Interview of Model Child McKayla

[Robin Binder]

I wanted to share my interview with a Child Model from OTS - Interesting Reading..

Interview with MODEL - Mikayla Childs - OTS 7167

Mikayla




Photo by Mark Matthew The Loft Studios-2007

R. You represent what OTS is all about. Thanks for agreeing to interview with OTS with your mom's Amy help of course. I know you are getting ready for a big weekend. Will you tell us about it?

M. This weekend is the South Texas National American Miss Pageant in Houston Texas at the Wyndham Greenspoint, I really like this pageant it has shown me grace, poise, interview skills, runway skills, introduction skills and I have met so many friends and we still keep in touch. I am competing in the Jr PreTeen division for 7-9yr olds.

R. Are you glad that summer started and do you have exciting plans you want to share?

M. I am excited school is out! yay! I am going to New Braunfels this Summer and to the Frio River with my Cousin in July!!


R. Mikayla, how did you get started? Did you watch America's Next Top Model and say mom, "This is what I want to do?" Why Model?



Photo by Mark Matthew The Loft Studios-2007

M. No I didn't watch America's Top Model! I looked at Magazines like Teen Vogue, and Vogue, also Seventeen with my sisters. I wanted to be in magazines and be on the Disney Channel!! I also liked to watch Miss USA pageants.

R. Amy this question is for you. Would you say that you have a better concept of Child Acting and Modeling, than you did when you first got Mikayla into modeling and Acting?

A. Oh definitely, when we first got started and had our first shoot with David Long, it was a definite realization of the time and sweat and coordination it takes to have a photo shoot, much less have a child all day at an audition, or on location for a commercial. It has been a definite eye opener, and we have been blessed with all the people we have networked with and eventually were able to meet!! And the information that has helped us not make to many mistakes with time or money$$.



Photo by David Long-2006

R. Mikayla, in your own words, what type of model are you and would you call yourself a professional Model?

M. I would call myself a professional model. I am a kid model! I like fashion but I am 9 yrs old and my mom won't let me wear high heels or makeup yet!! I am waiting, I Love shoes!!

R. Mikayla, you are very talented in both your looks and your personality. Would you say that Pageants helped you get that way or something else?

M. I really think pageants have helped me alot, like I said before, Pageants have groomed me alot in the way I communicate and the way I present myself in front of the camera.

R. Amy, as a model mom, what kind of research do you do on photographers before deciding to work with them?

A. ALOT~ I ask questions, I check with other models that have shot with this individual, I ask other photographers about their opinions on their character reference. I check and double check~ For sure!

R. Amy, with your experience so far, how important is it to be represented by an agent?

A. Ok I feel that if you ( like me) do not have the time to research all the avenues for you child or yourself then you need an agent that has the "IN". You just don't realize how valuable an agent is!! My two cents.

R. Amy, how important is the pageant world to your daughters success in life and her career?



Photo by The Photo Binder Studio

A. I think it is a huge building block on her way to her dreams, Mikayla is a real go getter, she has not always Won but she is NOt a spoiled sport! I am so blessed that she is really happy for the Winner!! Don't get me wrong Mikayla has Won before and was on cloud Nine, but it is not the end of the world when she didn't!!

R. Mikayla, if you could pick, would you rather be at Pageant Camp or Modeling Camp this summer?

M. I would like to do Modeling Camp, I want to learn all I can about modeling! It would be Fun!!

R. Amy, from your experience, what advice would you give Model moms that just didn't make the audition or win the crown?

A. Just be Patient!! When it is right it will be there!! Always praise your child no matter what!! What an Awesome job they did, by just being there!! If there is practicing to do, try to incorporate it into fun games and activities that aren't so stressful, on you and your child!!

R. Lets play a word game with Mikayla. Pick on of the two words.

R. Pony or Bike?

M. Pony

R. Video Games or Board Games?

M. Video Games

R. Jeans or Skirt?

M. Skirt

R. SandBox or Swing?

M. Sandbox

R. Singing or Dancing?

M. Singing

R. Acting or Modeling?

M. Modeling

R. Pageants or Runways?

M. Runways

R. Flowers or Candy?

M. Candy

R. Shopping or Movies?

M. Shopping

R. Running or Skipping?

M. Running

R. Pink or Orange?

M. Pink

R. Cat or Dog?

M. Dog

R. Hair up or Hair Down?

M. Hair Up

R. Holiday or Vacation?

M. Vacation

R. Amy, Disney just called to start Mikayla in a new TV show. Would the family move to FL to support her?



Photo by Dave Feeling - 2007

A. Of Course we would!! We have always said we would support her in her career. And I can work anywhere as a Nurse!! LOL

R. Mikayla, name as many things as you can to pack in your Model Bag? When you get to 10 Stop.

M. 1. Sunglasses, 2. Dress, 3. Swimsuit, 4. Shoes, 5. Skirt, 6. Shirt, 7. Shorts, 8. Hairstuff, 9. Lipgloss, 10. Water

R. Amy, What one advice would you give a new Photographer starting out in working with Child Models?

A. Always make sure the parent is right there with the child, Make sure you communicate fully what you want or need with your shoot, Do not talk down to the parent (we are not photographers). It is all about COMMUNICATION.

R. Mikayla, Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

M. I see myself in a magazine and hopefully in movies!!

R. Amy, Name 5 important things you must know for New Model Moms.

A. 1. Research Your Options;
2. Communication with other models and photographers;
3. Networking;
4. Don't push your child~ Help them;
5. It doesn't happen overnight ~ It takes time!!

