If you’re thinking about your child joining you as an existing female or male adult model or as a new model, then you’re probably wondering if they’ll be suitable for the profession altogether. Let’s take a quick dive into seeing if they’ll be model-ready with Models Direct.

Comfort level

One of the first areas we look at, and a particularly important one at that, is your child’s comfort level. So, the questions to ask yourself would be:

Does my child feel comfortable being around new people?

Do they feel comfortable being in different environments?

Do they feel confident in themselves?

Do they feel comfy in front of the camera lens?

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions, then your child might be ready to move up to the next level.

• Do I need professional photographs to be a model?
• From Blossoms to Big Smiles – Spring Photography Tips for Child Models
• How do I find modelling work?
• Our Guide to Modelling with Models Direct
• The Ultimate Models Direct Guide to Getting Your Child Into Modelling

But remember, if they aren’t so confident you can always go ahead and put in an application for them and see how it goes.

If your child feels unsure or anxious, we’ll accommodate and start them off with a small campaign so the process doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Patience and focus

Two challenging factors for children are their patience and ability to stay focused. Both can be very tricky to manage when work needs to be accomplished and time is pressing. Depending on their age, these factors will fluctuate, meaning there will be phases where their patience and focus levels rise and dip.

Enjoyable moments

Finally, will your child enjoy the experience? This is usually a knock-on effect from the previous points, but will your junior like the modelling world with MD? Only time will tell of course, but it’s good to decipher this before they get into the booking system.

If you think your child’s ready for junior modelling, talk to them about it and see if they would like to try it out. Granted, the younger they are, the more difficult it will be to ask this with a confirmed response, but it’s important to keep communication channels open and honest.

Our child models have enjoyed a multitude of varied modelling assignments, including Zainah on her magical Disney collaboration and Sienna on her TOFT campaign. Read their respective feedback below!

Zainah’s mum shared this recount:

“When I signed my daughter up, the process was very easy and smooth, I was very much in the loop every step of the way. Within a few months, my daughter was offered her first assignment, which was great!

I was over the moon as it was so fast, plus it was for a global kids company. The assignment was well explained to me, and I knew exactly what I needed to do as Claire kept me posted very frequently.

On the day of the assignment, I met with the team who were all lovely and welcoming to both me and my child. It was a very great experience, and my daughter had the time of her life representing her favourite character. We would definitely recommend models direct as we have had nothing but a positive experience since signing up, and we are sure there will be more to come.”

Sienna’s mum left us with this lovely review:

“Sienna had so much fun at the shoot. They were really friendly and it was a nice, child-friendly, relaxed atmosphere with plenty of breaks. The products were lovely and Sienna really enjoyed them. They made her feel very comfortable.”

If you want your child to expand their skills, hit the apply button today!

So, it is important to do everything you can to reassure and prepare them.

First of all, it’s essential to know that your point of contact here at Models Direct will do all they can to help you prepare your child.

They will give you lots of information about the photo or film shoot and tell you whether you need to dress your child in a particular way or bring any special props from home.

They will also suggest you bring plenty of toys, games and refreshments to keep them busy when they are not required on set.

If they have the information, they will let you know who will be there to meet you on the day, the people the crew is likely to include and whether any other child models are taking part.

Once you have all this information, you can spend a little time practising striking poses with your child.

The best way of doing this is to take them to a mirror – then get them to try out a few expressions: happy, sad, quizzical and thoughtful, perhaps.

Ask them to make funny, silly faces and then to be completely normal again.

Try to make them laugh to show them how much fun performing for the camera can be and try different poses with them sitting on a chair, lying on a cushion and standing up.

Then, get out some of their toys or books and ask them to play or read while you take a few more photos.

Turn a light or two on and gently direct it towards them, then ask them to look up at you and smile as you take another round of snaps.

Click away as they play, calling for their attention from time to time to get them to look up.

The team on the day will know how to get the very best from your little one and from the other models on set – but practising striking a few poses ahead of time will certainly help put your child at ease.

Important factors to consider

As a parent or guardian looking set to have your child become a child model, you’ll need to first become familiar with the industry. This means finding a reputable agency that can represent your child, actively put them forward for work, negotiate a respectable amount for the work, have a solid safeguarding policy and procedures in place and ongoing communication for advice and continual support. Models Direct can already offer this for your child.

Take a look at some of our recent junior models’ modelling assignments here:

Client: Say It With Diamonds

Models: Zuri (3), accompanied by mum and gran – Deborah and Sandra.

Brief: Mother’s Day assignment

Date of experience: 6th February 2024

Client: Bluewater (with Inkling)

Model: Madison

Brief: Christmas campaign

Client: Jet2holidays

Model: Holly

Brief: New children’s meals campaign

Here are the corresponding firsthand parental accounts straight from the source:

“Our second time shooting with this client and it was honestly just a dream. They not only accommodated us for the Mother’s Day shoot (ages 3, 38 and 70) but they made it the most enjoyable and memorable family experience for 3 generations of the women in our family.

Models Direct were as conscientious and professional as ever ensuring we were not only fully briefed and debriefed but our every need on the day was exceeded.

Zuri (aged 3) has the absolute, best time on the shoots and it was great to see the same photographer she has worked with before and has an excellent rapport with.”

