Her Campus Mizzou: How did you get into modeling?
Madison Mason: I started modeling for a toy store called Hearthsong in my hometown when I was really little. Most of the shoots took place in San Francisco, and then I really didn’t pick up modeling again until high school when one of my friends, who is an aspiring photographer, asked me to model for her. Her mentor began to get me a few real jobs, which allowed me to do a bit of networking in the San Francisco area.
HCM: Who have you modeled for?
MM: Andrew Ho Photography, Rockin Clothing Company and United Taken.
HCM: Do you only model clothes?
MM: I do mostly artistic shoots where the photographer is looking to build his or her portfolio, but I do a lot of clothing gigs back home.
HCM: Do you make money doing this?
MM: Depending on the shoot, yes. I make money, usually at an hourly rate. I do a lot of favors for people, though, so they can improve their portfolios.
HCM: Can you learn to model, or do you think it’s more of a natural talent?
MM: You can definitely learn. Some people are obviously going to be better models than others, but I feel like that goes for anything in life.
HCM: Would you consider making it a career?
MM: I would not consider making this a career because I don’t feel that there is enough of an intellectual aspect to it. It is a lot of being told what to do, what to wear, how to eat (or not eat in this case), and I just don’t see it as a very fulfilling way to live to be honest.
HCM: What’s your favorite part of modeling?
MM: My favorite part of modeling is the networking. You are thrown into strange situations with many people you haven’t met before, and they are dressing you, putting makeup on you and telling you how to pose or what their vision is. These shoots can last for hours. With every one I’ve walked away feeling like I have made a dozen new friends that will want to work with me again in the future.
HCM: What is your favorite shoot so far?
MM: My favorite shoot would have to be the one where I wore a dress in a pool. Or the one where they dripped colored goo down my face and covered my lips in glitter. It was pretty awesome! That’s the thing about modeling, though; you get to do things for the pure sake of visual achievement that you would have never thought to do before.