Hannie Syeda – Model

Interview – (5th February 2011)

As part of our primary research, we met with a professional model to understand her responsibilities and to ask for advice on selecting the right models for our photography exhibition.

Below are some of the questions and responses that we directed to her.

What is your role in the fashion industry?

- ‘My job role is to model in clothes provided by the artists and stand in front of the camera for the shoot to take place.’

How long is an average shooting?

- ‘The average shooting time is usually about 5 hours and the maximum it has ever reached for me is 7 hours. The shortest shoot i have had was approximately 3 hours.’

When you reach your destination where you have the shoot, what are the procedures that are undertaken before the actual shoot itself?

- ‘I have to go to the place and get my hair and make-up done by the artists, sometimes i have sit-ins and sometimes i am required to bring in my own clothes. After all of that is sorted, the shoot itself takes place.’

How did you get into the career?

- ‘I was always interested in modelling and one day my aunt suggested me to enter an audition. After entering the audition, i was selected for a photo shoot. This was my first photo shoot and i really enjoyed it. I was also explained the terms and conditions and how much i would be paid. Of course depending on the amount and if it was satisfactory for the time, i took the offer.’

As you know we will be holding an audition to select models for our photo shoots, what advice would you give us when choosing the right models?

- ‘There are a lot of qualities that a model needs to have. I would recommend that you choose someone who seems as though they are enthusiastic and they must be camera confident as they will be posing in front of a camera and people. They must also dedicate themselves to their work and allow for artists to work freely on them such as no fuss about hair and make-up. They need to be able to follow instructions and be punctual. These are some of the things that most models need to qualify and they are quite basic.’