Smile for the camera!

One of my biggest hobbies (as you can probably see :D) is modeling. I love standing in front of the camera and I, of course, love seeing the results.
I used to dress a little bit more extravagant before in everyday life, but I mostly go only to work, so...pants and T-shirt are just fine (I have to change to work  T-shirt and I can´t wear skirts or dresses, anyway) and photoshoots are great ways to dress up a little bit more, too.  I love thinking about new outfits and new ways to combine things I have at home.
And of course I love making ideas (mine or the photographers) a little bit closer to the reality.
Some friend asked me, if I get paid. No, I don´t. And then they asked me: "Then why are you doing it? What do you have from it?"
To be honest, I never considered myself as a professional model and i don´t get paid. Modeling is simply just hobby for me. A way to have nice photos, a way to create something, a way to have great memories, a way to meet new people a way to relax, dress up (or sometimes down :D) and have fun.

I first began annoying people on the internet with my face few years ago. Back in 2007/2008, when blogging was considered kind of lame by most people, I made my first personal blog. It only lived for few weeks, but I quickly made another (and I surprisingly still have it). I just started taking photos of flowers and stuff and later of my own face (Ha! I took lots of selfies before it was cool! :D). It was fun adding my own photos to my blog, because, to be honest, I wasn´t very self-confident back then. But showing my face to the world helped me a lot. So, most of my photos were selfies and some were photos taken by my friend Tina (with my old 5Mpx camera :D). I realized that I loved it. ♥
When I look at the old photos now, they mostly aren´t really that great as I though then. But everyone started somewhere.

Selfie time in 2008/2009

And old photo from Tina (2008)

Even with my not-that-great-looking-photos I managed to sign up on modelmayhem. It was aroung 2010. And in that year I got a message from Max (PhotoCroMax). He was a beginner photographer from Italy and said, that he had a trip to Slovakia, so if I´m interested in some photos.
After thinking about it a lot (and I mean a LOT! :D), I said yes and in winter 2010 we met. That was the first time I had someone took photos of my with who wasn´t my friend with my crappy camera. If was a funny story, but I will that that some other time.
I had so much fun doing it, even when I was totally nervous. I even had my make-up properly done.
I could see the nervosity in those photos, but I was determined to get better.

Photos from PhotoCroMax.On the left is one from the first "shoot" in 2010 and on the right is some months later in 2011

Even the next photographer contacted me through ModelMayhem. 
And then I slowly began to meet new people. And that is one of the great things about modeling, too.
You meet various photographers, you meet fellow models, you meet make-up artists. You meet and work with people with various ideas and you can see their different style and mindset.
Sometimes they come up with themes and ideas you did never think about before, or didn´t think, they would work, but then you see the result, and it´s just wow. And sometimes it´s not. In many times it´s more about experimenting and trying, not knowing, if it will work. But you have to try and give everything you have, to  make it work.

I think I´ve gone a long way from old selfies to todays photos, but I still have a long way before me. I still get nervous, I still make mistakes. But I´m still learning and trying my best to get better. Even if it´s just a hobby.

Photo by Igi Petrilla