Starting Out: Building Your First Portfolio in New York

If you've just signed, or an agency has told you to come back with more pictures, this page is for you. Agencies expect you to arrive with a book but don't always explain how to build one. Here's what I've learned from photographing newly signed models, and a short list of photographers worth knowing.

Start with what your agency needs. Before anything creative, your agency wants digitals. These are simple, current photos: minimal makeup, fitted plain clothing, a plain background, and good light. The standard set is front, profile, waist-up, and full-length. Ask your booker for their exact specs. Many agencies have a list, and some have photographers they prefer you work with.

Tests, TFP, and paid shoots. A test is a shoot made to build portfolios rather than for a client. TFP ("time for prints") means no money changes hands. The photographer, model, and often a makeup artist or stylist each contribute their time, and everyone gets images. Paid portfolio sessions are also common and perfectly legitimate, as long as you know in advance what you're getting. Neither is better. What matters is whether the pictures move your career.

Aim for fewer, stronger images. Six to ten great images will do more for you than forty average ones. A good starting book usually has a clean beauty close-up, a full-length image that shows your proportions, something with movement, and one image with a stronger editorial mood. Let your booker help you edit. They know what clients respond to.

Choosing a photographer. Look at who they've shot recently. Are the models tagged with agencies? Is the work consistent across the grid, not just in a few standout posts? Check with your agent before you book. When you reach out, keep it short: your name, agency, a link to your digitals, and your availability.

Before the shoot, agree on the details in writing. That means the concept, wardrobe, your comfort level, who else will be there, the location, how many edited images you'll receive and when, and how the images will be credited. Bringing a friend is normal. If you're under 18, a parent or guardian should come, and your agency will want to know about the shoot. For how I handle this on my own sets, see my [pre-shoot FAQ].

Know what's normal. Good photographers work from a studio or an agreed location, welcome a friend or chaperone, and never push you past the comfort level you agreed on. If any of that feels off, you can leave, and you should tell your agency. No legitimate agency asks you to pay a photographer as a condition of signing.

After the shoot. Send your booker the final images, credit the full team when you post, and keep your digitals current. Update them any time your hair or look changes.

Photographers to Know

These are photographers I've followed on Instagram for more than three years. They shoot regularly with signed models, and their work is consistently strong. I don't know them personally and can't vouch for how they run a set. Do your own research and check with your agency before booking. Some shoot TFP and some offer paid sessions, so ask each one directly. Listed alphabetically.

Alex Ancheta — @aanchetany
Alex shoots fashion on the street: Manhattan sidewalks, crosswalks, and doorways, in both color and black and white. His editorials have been published, including in QP Magazine, and he has worked with models from Crawford and Genetics. His feed mixes in his hospitality work, so scroll past the first rows to see the editorials.

Rubén Caballero — @caballeropictures
Rubén's work is warm, sunlit, and sensual, shot on location by windows, in interiors, and on city streets. Swim and lingerie sit alongside tailoring and streetwear. He shoots medium format on a Fujifilm GFX, credits models from Wilhelmina, IMG, and Muse, and periodically books sessions in Texas.

JP — @it_me___jp
JP's work is body-forward. Much of the grid is swim, lingerie, and implied work, alongside cleaner studio portraits. The light ranges from hard desert sun to soft window light, in both warm color and high-contrast black and white. If that isn't a direction you want, say so when you reach out.

Stefan Klapko / KanopyNYC — @kanopy.nyc
Stefan is the in-house photographer at Kanopy, a studio in Long Island City. He has more than ten years of professional work for clients including Nike, Footlocker, Spotify, and Uber, and he specializes in portraiture, fashion, and lifestyle. Sessions are booked and quoted through the studio.

Oliver Miguel — @olivermiguelphoto
Oliver does polished studio beauty: sculpted light, luminous skin, and crisp color and black and white that read commercial and agency-ready. Model portfolio development is a core focus, alongside headshots, and he works from a studio in Manhattan.

