I love the way the Internet and technology in general has made everyone a photo editor and in some cases, a talent scout.  Yep, your mother, your big brother, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your sister, your bartender, everyone who loves your new photos is dead-on and you should be the next Victoria Secrets Angel. 

©2005 Rolando Gomez, Atlanta Lingerie

Gone are the days that professionals actually paid, on staff, for magazines, or in the case of talent scouts/bookers at agencies, meant anything to anyone—at least online.  With all these model/photographer social communities, instantly you’re a supermodel, especially if you’re the “pic of the day” or “featured” on the front page.  Heck, if you’re active in the community and post on the forums, even if you’ve never been published, you’re now a mentor, or better yet, a moderator.  Yep, you can now raise your rates from TFP (time for practice) to the supermodel rates of $150 an hour, throw in some nudity and your rates go up to $175 an hour, subject to bringing an escort with you.  (Note to self:  In the old days, escorts were basically call-girls, the kind that required payment but gave back more than photos.)

My God, actually, that’s Myspace, throw up a few cell phone photos of yourself, even the ones taken by yourself—that good ole arm extension technique, it’s in style—and “BAM,” as Emeril John Lagasse would say, you’re hot!  If fact, you’re on fire.  You’re the next culinary dish and now you can “kick it up a notch” and head to the big leagues—those TFP requests will come pouring in from GWC’s!

No, that’s not girls with credit cards that will take you on a shopping spree, but guys with charisma who will try and charm you out of your clothes.  And if you’re lucky, especially if you do crawl out of your clothes, you just might have a guy with credit cards that will take you shopping, after the shoot.

Now if Myspace, Facebook and all those modeling and photography sites don’t get your ego boosted about your talent, then just count the views on your photos on those popular social networking sites.  Make no mistake, the ones with the most views are the TnA types, no, not talent and assets, but those curvy things your momma told you to hide from your Sears (Victoria Secrets today) catalogue types when you were growing up.  Show that thong and baby your image view counts will go higher than a wedgy.  Proof that puberty does show it’s signs, even on the Internet.

So in a nutshell, if you’re online, remember, everyone that thinks your photos rock are bonafide photo editors and better talent scouts than those paid to do those type of professional jobs in real life—yes, listen to your family and friends, don’t even bother on go sees to real modeling agencies, they don’t know what they’re talking about.  What portfolio or book? You’ve got one in your smart phone taken by your friends, that’s all you need today, not to mention, you’re on Myspace and the page views are up and there’s comments to prove it and you’re on the way to becoming the next Victoria Secrets Angel.  Wish you all the best, rg sends!