ANONYM | VIP Member | Verified Credits (12)
Where are you from? Where are you based now and do you travel for shoots?
I am from the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta, and currently based in Charlotte, NC. I travel when I have many offers to shoot in the city or when I take vacations.
Who or what inspired you to become a model?
I have always loved the arts. The first time I saw art nude work was when I found an art nude book on the hotel table in Singapore, but I never thought I would be a model. The majority of the contents were in B&W and they were all tasteful and artistic, similar to the work of Rojo, a photographer I worked with a couple of years ago on Model Mayhem.
How and when did you start modeling?
Roughly six years ago, a photographer wanted to take some photos of me for fun. I joined Model Mayhem and share our photos and never thought I would get so many photoshoot offers. I did a lot of TF shoots in my first year of modeling and got several decent photos, and then I started charging an incredibly low rate. Model Mayhem was the site that helped start my modeling career as this is where I got most of my photoshoot offers.
What type of modeling do you enjoy the most?
Art nude modeling, especially the one in B&W.
What do you look for when deciding to work with a photographer?
I first look at their portfolio to see if their work is something I want to create, unique, beautiful, and I most importantly, something I’m comfortable with. I always check their references next. It’s a must for me that they have references from at least three models they have worked with. I then contact the models to find out how the photographer behaves, etc.
Which models or other artists currently inspire you?
Liv Sage is the model who inspires me, even though my work leans towards clean B&W minimalism and glamour more than her. Other models are Ivory Flame and Icelandic Selkie. They push me to create photos with deeper meanings and full of emotions in my work. And for photographers, David Dubnitskiy, Constantine Gedal or cx_image, RoJo, Matt Schmidt, Brett Stanley, etc.
What would be your dream shoot?
My absolute dream shoot would be shooting underwater with jellyfish, but I need to learn how to breathe long enough to stay underwater while posing, and everything else I need to know about shooting underwater!
How important is social media in your success?
Social media is very important for any artist’s success because we need to showcase our work and to be recognized by more people in order to get more photoshoot offers. It’s also nice knowing there are people who like the work I share on social media because it motivates me to keep creating artwork and being creative.
What else do you like to do outside of modeling?
I love drawing, listening to music, and taking photographs. Lately, I have been taking a lot of self-portraits and sharing them on my second Instagram account, @anonym__self. I’ve received several lovely compliments from photographers and that was such an honor getting compliments from them.
What’s the best career advice you can give to new models?
I’ve had new models ask me for advice before and I’ll share the same advice here. In early modeling, do not charge rates as experienced models do. Get some collaborations with experienced photographers to build a decent portfolio first.
Always ask for references before working with any photographer, tell them to give you where you can see more of their work, and links to the models they have worked with. It’s safer if any of the models they have worked with are professional models. Contact the models and ask about the photographers. After you find out that they are safe to work with, you may schedule a shoot with them.
Be punctual and reliable. Do not cancel at the last minute, or even worse, cancel the photoshoot without informing them. I am aware things happen, but not informing the photographer is not an option. Lastly, do your own makeup and bring your own outfits unless they provide them for you. Ask the photographers if they have some outfits in mind for the photoshoot, or if you are not able to provide them, bring a white shirt, and some neutral color lingerie, as that would do in most photoshoots.
Check out ANONYM’s Model Mayhem portfolio to see more of her work. You can also follow her on Instagram, Snapchat, and her website.