“Madison has had an amazing time doing the photoshoot today at Bluewater’s Shopping Centre having photos done with Santa by the Thanksgiving tree. All the children looked amazing in their Christmas jumpers supplied by the clients. Would like to thank Models Direct for all the communication and for making this a fun experience for Madison, looking forward to next week.”

“Holly had a really great day doing the Jet2 new children’s meals campaign, it was a good first experience for her. The shoot was very informal, and all involved were extremely friendly and made us feel very comfortable. I hope Holly is able to have more experiences like this as she really enjoyed working with the other children and Tom the photographer was very friendly and put her at ease. Thanks for the opportunity and hope there will be many more in the future.”

Thanks to everyone involved!

Budget-friendly tips to consider

We’ve rounded up some of the essential advice for you to review in bite-sized chunks because we know parents are busy people!

Talk to your child (depending on their age and understanding) about modelling. What it means, examples of work which they can see here, and skills such as punctuality, communication and teamwork.

Help your child feel comfortable in front of the camera. Practise in familiar environments and dry run poses and expressions.

Create a versatile portfolio of season-themed props and natural settings (you can be the photographer! No need for a pro.)

Compile a wardrobe of sale or pre-loved apparel that follows the latest fashion trends and use these in your child’s shoots.

Speak to your agency’s team about balancing life commitments such as education and extracurricular activities. We offer free advice!

We hope this gives you an insight into the world of child modelling. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our modelling expert team who are available to help.

It’s nice to be in the know and see what’s set to dominate online and offline in the fashion world and this time Models Direct will be looking into children’s trends. Children aged under 16 make up a large amount of the population – 12.7 million* in 2019 in fact – so it’s likely you’re a parent, guardian or someone who knows a child.

So, as the weather is beginning to warm up, let’s get the children summer ready with summer brights and British summer trends for 2021.

Tie-dye

This popular print has made a comeback with teens and adults this year so it’s no surprise we’ve been seeing it filtering through children’s fashion too. Versatile, summery and not to forget colourful of course, tie-dye has shown that isn’t going anywhere this summer. Tops, t-shirts, shorts, dresses, you name it, tie-dye isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Tropical prints

Aside from the typical floral and summer fruit prints we see during the warm season, tropical prints are also the latest we’ve seen in children’s fashion. Vibrant and bold, tropical prints make you feel like you’ve stepped onto a hot beach in the Bahamas! What’s not to love about this tropical statement?

Colour block patterns

If you’ve not come across colour blocking before, you will this year. This abstract look is popping up in plenty of children’s apparel. Colour blocking is where two, three or four totally different colours together make a bold statement. Abstract and playful this pattern is contemporary and eye-catching.

Camouflage prints

This neutral print sums up children’s innate characteristics – active and adventurous! A classic print that is making summer more fun and reminding us of the great outdoors. We’re seeing this trend pop up in sibling outfits which makes it a great matching print for children who love to move about!

Evolving looks

Each season brings its delightful array of great looks and with a splash of contemporary pizzazz and uniqueness. Some trends are a blast from the past with a modern twist, making some of us smile who remember the looks when we were younger ourselves.

Child modelling

If you have a child or are related to or know one, you might be thinking that they would make a great child model – and they most certainly would! Our modelling agency, Models Direct, has established a strong presence in the modelling industry. We say what we mean and are all about helping our models connect with our prestigious clients.

Even though we cannot guarantee work and never mislead our models into thinking they’ll be selected for every assignment that comes to our table, we certainly try our best to push our models forward whenever their look is requested. Ultimately the decision lies in the hands of our clients. But what we do guarantee is that we will negotiate the best modelling fee and deliver the best and safest experience. 

After the assignment has been completed, within 5 working days our models receive their payment, and in the case of our child models, naturally, their parents or guardian will be the recipient. Our process is straightforward and each of our talented models is assigned to one of our dedicated team members who will take care of their modelling journey at every touchpoint. They’ll only be a phone call or email away bringing our models closer to what is happening within the world of modelling and how their profile is being handled. And there you have it! Apply to Models Direct today to kick-start your little ones modelling journey!

*Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2019. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2019estimates

The Models Direct team would love to hear how you’ve survived the school holidays and if you’ve discovered any new exciting activities that your children have particularly enjoyed that don’t cost the earth!!

Models Direct represent junior models and talent across the UK and with the weather good a lot of assignments take place throughout the Summer holidays, so often we are requesting families holiday dates so we know when you’re free for assignments.

It’s been a super warm Summer which helps and means alot of assignments haven’t been postponed or cancelled due to wet weather, so it’s been super hectic for the Models Direct Assignments team. It’s therefore a good time to think about up dating your child’s photographs, they are likely to be spending more time outside and enjoying family days out, so why not get some good pics of them in the natural light, genuine smiles and showing them at their best – this is what clients want to see!

As parents you may be starting to put your ‘organised’ hat on and sorting out arrangements for the new term and going back to school so why not spend a minute making sure your child’s portfolio is fully up to date with measurements and information, children change so much and therefore when putting them forward to clients we need to be sure their e-portfolio’s are accurate!

A large majority of the Models Direct team are parents themselves so we completely understand how busy your lives are, but we also know how quickly children change, so updating their photographs and measurements is essential, we recommend to do this quarterly.

If you are interested in getting your child into modelling then you can apply here, a member of the team will be in contact with you to discuss your application and get an understanding of your child’s suitability to be with the agency.