How it all started 2. Professional modeling

The second part of my story many people know already. It is about how I decided to quit my job as a tour guide and start working on my own, as a model.

For me this story was full of wonderful coincidences from the very start. I’ll try to tell you about it all, and I hope you will not be lost in all the unnecessary details :)

In a way it all happened because of couchsurfing - back in Minsk I was obsessed with hosting people from other countries. And at some point a few guests from Poland mentioned that I definitely have to see Woodstock - the music festival that takes place on Polish-German border this days. And in summer 2014 I hitch-hiked there for my birthday (31/07)

On that very day I met a guy who introduced himself as a photographer. Back than I wasn’t afraid to talk to drunk people in festival crowd, so the dialog started and I mentioned that I actually pose sometimes. He asked me if I can show some photos. Back than I wasn’t afraid to show my nude photos to strangers, so I showed him my portfolio on a screen of smartphone. And he said that he will be glad to see me at the photography event he organizes together with his girlfriend.

But back than I wasn’t brave enough to travel to some strangers alone for some unknown event in the foreign country. So I waited for half a year, keeping contact through facebook, until a friend of mine volunteered to travel with me from Belarus to Poland and check if the event is safe enough so I can stay there :)

So that is what happened in spring 2015 - I came to a photography gathering as an extremely shy foreigner, the only one who doesn’t speak any polish language :) And that gathering was great by the way! I didn’t check any portfolio of participants, but it happened to be a very professional community of creatives.

And (I still don’t know why) people noticed me there and complimented my modeling skills a lot (never happened before). Even now, when I think about that days it feels like a change of reality.

Soon after that I got another invitation to Poland. Somehow before that I was sure that people always invite different models for that events, so I didn’t expect a second chance :) But I was wrong, and during 2015 I visited 5 photography events in total, so my portfolio grew exponentially. Actually my next birthday I spend in Michałowice, shooting event that I attend every year since than.

And that is the time when new friends told me, that I probably shouldn't mention from the very start, that I pose for free (tfp), because actually what I am doing is a job and people pay for it.

My first paid shooting was for stock photography, I earned 100$ for a half day and it was comparable to my 2 weeks salary.

Another funny story is how I quit my tour guide job in Minsk. I remember, that my contract was over and I had to work one last day. Normally mondays were days off for excursions, but my boss asked me to come for my last day on Monday, so I can do an excursion for a group of young guys from some military academy. I finished the tour at 2pm and at 3 pm I was already in the bus to Berlin, because (guess what) I was going to a photoshoot event 😀

And yeah, by the year 2016 I switched from guiding to modeling completely.

I grew much more confidence, I learned that I am worth of being paid for modeling and I discovered the endless possibilities of traveling and working on the way 🙂

Bonus: my old portfolio is still online

https://www.maxmodels.pl/modelka-kaciaryna.html