For Models
Who Are Serious About What Comes Next
Portfolio development sessions
New York City
built for your next step
The Challenge
Any shoot can make photographs. They don’t all create portfolio building image or help improve your book.
A session that isn’t planned around a specific career goal produces images that look professional and do nothing. They don’t speak to the commercial client who needs to see range and relatability. They don’t speak to the editorial client who needs to see point of view. They exist. They take up space in a PDF. They don’t open doors.
The problem is rarely the photographer. It’s the absence of a plan. Without knowing where you’re trying to go, there’s no way to build the assets that get you there (no matter how good the light is).
The Approach
Before anything is scheduled, we talk.
Where are you now?
What work are you booking?
What’s in your portfolio?
Who are you submitting to?
Where are you trying to go?
What market, what clients, what does the next year look like if things go well?
The session is built around those answers.
The looks we shoot, the way we prep, the assets we deliver. All of it follows from that conversation.
This is not a standard portfolio shoot with a preset number of looks and a gallery delivery at the end of the week. It is a planned body of work, built around a specific career objective, delivered in a format designed for how your images will actually be used — by agencies, by casting directors, by brands reviewing submissions.
The goal isn’t great photos.
The goal is a book that gets you in the room.
What a Session Looks Like
It starts before the shoot.
The intake questionnaire gives you a place to introduce yourself and tell me where you’re trying to go. From there, we get on a call (or meet in person if you’re local to Connecticut or New York ) and have a real conversation about your career. What your book needs, what looks make sense, what to bring, who handles hair and makeup. By the time you walk into the studio, nothing about the day is a surprise.
Sessions take place in professional studio space in New York City, in the neighborhood corridor running from Chelsea and Flatiron up through the Garment District. The studio is a working professional environment; not a lifestyle space, not a pop-up. The kind of space where the work looks like work.
Every session begins with digitals. No makeup, no styling, no production. Clean images that show exactly what you look like on that day. The standard agency format that every model needs and most don’t have done properly. Those are delivered first, so you they can get right to work for you.
From there, we move through looks. Commercial, editorial, beauty (selected in the consultation based on where you’re going, not chosen from a menu on shoot day). Each look is approached the way a professional set is approached: intentional background, deliberate styling choices, active direction throughout. You are not left to figure out what to do with your hands.
As each look is completed and edited, it’s delivered, along with a digital comp card for that look. Not everything at once at the end of the week. Look by look, as it’s ready, so you can begin using the work while the session is still fresh. Digital comp cards for each look are sized to fit 3:4 social media format.
Who This Is For
You are pursuing modeling as a career, not a hobby. You have a sense of where you want to go — commercial work, fashion editorial, beauty — even if you haven’t fully mapped the path. You understand that a portfolio is a tool, not a trophy, and you’re ready to invest in one that actually functions.
You might be building your first professional book. You might be refreshing a portfolio that no longer represents where you are or where you’re headed. You might be agency-represented and expanding into a new category. What you have in common with every client who walks into this studio is that you’re serious about the work and ready for a conversation about what it takes to move forward.
You are not looking for the fastest or cheapest way to get photos taken. You are looking for the right assets, built around the right plan, delivered by someone who understands what those assets need to do.
If that’s where you are, we should talk.
Investment
Portfolio development sessions start at $1,350.
Most sessions, once scope is established, fall between $1,350 and $2,200 depending on the number of looks and whether beauty work is included.
The final investment reflects the scope we establish together in the consultation: the number of looks, the complexity of the shoot, and what your book specifically requires. There are no packages and no preset menus. A model building their first commercial look has a different session than one expanding into fashion editorial across three categories. The price reflects the work, not a tier name.
Hair and makeup are not included in the session fee. They are part of almost every session and are discussed during the consultation so there are no surprises. Your makeup artist is paid directly. The cost never passes through my billing. I don’t mark up makeup and hair.
The consultation is where scope is confirmed and investment is established. Nothing is booked before that conversation happens.
Contact
The first step is a conversation.
Use the form below to introduce yourself and tell me a little about where you are and where you’re trying to go. I’ll follow up personally within 48 hours.
There is no obligation and no sales process.
If this is the right fit, we’ll know that quickly. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you honestly and point you in a direction that serves you better.
Let’s start a conversation
Tell me a little about where you are and where you’re trying to go.
There are no wrong answers here.
This is the beginning of a conversation, not an application.
I’ll follow up personally as soon as I can, usually within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Session
What happens during a session?
Every session begins with digitals: clean, unretouched images that capture you exactly as you are. From there, we move through looks chosen specifically for your career goals, whether that’s commercial, beauty, or high fashion editorial. Throughout the shoot, you’ll receive active posing direction. At the end of the week, you’ll have a set of edited images and a digital comp card for each look (assets built to work, not just to exist).
How long does a session take?
