How to Have Better Control Over Your Face, as a Model

Nerves, aaaaaagh!!!! We've all got them. And let's face it- it's difficult to stand in front of a camera for hours, trying to look your absolute best. Yes, your BEST. No pressure!

We all deal with anxiety in different ways, but unless we learn to control it, it will show on our faces. But you're not the kind of person who gets nervous... you've got this under control. All you have to do is concentrate! Alas, when concentrating intensely on one thing, many of us hold that concentration and tension in our mouths/jaws. So, what to do?

The answer is simple; don't be nervous! Ahahaha, just kidding. I'm not delusional. I know it's not that easy. Being nervous is just part of who some of us are. I still get nervous before EVERY shoot! The only reason I make it through it, is because I am prepared. I have been shooting and shooting and shooting. I have been practicing.

PRACTICE is the real answer!

Practicing something makes us better at it, and being better at it makes us more confident. Being confident makes us less nervous! The nerves might still be there, but I guarantee you, the more you practice, the less intense those nerves are. More importantly, all that practice has built up a set of skills that you can rely on, through all those nerves.

Now you might be saying, "Duh, Jen! Everyone knows practice makes perfect! But how can I practice being relaxed?" I'm not even going to pretend I know how to answer that, haha. I do know what you CAN practice, though.

You can practice appearing as though you are relaxed! You can also practice appearing happy, appearing sad, appearing angry, maybe even appearing... nervous? It depends on the  modeling gig, right?!?! What you should be practicing as a model (aside from poses, that one is obvious I hope) is facial expressions. A variety of facial expressions is a vital skill set for a model.

I just read this amazing little tidbit of advice by S De Varax on Model Mayhem. I can't think of a better way for a model to learn how not only to control his/her face... but to learn to be versatile. Of course, models have been advised to practicing posing and making faces in the mirror for ages, but this takes it one step further.

"Look in the mirror: do 5 different smiles, 5 different angry, 5 different flirty, 5 different bored etc. Set up a camera and see if you can recreate those looks without a mirror.
You can learn to be aware of your face (and by extension your body) and give expressions on demand (and doesn't just look the same each time)."

I think every model could benefit from this. So, try it out! Let me know how it works for you!!!!!

Arre in Wonderland

 It's Halloween, soon, hooorah! Who doesn't love Halloween? I think it's fabulous that there is one day ever year when we all get to dress and act like whomever and whatever we want. "Make-believe" is encouraged... and we all get to be young at heart. (I do this all the time in photoshoots, but not everyone is as lucky as I am!)

Alicia Cordero booked me last year to do some Halloween portraits of her family... and again, this year! I'm crossing my fingers this is the beginning of a tradition. She is so creative, making parts of the costumes herself, crafting home-made signs, gathering props and making unique sets. Who woudn't want to be their family photographer????

I had to blog about this shoot... it was so FUN! The family photos came out GREAT, but I also wanted to show off some of the hard work she put into the little details- right down to her red rose fingernails.

Forgive the weird layout, please... this is only my third blog. I hope they get prettier as I go.

 Enjoy!

Una Noche de la Gloria

October 13th I had the honor of participating in an art festival called Noche de la Gloria, in the Guadalupe Arts district of San Antonio. Artists of all kinds were present! What you see here doesn't even begin to encompass all the wonderful artistry that was present. I didn't get to walk around and check everything out like I wanted to, as I didn't want to leave my booth, but I did get a little bit of footage from my corner of the event... as well as some footage of the fashion show. It was a looong, but fun day. I can't wait to do it again next year! If you're curious what the event is like... check out this video! It's really just a sample- you've got to check it out yourself to get the full effect.



Thank you, thank you, thank you to BOMBASTA for letting me use their song "De La Calle" for this video... it was perfect! :D

Also... huge shout-out and many thank yous to my parents for investing in me, so I could participate in this event. Mandi- thank you for your help, too! People were drawn in by the larger posters.
To those of you to came out to see me at the event... thank you for showing your support! It means a whole lot to me, that I have friends and family who are there to help me succeed in my artistry.

***I can't forget, thanks to Ruben and Marie, for inviting me to be part of this wonderful experience!

Jessie Andrade, Model, Artist

The first thing I thought when I met Jessie Andrade this summer was "Wow, that is some RED hair!" Let's be honest, though, that's what everyone thinks when they first meet her! Her hair is indeed quite red, and quite lovely.

The second thing I thought about Jessie was "She treats me like she's known me forever!" That, of course, is a good thing.  I like "huggers" and people I can immediately be comfortable with.

 The third thing I thought when I met Jessie, and the thing I'd really like to share with you all today, is that she IS an amazing artist! I might have noticed this first, except that the decorative shoes she created for our shoot were still tucked away in her bag. Once she put them on, though, it was apparent. Not only is she creative, but she has created her own unique style!

 Recently, I did another shoot with Jessie, featuring some of her art... and I knew I HAD to start blogging again- if only to feature some of the local gems, like Jessie, that I get to shoot with. (Alice, Texas is sorta local to San Antonio!)

If you're the kind of person that already scrolled down a bit, then you KNOW what I'm talking about. This helmet is insane!!! I'm honored that she made it for our shoot. Jessie and I definitely vibe on the same style, and I absolutely love working with her.

If you'd like to get in touch with Jessie to have something made, or if you'd like to book her for a shoot, you can reach her at andrade.jessica26@yahoo.com. Tell her I sent you!