Cristian Paez — @paez.photo
Cristian's work is clean and direct: men and women on seamless backgrounds, in simple wardrobe, lit plainly in color and black and white. Much of it reads as an elevated set of digitals, which is exactly what a new book needs. He also covers runway and branding work, and runs a separate account for headshots.

Alejandro Poveda — @ale_poveda
Argentine-born and NYC-based, Alejandro is one of the more established names on this list. His strength is beauty: close, skin-true portraits in color and black and white. His grid also includes Vogue-credited editorials, beauty-brand campaign work, and more conceptual fashion pieces.

Abby Rowe — @ab.rowe_
Abby works in warm natural light, moving between color and black and white. Her settings are often lived-in interiors or outdoors, by water or in open fields. The mood is relaxed and intimate rather than posed. She photographs both women and men, and some of her work is swim and lingerie.

Nathan Wahl — @nathanowahl
Nathan's work is warm, casual, and a little '70s in feel: grain, instant film, poolside and at-home settings, denim and swimwear. His models often style their own looks, which makes his grid a useful reference for what a strong test can look like without a full team.

Adam Whittaker — @adamwhittaker.nyc
A Pratt-trained photographer who works exclusively in black and white: street landscapes, the human form, and still life. He shoots from a studio in DUMBO. His work leans fine-art and includes figure studies.

More Photographers to Know

These photographers work regularly with models in and around New York. I've grouped them by what they could add to a new book, so you can start with the group that fills the biggest gap in yours. I don't know them personally and can't vouch for how they run a set. Do your own research and check with your agency before booking. Some shoot TFP and some offer paid sessions, so ask each one directly. Within each group, they're listed alphabetically.

Clean Studio Tests and Digitals

Plain backgrounds, simple wardrobe, and clear light. These are the images agencies look at first, and the best place to start a new book.

Kevin Alvarado — @kevinal.jpg Kevin works in warm, minimal studio light, in color and black and white. Most of his grid is men, tested with agencies including Soul Artist Management, Crawford, and Booked. It's a useful reference for male models building a first book.

David Gannon — @davidgannonphotography Dublin-born and New York-based, David shoots tests for Wilhelmina, State, Two Management, Soul, and Muse. The work is clean and fashion-forward, often in black and white, and he sometimes styles the shoots himself. He photographs men and women.

Tony Ellis — @tonyellisnyc Tony has one of the largest followings on this list, built on consistent studio tests: white and grey seamless, simple wardrobe, much of it in black and white. If you want to see what a clean agency test looks like, his grid is the reference. Bookings are by email.

Koichi Enomoto — @kenominephoto Koichi is a portrait photographer working between New York, London, and Tokyo. His studio work uses sculpted light in color and black and white, with recent tests for Click and published work in Uncover. He's early in building his following and open to collaborations.

Mike Butler Studio — @mikebutlerstudio Polished studio portraits of men and women, each post titled with the model's name. The look is consistent and agency-ready, moving between strong color and black and white.

James Hurley — @jameshurleyphoto James shoots model portfolios, lookbooks, and brand work. His grid is full of tests with models from Next, ONE, State, Genetics, Elite, and Fenton, mixing clean studio frames with hard outdoor sun.

KWUNstudios — @kwunstudios Trecey Kwun Cunningham focuses on Polaroids and digitals, the simplest and most essential part of a book. Sessions are listed at $100 with a free intro consult, and the grid shows sets for agencies including U Models and The Curve.

Jacob Reichenauer — @jaketakesfotos Jacob shoots model portfolios, personal sessions, and brand work, with recent tests for Elite, Genetics, Wilhelmina, and ONE. Clean studio light alongside black and white film, including on Ilford HP5.

Graeme Roan — @graeme_roan Graeme is NYC-based and sometimes in LA. His studio fashion and beauty work on grey seamless is carefully lit, often with a stylist on set, and he works with Wilhelmina models. He offers defined shoot packages.

