I hate the term Instagram Model – as if there were such a thing. No, there are models and there are girls who post pictures on Instagram. Having photos on Instagram does not make you a model, and, if you are a model that posts pictures on Instagram, that doesn’t make you less of a model. They aren’t related. But, somehow when any girl posts pictures on the site, people think it’s all about ego and getting people to like you.
If I wanted people to like the real me, the last thing I’d show them is my picture. Good looks can easily cloud other people’s better judgment. So the whole argument that models who use Instagram do so to make themselves feel better is silly. We model on Instagram for the same reason we model anywhere else – for money.
But is it even worth it? I mean every time I snap a picture of myself doing some random thing, I wonder who is actually looking at it. My agent says it is a way to gain exposure – and in this industry exposure is golden – but does the real money even pay attention to social media?
I’ve heard some stories about amateur models that had some success on Instagram. There they were, posting picture of things they love to do, and the next thing you know, some designer is sending them clothes and flying them to shoots. But I think they were so successful because they were amateurs. The designer wanted someone that hasn’t been seen before, someone that they already knew people would admire. Is it such a surprise they looked to Instagram?
That’s what I would do if I didn’t want to spend money on models with professional experience.
But for some reason, my agent believes Instagram would work for me.. that my posting would convince people that I’m just the ordinary girl, and that I’m beautiful even when I’m being ordinary.
I don’t mind that much. Being camera-ready, even in snapshots, is not hard when you spend so much time in front of a camera.
So, if Instagram did lead to money what would happen after my popularity attracted a client’s attention? The impressed designer would contact my agent and be told the real cost of professional beauty. I guess that works for some girls, but I don’t get why they didn’t just call a modeling agency in the first place, instead of scouring the internet for a girl that can look cute in the bathroom.
