoots and jobs: posed and polished, unlike raw polaroids. A few photos from your portfolio or polaroids, together with your measurements, go onto a comp card. A starter portfolio is built from tests, i.e. test shoots: styling, light and background are kept simple so they don’t distract from you.
Do agencies require a portfolio?
Most agencies don’t require a portfolio with a first application. I checked the casting pages of 22 model agencies in Poland (checked on 3 October 2026)1: their forms take 1 to 12 photos, most of them 3-5 at most. 7 of the 22 agencies explicitly ask for photos without makeup or with light makeup.
- Avant: “nie potrzebujesz żadnego wcześniejszego doświadczenia ani profesjonalnego portfolio, żeby aplikować do Avant, ponieważ szukamy świeżych twarzy” (“you don’t need any previous experience or a professional portfolio to apply to Avant, because we’re looking for fresh faces”). (avantmodels.pl)
- 8fi: “zapraszamy już od 14 roku życia, natomiast modelki w wieku powyżej 22 lat wyłącznie z już zbudowanym portfolio” (“we welcome you from the age of 14, but models over 22 only with an existing portfolio”). (8fi.pl)
Every agency has its own requirements, and some, like 8fi, only accept models above a certain age with a portfolio. Before you apply, check the form of the agency you’re writing to.
Which photos go into a portfolio?
A portfolio is made of photos that clearly show your body, natural portraits and beauty shots, emotion and different styles. There are no hard rules, but in my experience that’s what photographers, among others, look for in a portfolio. People looking at a portfolio want to know who they will be working with, not what can be made of you.
- A visible body. It’s how a photographer or a client judges which shoots you fit. A high fashion shoot is cast differently from a beauty shoot, and differently again from a shoot for a sportswear brand: each one favours different strengths and a different build. To keep your body looking natural, just avoid a wide lens and a steep angle (more in the polaroids guide).
- Tattoos and distinguishing marks. You don’t have to hide them, it’s enough if they show in one of your photos. A big tattoo on your back can be a highlight of a streetwear shoot, while for a delicate satin dress with an open back a photographer will want to know about it in advance. If you don’t have a photo like that, just mention your tattoos in your profile description or your application.
- Natural portraits and beauty shots. Go for light makeup or none. In a portrait and a beauty shot a photographer wants to see your skin and features, not the work of a brush.
- Emotion and expression. Show that you can play different moods: joy, thoughtfulness, a bit of attitude. A photographer will see straight away that they won’t get just one expression on the shoot.
- Different styles. It’s easy to slip into one genre without meaning to and then only get one type of offer. If you want to be a versatile model, look through your portfolio every now and then and ask yourself what’s missing. Only flowy dresses outdoors at golden hour? Maybe it’s time for a studio shoot with strong, contrasty light, or a sports shoot. Lots of smiley lifestyle? Try something more editorial, with bolder makeup and braver posing.
How many photos should a portfolio have?
Ideally, about 10 good photos are enough to start with, each with a different job. From a set like this a photographer or a brand already learns something about you:
- 3 portraits (headshots): from the front and both profiles. Photographers also look through a portfolio to see which profile suits you better. A little trick: if you don’t know which profile is your better one, scroll through your Instagram and see which side you have more photos of ;) Show your hands in one of the portraits too. Hand modelling is a specialism of its own, e.g. in jewellery or cosmetics ads, and some agencies have a separate application for it.
- 3-4 full-body photos (full body) in a calm, static pose. In at least some of them wear something fitted, not baggy or oversized. From photos like these a photographer sees your proportions and can tell straight away whether you fit their shoot.
- 2 photos in motion, e.g. mid-step or mid-turn.
- 2-3 photos with a prop. A client will see how you handle a product in the frame and whether you can show it off.
Weave different emotions into these photos. Try to have two hairstyles too, e.g. hair down and tied up, and roughly 3 outfits, each with a different vibe.
In practice a portfolio usually has a few more photos, and that’s completely fine. Don’t drop a good photo just because it doesn’t fit the number. Do make sure each new one shows something new, though: a few different photos from several shoots say more about you than 30 similar ones from one, and too many similar frames will quickly bore the viewer. Keep the ones that don’t make it in today, they’ll come in handy when you refresh your portfolio.
If you come across bigger numbers somewhere, they’re usually about a fuller book after several jobs, not a starter portfolio.
Common portfolio mistakes
Most portfolio mistakes are easy to fix. The most common ones are too many similar photos, a single style, heavy retouching, random photos and an outdated look.
- Lots of similar photos from one shoot. 30 frames in the same outfit say as much about you as a few. Pick the best ones and keep the rest for yourself.
- One genre. If your whole portfolio is in one style, the offers will be in one style too. A few photos with a different vibe will show you can do more.
- Only heavy makeup and heavy retouching. A few photos with bolder makeup are a plus: a photographer will see how your looks carry it. But if every photo is heavily made up and smoothed out, nobody will see your real features. For most of them, go for natural makeup and light retouching.