Michael James Rooke — @mikerookephoto Michael splits time between New York and New Zealand and currently shoots paid tests only. His studio beauty and glamour work features models from State, Wilhelmina, Natural, Women, and Elite, usually with the same hair and makeup artist.

Yann Toledano — @yanntoledanophoto Yann does agency and model testing in New York and Long Beach, combining studio work with beach and swim. Sessions are paid, and he's worked with Genetics and Fenton models.

Alvin Tran — @alvintran.photography Alvin's studio portraits are warm and unfussy: neutral backdrops, natural styling, men and women. A good fit if you want simple, flattering images without heavy production.

Alec Walworth — @alecwalworth Alec has a large, consistent body of model tests in soft natural light against neutral seamless. The grid is a long run of clean, warm, agency-style frames.

Beauty Close-Ups

Every book needs a strong close-up. These photographers specialize in skin, light, and makeup.

Thomas Chimney — @thomaschimney Thomas makes polished studio beauty and editorial portraits in color and black and white, usually with a full hair, makeup, and retouching team. He's worked with models from Ford and The Industry.

Taranita Costales-Marez — @__taranita Taranita favors natural light and close, honest beauty tests, in color and black and white, often on the streets of Queens. She's also co-director of a photography community, Camera of the Month Club.

David Justice — @davidjusticephoto David is a beauty photographer and director. His grid is tight, clean close-ups of men and women, lit with Profoto and made on regular testing days with the same makeup artist.

Cassie Robinson — @cassievivi Cassie shoots skin-true beauty and lifestyle for brands including Wacoal and Lenox & Sixteenth. Her work moves between soft studio close-ups, beach sets, and black and white.

Molly Tellekson — @mollytelleksonphotos Molly works in beauty and fashion: colorful editorial makeup, close crops, and some still life. Her clients include Rahua Beauty, and she's worked with models from Marilyn, AMR, Dual, and Stetts.

J Michael Walker — @jmichaelwalker A former makeup artist, J Michael now shoots portraiture, editorial, and commercial work, with strong makeup-led beauty and black and white fashion. He works in NYC, LA, and Charleston, offers portfolio studio sessions, and has worked with Vie and ONE models.

Street and Natural Light

Full-length and fashion frames made outdoors in the city. They're good for showing movement, proportion, and personal style.

Claudia Baker — @claudsphotos_ Claudia shoots NYC street-style fashion on film and digital. Her brand work includes J.Crew, Good American, Michael Kors, and Hill House.

Anthony Chavez — @t.filmm Anthony is a fashion and editorial photographer working in NYC and New Jersey. His grid is almost entirely agency tests, for ONE, Ford, NEXT, Wilhelmina, and State, made downtown in natural light, in color and black and white.

Joe DeAngelis — @joedeanphoto Joe is a photographer, director, and DP. His work is bright, warm, and relaxed: models laughing and moving through the West Village. It has a commercial, catalog-ready feel.

Lina Enriquez — @linamenri Lina splits her time between Miami and New York, shooting 35mm film and digital: street, rooftops, and nightlife. She announces her NYC dates on her grid, so check when she's in town.

Anthony Evasco — @anthony.evasco Anthony shoots on location around the city, at the beach, and while traveling, with some studio work. His feed includes brand work for Anthropologie, and he's open for bookings.

Jessie Farrell — @jessiefarrellphoto Jessie moves between studio and street, in warm color and black and white. Her portraits are simple and confident, mostly of women.

Jairo Melara — @jaironaut Jairo shoots classic NYC street fashion: yellow cabs, crosswalks, natural light, and plenty of film. He's worked with models from ONE

Tetiana Nikolaienko — @nikolaenkophotographer Tetiana shoots street fashion in the West Village, editorial work including for ELLE Bulgaria, and runway coverage, with frequent film work.

