Billy's Top 10 Items for Aspiring Models

You can have the best camera in the world, but if you don’t have good lighting then you will always end up with a sub-standard result. I love this kit, it's super easy to set up and gives a great brightness level, which isn’t overpowering. 

When it comes to self-tape castings, the more natural the better. There have been countless times where I’ve got a call or message from my agent asking me to take some pictures or film a self-tape for a casting (usually this has to be done as quickly as possible). 

With the ESDDI Softbox kit, I can film during the day or even at night, knowing ill get great lighting, quickly and easily. The only drawbacks I have is that the cord is a little shorter than I’d like, and the tripod stands aren’t the sturdiest – but I’m more than willing to deal with the cons, given the reasonable price.

I’ve had this product for over four years and it's still going strong. It's simply the best accessory for taking your own videos and photos. Now more than ever so many modelling castings/agencies are asking for pictures and videos, if you want your video to be as good as possible, I fully recommend investing in this lightweight tripod. 

It reaches a maximum height of 127 centimetres and folds down to 42 centimetres – making it extremely portable. Using a tripod for filming or pictures means you can place your camera anywhere and it instantly makes the final result look more professional. I did have to buy an extra clip in order to fit my iPhone onto it, but it still worked out cheaper than a lot of other tripods which include a phone clip.

Travelling to and from castings/jobs/agency meetings often means spending more time on your phone and what many people don’t realise is that being a working model means a lot of waiting around, which always results in increased screen-time. Depending on your shoot location, you can’t always rely on there a plug available to charge up your phone.
 
This is the best portable charger I’ve used, and it’s a great price. Unlike other portable phone chargers, you can easily see how much juice is left on the device by the clear LED display. Once the power bank reaches 100% charge, I can get two full charges out of it for my iPhone XS Max. It has a nice sleek design, is lightweight, comes with a nice travel bag, and a three-year guarantee. 

Many modelling agencies have set days for ‘walk-ins’, and many castings request you bring your portfolio of pictures along. Having a good quality portfolio book to display your pictures is a must. Depending on the type of casting / the booking brief I flip from using my tablet to display my pictures or bringing along this Arpan portfolio folder which contains the psychical copies of my previous work.
 

It’s a no-frills, simple display book that does exactly what it’s meant to do. It's flexible and soft cushioned, which makes it easier to carry around. If you really wanted to, you could spend more money on a premium port book, but this folder is more than adequate and displays your A4 prints well.

As good as your phone camera might be, there really is no comparison to a more professional lens. I use this camera daily, not just for the socials, which more modelling agencies are looking at these days, but also for at home castings. This really is a great piece of kit. A must feature for me is Remote Shooting via Wifi and in the A6000’s case it's well-integrated and very reliable. 

Just download an app to your phone, and you can control the camera through the app, taking your selfie game to the next level. It also has great auto-focus, which is extremely useful when it comes to videos/vlogging. Making use of all the features, will also really help up your game when it comes to modelling. 

After all, the more you know about how a camera works and lighting the better model you will be. All the amazing reviews for this camera don’t lie, it’s a must have and great for beginners getting into photography.

There is something to be said towards the phrase 'looking good, is feeling good'. This fitness tracker comes with all the features you would expect to find in many higher end smartwatches, but at a fraction of the price. To be completely honest, I’ve never been enthused by exercise or workouts, so when I started looking into fitness trackers, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something I was worried I wouldn’t use. 

Turns out I love this tracker so much I use it on the daily.
 
It has a great app with an easy to use interface, which helps you keep track of your steps, your heart rate and even your sleep. The battery life is grand, and you can set it up to receive notifications such as texts from your phone. Getting good sleep and being active are such important factors to leading a healthy lifestyle, which is why this device deserves its place in my top ten.

When I’m at home and I get asked for up-to-date pictures for potential castings and I don’t have my camera handy, the next best option would be to shoot from my phone. This tiny device lets you control your camera remotely – that way you don’t have to rely on your phones self-timer, and you can avoid the unprofessional arm-stretched selfie picture.

It's easy to set up through Bluetooth, I don’t use it every day but when I do it's relatively reliable. It isn’t the most well-built or sturdiest of buttons, but it does the job fine. Just make sure you keep it somewhere safe because if you are like me, these sorts of things are easy to lose, given their size.

There is a reason this concealer pops up in so many beauty blogs, vlogs and social posts. We all have those moments where an unwanted blemish might pop up, unfortunately much to my dismay sometimes it happens right before casting. This product was recommended to me by a friend a few years ago and I’ve used it regularly ever since. 

The concealer itself has a great consistency, not too thin and not too thick. I have a light skin tone but opt to go for an even lighter shade, so when I’m taking pictures it reflects the light slightly better. It can be quite overwhelming looking at the different shades, but with the Magic eraser even if you just get close to your skin tone, you will still get great coverage from your blemishes. 

As with all cosmetic products it's mostly trial & error to work out which is best for you. This Maybelline concealer is easy to apply with a twist bottle and a cushioned top, a great bit of kit when you’re on the go and need some subtle coverage.

I’ve been using this water bottle daily for over a year and I love it. From personal experience, I know how important it is to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and the Brita Fill & Go Bottle certainly helps encourage that. 

It’s perfect for travelling to and from castings/bookings. It’s very durable (after dropping it a few times, it's still going strong), and I have yet to experience any leaks that weren’t my own fault for not tightening the lid enough. 

My favourite thing about this bottle is that it contains a filter, which makes a huge difference to the taste/consistency of tap water. Each filter lasts around 150 litres of water before you must change it. I always notice when I haven’t been drinking enough water, my skin feels dryer and my cheeks get puffier – which is never ideal for working in front of a camera. I cannot recommend this water bottle enough!

Most modelling agencies are now paying closer attention to your social media, especially Instagram. If your Instagram is well presented, engaging and you are actively uploading content, this will certainly help get you noticed by agencies/bookers. 

To be completely truthful, I haven’t fully read this book, but having had the opportunity to skim through it at my friend’s place, it contains some solid advice and actionable tips. It's certainly worth a read if you want to better your Instagram profile, but what I should mention is that with Instagram’s ever-changing algorithm’s, some of the content in this book could find itself outdated quite soon.