- Random photos. Selfies, party snaps and photos with a cluttered background are better left on your private profile.
- Outdated photos. If your look has changed a lot since your last photos, e.g. your hairstyle or hair colour, take care of fresh polaroids first, so a client knows what you look like today.
No photos yet: where do you start?
To start building a model portfolio, a few simple phone photos are enough: a plain background, good light, your face without filters or duck lips, and at least one full-body shot. Don’t worry, everyone starts this way. How to take photos like that at home is explained step by step in the polaroids guide. Simple photos on a plain background say more about you than the best party snap.
With photos like that it’s much easier to find a good photographer for your first shoot. Be careful with Facebook group posts along the lines of “happy to model, but I don’t have a portfolio yet”, though: they work like a magnet for the wrong people. Experienced photographers usually scroll past because they don’t know what to expect. You’ll hear from beginners in the same situation as you, but unfortunately also from people who care more about lingerie or nude photos than about your portfolio.
A portfolio from TFP shoots: how to choose the photographer and the photos
With TFP (Time for Prints) the photographer and the model work for photos, not for a fee, and both get material for their portfolios. You can build a portfolio from such shoots if you choose the photographer and the photos well. On TFP the model is sometimes a canvas for the photographer’s idea, so for your portfolio pick the photos that show you.
The portfolio works both ways here: the photographer looks at your photos, you look at theirs. Pick a photographer whose photos you really like, and before the shoot agree how many photos you’ll get, when, and on what terms you can both publish them. When you publish, you credit the photographer, and that’s not a courtesy but the photographer’s right under Article 16 of the Polish Copyright Act. A photographer can agree not to exercise it, but that’s an exception you have to arrange, not the default.
Every photographer has their own style, and with TFP it’s worth respecting it. If someone shoots contrasty photos with strong colour and you dream of creamy pastels, it’s better to look for someone who works in that mood. Otherwise it’s easy to end up with a shoot neither of you is happy with. Sometimes it’s better to let it go than to book a shoot at any cost.
Before each shoot, ask yourself what it will add to your portfolio beyond more pictures. And whether the fifteenth photo from the same shoot really shows the viewer something new, or whether your portfolio is turning into a private album.
How much does a model portfolio cost: TFP, polaroids or tests?
A portfolio can cost 0 PLN if you build it from TFP shoots. A test shoot with me costs 900 PLN (10 retouched photos) or 1400 PLN (20 photos), and polaroids alone 600 PLN. Paid tests give you nothing a good TFP shoot can’t, but they get you there faster. On tests we build the model’s portfolio, not the photographer’s: the shoot focuses on you, your posing and your expressions, without heavy retouching. With TFP each side builds their own portfolio. A photographer’s versatility isn’t the same as a model’s, so each of you will pick different photos.
Prices for portfolio shoots vary between photographers, because they include different things: the number of photos and outfits, shooting time, retouching, the studio. Before you book, check exactly what’s included.
| Where you are | Where to start | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| you want to apply to an agency | polaroids taken yourself on a phone (if the agency accepts phone photos) or by a photographer, with me in the Digitals package | 0 PLN or 600 PLN |
| you do TFP for fun | more TFP with a photographer whose photos you like | 0 PLN |
| you have TFP photos, but they’re all one style or show the photographer’s idea more than you | tests or TFP with a photographer who works in a different style | 0 PLN (TFP) or 900 PLN (1-2 outfits) or 1400 PLN (2-3 outfits, the full starter set) |
| you already have the basics and want something more interesting | a tailored session, a creative shoot built around your idea | from 700 PLN |
| you have an agency | ask your booker what your book is missing before you pay for a shoot | - |
Modelling without an agency: what your portfolio has to show
With an agency or without, your model portfolio is your calling card. In an agency your booker presents you to clients. If you work on your own, a photographer or a brand gets to know you only through your profile, so your portfolio has to answer their questions on its own:
- Height and measurements. Often they don’t matter, but there are situations where they decide. I once looked for a model for photos in a portal at Studio Chmury on Hoża Street. The opening is about 170 cm high, so I needed someone a bit shorter: a taller person wouldn’t fit in it, and a much shorter one couldn’t brace themselves in it properly. If a profile didn’t list height, I’d have no way to choose. So put your height, measurements, shoe and clothing size in your profile.
- A link at hand. When I went through replies to casting calls in a large modelling group on Facebook, models gave their height, measurements and a link to Instagram in the comments, and some to a portfolio on Canva. Keep a link like that at hand so you can reply to a casting call quickly.
Online or printed portfolio?
Online. To start with, you can happily keep your model portfolio on a public Instagram, ideally on a separate account without private photos. If you pose in lingerie or nude, Instagram can be fickle: expect reports, or even a blocked account. Then a model directory such as Klisha or Kavyar works better. I have profiles on both myself (Klisha, Kavyar). And if you just want your photos in one place, you can make a virtual model book in Canva.
You don’t need to print: a client looks at your photos online first, and they decide whether you get invited to a casting. For yourself, though, it’s worth printing a few favourites. A large 20x30 cm print in your hand makes a better impression than a photo on a phone.