Ricardo Quintero — @rquinterophoto Ricardo, of Studio Quintero, shoots tests and go-sees for ONE, Dual, Ophelia, and The Curve. He also has editorial work in Opium Red and ROIDX. The look is clean and natural, indoors and on the street.

Christina Sadier — @sdr.photography_ Christina works between Philadelphia and NYC, making soft natural-light portraits, often in black and white, along with some experimental analog work. She's photographed models from BAZ and Re:Made.

Alexandra Star — @starikovasa Alexandra is a photographer and creative director making editorial-style portraits, brand work, and model tests, including for Yanii Models. Her NYC street work is cool-toned and often in black and white, with some film.

Asel — @aselvision.ph Asel makes quiet, tailored fashion editorials on city streets and in interiors, in muted tones. She has worked with models from Elite and Marilyn, usually with a full team.

Film and Analog

Grain, warmth, and a lived-in feel. These photographers add texture and personality to a book.

Hino Banzon — @hinob Hino shoots intimate black and white film portraits, often on Kodak Tri-X, in Brooklyn and SoHo apartments by window light. Many of his subjects are dancers.

Olenka Kotyk — @olenkakotyk Olenka shoots personal and brand work on film, with campaigns for Loeffler Randall. The light is warm and sunlit, often outdoors or while traveling. She's listed on models.com.

Shot by Lockett — @shotbylockett Billy Luckett shoots the film stills and Avy Lockwood captures behind-the-scenes on a vintage camcorder. The work is warm and casual, with brand clients and a recent British GQ feature.

Andy Moon — @endimoonphoto Andy makes art portraits in NYC and sometimes Tokyo, on film, Super 8, and Polaroid. His sets are themed and conceptual, and some include implied work.

Ryan Rodriguez — @rybucketz Ryan works on 35mm and medium format, and makes his own darkroom prints. His portraits are warm and relaxed, set in apartments and at the beach, alongside brand work.

Alexandra Rose Stark — @alexandrarosestark Alexandra calls her approach "compassionate witness." Her portraits are intimate and emotional, mostly in black and white and often on 35mm film.

Nick Thomsen — @nickthomsen Nick is represented by an agency and shoots editorial and fashion, including his "Go/See" series of Wilhelmina models for Mission Mag and work for Michael Kors. Much of it is on film, in black and white and muted color.

Movement, Dance, and Headshots

For models who dance, act, or want images with real movement.

Julian J. Peeples — @julianjpeeples Julian is an art director, designer, and photographer in Brooklyn. His sessions are built around movement and improvised styling against dark or painted backdrops. He's worked with Click and Madeleine models.

Jonah Hale — @jonahhalephoto Jonah shoots editorial headshots, lifestyle portraits, and dance from his NYC studio. The light is clean, the backdrops are grey or white, and the goal is images that look like you.

Justin Patterson — @justinpatterson Justin has a large NYC studio practice: dancers, fitness work (including for Gymshark), headshots, and black and white portraits of men and women.

David Solodukho — @davidsolodukho David is a commercial photographer with more than 20 years of experience in NJ and NY. He shoots studio headshots, dance, and physique work, sometimes with textured glass and other in-camera effects.

Jon Taylor — @jontaylorphoto Jon is a well-known NYC headshot and dance photographer. His studio work is warm and full of motion, and his headshots are often in black and white. His rates are published on his website.

Editorial Mood and Concept

When your book has the basics and needs one image with a stronger point of view.

Evan Eugene Davis — @evandavisphotography Evan is a published portrait photographer. His studio work is moody: black and white on painted backdrops, warm shadow play, and occasional camcorder footage.

Melanie Gosman — @melanie.g.photography Melanie is based in New Jersey, with her own studio. Her work is bold, in color and black and white: night city shoots, editorial makeup, and NYFW coverage.

