“Strangers are friends you haven’t yet met.”

This famous quote by Yeats is never truer than in modelling. It’s no surprise that the sheer number of our world-class clients means we have plenty of group bookings available – and many of them means lots of models work together having never previously met.
Modelling is fun, and group bookings are highly sociable. Many of our wonderful models comment on the number of friends they’ve made whilst shooting at various locations around the UK. Modelling for a top agency can feel like a family, with everyone in the same boat working towards a common goal. And if you have fun and make memories along the way, then it’s even better.
It’s understandable to feel a little nervous before a shoot with strangers. We know some people can find meeting new acquaintances slightly daunting. In most cases, initial butterflies in the stomach are forgotten once work begins. Our advice for working with new models is:
- Believe in yourself.
- Be professional.
- Listen to what the on-set crew says.
- Don’t worry if things don’t go smoothly first time around; there’s always a second time!
- Relax.
You’ll often work with first-time models. This makes assignments less nerve-racking – not that they are intended to be! A relaxed, composed model is always going to be successful, and it’s the on-set team’s responsibility to make sure that everyone’s in tune with the work schedule.

Take newcomer Azeez for instance. He was selected by Red Tractor for a modelling shoot in London in March this year. Red Tractor are a leading organisation that maintains food production standards by working with farmers, growers and retailers. Working with strangers proved to be a revelation for Azeez, whose feedback was a glowing confirmation that there is nothing to fear working with strangers.
“Working with Models Direct could not have been any easier or more relaxing,” Azeez said. “My first job with them went so smoothly that I had to share my experience. I arrived at the location early where I was greeted by the team with a coffee/tea and Wi-Fi password, followed by the tour of the house. Next, they followed up with a brief and breakdown of how we planned to spend the day. The whole day was spent with laughter, stories and collaborative ideas amongst everyone. The models were friendly and enthusiastic, plus the team was super-cooperative. There was such superb synergy between us all that we managed to get everything done two hours prior to our closing time. I would highly recommend Models Direct to anyone trying to get work/experience as a model. 10/10.”
By following directions and giving yourself the best chance to impress our clients, models can become more comfortable working with strangers. We get inundated with positive reviews from all sorts of models, and a common theme is how well they’ve connected with other like-minded models. Like we say, modelling with strangers can feel like a family meeting, such is the levels of camaraderie. You’d be hard pressed to find employment that delivers on both enjoyment on and some of the best fees around.