What does a portfolio shoot with me look like?
I shoot starter portfolios in Warsaw as tests: 900 PLN for 10 retouched photos or 1400 PLN for 20. Both packages also include polaroids and a comp card, so one shoot gives you both material for your application and photos for your portfolio.
If you’re starting from scratch or want to move faster, go for Extended Tests. There’s time for 2-3 outfits, and from the 20 retouched photos you can put together a whole starter set: about 10 photos (3 portraits, 3-4 full-body shots, 2 in motion, 2-3 with a prop). The polaroids from the same shoot are for your agency application. How much of it works out also depends on you: how you feel in front of the camera and how you pose. I’ll tell you what looks good from the camera’s side. You can leave one day with several genuinely different photos, not one frame in 30 versions. How the shoot works step by step, when you’ll get your photos and where I travel is on the tests page, and what to bring and wear is in the session preparation guide.
Any questions? Write to me, I’m happy to answer before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a portfolio to apply to an agency?
Often not. With a first application agencies ask for a few natural photos, usually 3-5 at most, or for polaroids. There are exceptions: 8fi accepts models over 22 only with a portfolio. In my view it’s still worth building a portfolio early, because not every agency will pay for book photos of a new face.
What should a model portfolio look like?
Ideally, a starter model portfolio is about 10 different, current photos: 3 portraits (front and both profiles), 3-4 full-body shots, 2 in motion and 2-3 with a prop. Most importantly, the client should see you in them and know who they’ll be working with. A few photos with bolder makeup or styling are a plus, as long as most of them show you naturally.
How is a portfolio different from polaroids?
Polaroids are simple photos of your face and body, with no makeup or retouching. They show the agency what you look like day to day. A portfolio is photos from shoots, posed and polished, that show how you feel in front of the camera. On tests the retouching is light, but your book can happily include a more heavily edited photo too, e.g. from a beauty shoot. Just remember that a photo like that shows more of the magic that can be done with you than what you really look like.
How many photos should a model portfolio have?
Ideally about 10 to start, across roughly 3 outfits, each with a different job. In practice there are usually a few more, and that’s fine, because good photos are a shame to drop. Just make sure each new one shows something new. If you come across bigger numbers somewhere, they’re usually about a fuller book after several jobs.
How often should I update my portfolio?
Definitely not as often as polaroids. You add to your portfolio when you get the chance of photos that show you differently from the ones already in it: in a new style, mood or role. After a change of hairstyle or hair colour, refresh your polaroids first, because they’re what shows how you look day to day.
How do I start if I have no photos at all?
Start with a few simple photos, even on a phone. A plain background, good light, your face without filters or heavy makeup and at least one full-body shot are enough. That’s a much better start than a “happy to model, no portfolio” post, which unfortunately attracts people pushing for lingerie or nude photos.
Can I make a portfolio with a phone?
Yes. Simple phone photos are enough to start with, and how to take them is in the polaroids guide. Fun fact: some photographers shoot great sessions on a phone alone (mobile photography). The best proof that skills matter more than gear.
Can a portfolio come from TFP shoots?
Yes. You can build a whole portfolio from good TFP shoots. For your book, pick the photos that show you, not just the photographer’s idea. And before you start, agree how many photos you’ll get, when, and on what terms you can both publish them. Crediting the photographer when you publish comes from copyright law, so it’s the default unless you agree otherwise.
I’m under 18, can I get a portfolio done?
Yes, of course. I just need written consent from a parent or legal guardian, and I arrange the details of the shoot with them. Your parent stays with you from start to finish, so you can relax and focus on posing. Swimwear shots are no problem, but I don’t shoot underwear with anyone under 18. All the rules are in my child protection standards (in Polish).
How much does a model portfolio cost?
From 0 PLN if you build it from TFP shoots. With me, polaroids cost 600 PLN, tests with 10 retouched photos 900 PLN, and with 20 photos 1400 PLN. Both test packages also include polaroids and a comp card.
Where can I make a portfolio for free?
On Instagram. In practice most people in the industry use it, and to start with it’s more than enough. Ideally the account should be public, because not everyone will want to send a follow request just to see your photos. Don’t mix your portfolio with private photos either, feel free to set up a separate account for it. If you pose in lingerie or nude, a model directory such as Klisha or Kavyar works better, because on Instagram those photos draw reports and even account blocks. You can also put together a virtual model book in Canva.
Do I need to print my model portfolio?
No. A client looks at your photos online first and invites you to a casting based on them. For yourself, though, it’s worth printing a few favourites. A large 20x30 cm print in your hand makes a better impression than a photo on a phone.
Can a portfolio shoot be outdoors?
Yes, of course. Outdoor shoots have their charm, but the weather can change the plan or move the date. A studio gives you completely different possibilities: I set the light for each specific shot and don’t depend on the time of day or the weather, which is why for a portfolio I usually recommend a studio.
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Examples of what their forms ask for are in the polaroids guide. ↩︎