Mitchell Mylius — @mitchellmylius Mitchell's portraits range from close beauty to studio fashion to street. The work is characterful and often made with a full team

Leonard Okpor — @mindsetter_ Leonard runs his own NYC studio and shoots fashion and creative portraits in bold color and black and white, alongside wedding work. He has a large following and a deep grid.

Jamie Pearl — @jamiepixx Jamie covers editorial, fashion, commercial, and events. Her clients include GOAT, Djerf Avenue, and Pleasing. The work is colorful and playful, often with flash.

Mike J Vincent — @mikejvincentphotos Mike, of MJV Studios, works in NYC, Atlanta, and Miami. His editorial portraits are dramatic and high-contrast, mostly in black and white, and include a Malvie magazine cover. He also posts about how he builds mood boards, which is useful reading before any shoot.

Ziyang Wang — @ziyang_photo Ziyang is a New York fashion photographer with conceptual, carefully retouched editorials, including covers for Moevir Paris and 17:23 and a story in ELLE Uzbekistan. His studio portraits are a quieter side of the same eye.

Established Names to Study

These photographers shoot covers and campaigns. Most aren't taking test shoots, but their grids are worth following for lighting, posing, and editing ideas.

Anka Garbowska — @anka_garbowska Anka is a photographer and director based in Europe. Her covers include Numéro Switzerland and Numéro Netherlands, and she shoots striking studio editorial.

Josy Graye — @josygraye Josy is a photographer and creative director working between Los Angeles and New York, and also runs a print publication. Her warm, filmic editorials are a good study in natural mood.

William Lords — @williamlords William is an NYC fashion photographer whose work has appeared in Vogue Italia, Vogue Arabia, Flaunt, and NewBeauty. It's high-fashion beauty with a strong sense of color and styling.

Wojciech Christopher Nowak — @wojciechchristophernowak Wojciech is a stylist and photographer with a style and image studio in New York. He has worked with Thom Browne, YSL, and Vivienne Westwood, mostly in black and white.

Sarah Orbanić — @sarahorbanicphotos Sarah is LA-leaning, with a very large following and a Nike campaign to her name. Her work features dramatic light, strong black and white, and ambitious outdoor locations.

Oscar Ozbay — @oscarozbay Oscar is listed on models.com and has published in Grazia. His work is sculptural, high-contrast black and white, including figure work.

Alena Saz — @alena_saz Alena is a Los Angeles beauty photographer represented by Seen Artists. Her work includes ELLE Hungary, MOJEH, and r.e.m. beauty, and it shows color-forward beauty at its most polished.

Jana Schuessler — @janaschuessler Jana works between New York and LA and has shot covers for The Hollywood Reporter and L'Officiel. Her grid is mostly celebrity editorial.

Døve Shore — @doveshore Døve is a photographer and director whose covers include Harper's Bazaar and Esquire, alongside fashion campaigns. The work is warm and cinematic.

Swim, Lingerie, and Implied

These photographers work mostly in swim, lingerie, and implied nudity. If that isn't a direction you or your agency want, choose from the groups above, and if you do reach out, state your limits in writing before the shoot. Models under 18 should not book shoots in this category.

Bellezzamoda — @bellezzamodaph A fashion photographer working between Italy and the US, shooting film, digital, and Polaroids. They have worked with Elite and Wilhelmina models.

Rick C — @rickcphoto Rick works in NY and NJ, mostly in black and white, on the beach and in the studio.

Damian Hodge — @hodgenation_ Damian shoots moody black and white and natural-light work in a brick loft with large windows, and at the beach.

Freddy Merizalde — @freddyspecs Freddy is a published NYC fashion and portrait photographer, shooting in studio in strong black and white and color. He has worked with Genetics and Fenton models.

Jorge Aragon — @jorgearagonphoto Jorge is a fashion and lifestyle photographer working between NY, LA, and Miami. His soft black and white boudoir work is shot by window light

Photographers: if you're listed here and would like your entry changed, a different image featured, or to be removed, message me at @portraitart.nyc and I'll update it right away.