Studio time is booked in half-day blocks. The pace is unhurried by design. There is time for makeup, hair, wardrobe, and the work itself without the pressure of a clock running out. Not every session will use the full block, and that’s intentional. A session that ends when the work is done is better than one that rushes to fill time or cuts looks short.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions are photographed in professional studio space in New York City. Specific location details are confirmed during the booking process.
Do I need to bring my own clothing?
Yes. Your wardrobe is part of the conversation we have before the shoot. We’ll discuss what each look requires and what you should bring. The goal is clothing that speaks to the work you want to book.
What should I do to prepare?
The consultation handles most of the preparation. Come ready to talk honestly about where you are in your career and where you want to go. Beyond that: rest well the night before, arrive with clean skin and hair, and bring the wardrobe we’ve discussed. Your makeup artist handles the rest.
Do I need prior modeling experience?
No. But you do need to be at a point where a portfolio session is the right next step. That’s part of what the consultation is for. Let’s make sure this investment will actually move you forward. If there’s foundational work to do first, we’ll talk about that honestly.
About Hair and Makeup
Is hair and makeup included?
Hair and makeup are not included in the session fee, but they are part of almost every session. We discuss this during the consultation so there are no surprises. The cost of your makeup artist is paid directly to them. It never passes through my billing.
Do I need to bring my own makeup artist?
Not necessarily. I work with a small group of makeup artists whose work I trust for this kind of photography. I’ll recommend someone based on the looks we’ve planned and coordinate their involvement. If you have an artist you already work with, we can discuss whether she’s a fit for the session.
What if I have a makeup artist I already work with?
Bring her up in the consultation. If the work aligns with what the session requires, that’s a straightforward conversation. The priority is that the makeup serves the photography — not the other way around.
About the Photos
How many photos will I receive?
We discuss this during our pre-production call. The emphasis is on images that are purposeful and usable — not volume. Every image delivered is one you can actually submit or post.
How long until I receive my images?
Digitals are delivered the next day. The remaining images are delivered look by look throughout the week following your session. You won’t wait for everything at once — each look arrives as it’s ready.
What is a digital comp card and how do I use it?
A comp card is a model’s calling card. A single image that shows range, look, and professionalism at a glance. The digital comp card you receive for each look is designed the way casting and agency submissions are actually reviewed: a strong hero image with supporting alternates. It’s ready to send, share, or submit without additional design work on your part.
What format are the images delivered in?
We discuss how you will use the images so that they can be delivered in a format that is ready to go. I have a default format that is useful for most applications, but if you have a specifci use, let me know so files can be delivered in a way that fits that use.
About the Investment
How much does a session cost?
Sessions start at $1,350. Most sessions, once scope is established, fall between $1,350 and $2,200 depending on the number of looks and whether beauty work is included. Hair and makeup are additional and paid directly to the artist — that cost never passes through my billing. The consultation is where we establish scope and confirm the investment before anything is booked.
What determines the price?
Scope. The consultation establishes what your book actually needs — and the session is built around that. A model who needs one strong commercial look and a set of digitals has a different session than one building a full range across three categories. The investment reflects the work, not a package name.
How do I book?
Start with the inquiry form on this page, or reach out directly. Either way, the first step is a conversation — not a booking form with a credit card field. We’ll talk through your goals, confirm that this is the right fit, and go from there.
About Fit
Is this right for me if I’m just starting out?
It depends on where “just starting out” means for you. If you’re ready to build a book and pursue real work, yes. If you’re still developing foundational skills — posing, runway, industry knowledge — there may be a better first step. I’ll tell you honestly in the consultation. A session that isn’t right for you yet isn’t one I want to sell you.
I’ve done portfolio shoots before. How is this different?
Most portfolio shoots produce photos. This one starts with a conversation about what those photos need to do. The difference is planning — specifically, whose career the planning serves. Every decision in the session, from the looks we choose to the way images are delivered, is made in the context of where you’re trying to go.
Do I need to be represented by an agency?
No. Independent models, models pursuing representation, and agency-signed models refreshing their book are all appropriate clients. What matters is that you’re seriously pursuing modeling as a career and that a portfolio session is the right tool for where you are right now.
Can a parent or guardian attend?
For models who are minors, a parent or guardian must be present and will have full view of the shoot at all times. For adult models, sessions are conducted professionally and privately.
Who is Scott Parker?
Scott Parker is a Connecticut-based commercial fashion photographer, producer, and creative director with credits in Harper’s Bazaar Japan, Elle, Vogue Hong Kong, Nylon Japan, and Billboard UAE, among others. His fashion work spans four continents and includes campaigns for global brands. He is a member of the CFDA and the Tokyo Fashion Council. Portfolio development sessions are an extension of the same approach he brings to every commercial engagement: thinking about what the work needs to do, not just what it needs to look like.
Do you work with male models?
Yes. The approach is person-specific, not gender-specific. The session is built around your goals and the market you’re pursuing. For many male clients, grooming often replaces traditional makeup and hair prep, and the look types shift accordingly. Commercial, editorial, and grooming-focused looks are all on the table depending on where you’re trying to go.