R. Mikayla, What was your first paid gig?

M. My first paid gig was Space Center Houston Commercial~ then Academy Visual AD.

R. Amy, Many models right away think they will get paid work. What dues or advice do you have for them?



Photo by Mark Matthew The Loft Studios-2007

A. It takes time, You need to network ~ research~ and find the right agent that fits you, and then work on your audition, modeling, or talent skills in order to stand out when you have that moment to audition to stand above the rest.

R. Mikayla, What was your most exciting experience as a Model that you would share with OTS?

M. My most exciting experience was the Academy shoot~ then going into the store everywhere and seeing myself! very Cool!! and people called and said they saw me! Very Cool!

R. Amy, You have three girls on OTS, why do you keep coming back?



Photo by Slight Clutter Photography- 2006

A. I have met the most outstanding, talented , and wonderful people here on OTS!! It has really opened my eyes with all the wealth of knowlegde that has gathered here to network and show their talent!!

R. Mikayla and Amy thanks for interviewing with me.

R. Mikayla one last question. What last minute advice can you give the Models younger than you?


M. Smile and Believe in Yourself!!!

Thank you
Amy and Mikayla



Photo by David Long-2008

[jagphoto]

Interesting interview.

[dwilliams35]

I have a hard time not considering that disturbing: I mean geez, there's no nine year olds out there that ought to be even thinking about formulating a sentence like "This weekend is the South Texas National American Miss Pageant in Houston Texas at the Wyndham Greenspoint, I really like this pageant it has shown me grace, poise, interview skills, runway skills, introduction skills and I have met so many friends and we still keep in touch. I am competing in the Jr PreTeen division for 7-9yr olds." Okay, so she's a driven professional model and has the lingo down: what ever happened to being a nine year old kid??

[dminton]

WTF? This isn't photoj. I mean nice interview I guess, but, this needs to be somewhere else.

Dave-Photojournalism Section Police.

[Robin Binder]

shoot me and drag me away fast. lol

Only after we photograph your assassination first so we can post it as photojournalism. LOL!

[johnastovall]

I guess it could be a photojournalism essay on an exploited child done in a post modern manner.

But this is a Phojo interview at its finest.

[huntjax]

She is a beautiful girl. I hate to see all the make up. I have been in the modeling acting business for years. Pageant pictures are not going to help a child's career. Technically lighting and your photography looks great but I just have a problem with the makeup and any pageant who is all about the looks, clothes, and making the kids look older.
I have 2 boys that model, most agents run from kids who do pageants.

[Robin Binder]

Originally Posted by huntjax

She is a beautiful girl. I hate to see all the make up. I have been in the modeling acting business for years. Pageant pictures are not going to help a child's career. Technically lighting and your photography looks great but I just have a problem with the makeup and any pageant who is all about the looks, clothes, and making the kids look older.
I have 2 boys that model, most agents run from kids who do pageants.

Thanks for your reply. I only took one of these photos and only one photo she had makeup on and it was for an AD. They paid her to add the makeup. She has never worn makeup at pageants or in her photos exception was when she was hired for the the advertisement. The pageant pictures was an advertizement for a site not the girl. I think the concept I was going for here was to get to know the model and her mom and how she thinks of all the modeling and the excitement of her career. She is very successful for her age and yet she does maintain the innocence and knowledge to be as professional as 9 year old can be.

This was my sharing post to share with other forum members. I have originally created this interview for another publication. I had hoped it would have been some what educational for other photographers reading.

[ppcass]

I happen to know this child and she is very much a little girl. I have worked with her and when the lights start flashing she is very professional and takes instruction better than most girls older than her. Her mom does let her be a child, but I can see how easy it is to think there is a bit of exploitation here. There is a fine line between bringing a child to a photo shoot to build up a portfolio and dragging one to a TFP group shoot or to a photog for TFP at every opportunity just to say "my child is a model" There is a lot of that going on and one of the reasons I have backed away from shooting a lot with kids, unless the images are for a specific purpose.

I get the feeling this post was done to promote OTS, which is understandable, so I think we should look at in the vein it was probably intended...as an ad... and kids are used all the time to advertise.

Just to clarify, I am a long time member of OTS and think it is a great organization. Just like anywhere else, there are some moms pushing their kids on that site, but you can find that anywhere.

[semperaggie]

I have to agree with some of the others. I think the first picture is bordering on inappropriate.

[Contemporary Clicks]

Very cute. Interesting interview... I don't know if I agree with the majority of it.

[ronb1234]

Originally Posted by dminton

WTF? This isn't photoj. I mean nice interview I guess, but, this needs to be somewhere else.

Dave-Photojournalism Section Police.

Texas Photo Forum > Showcase > Photojournalism
I agree with noticing that the placement of article to being non related to photojournalism.I think this young model has good possibilities in life as a model and has already achieved a lot for her age.On the flip side of the coin the models mother seems to have control issues with looking for an over abundance of free opportunities to plug the models name and face along with being annoying and extremely defensive with eager to start a fight to defend her name. I.e, i was once on a young teens popular web site and was overly tagged by this persons profile.i simply made a non offensive comment back in a flirting harmless manner and holy hell broke out from fabricating lies and dramatizing against me which resulted in me getting the boot from the site and owner of the site to immediately selling .Bottom line to this personal observation is some people take simple small things way to serious on the internet with being to quick to cast negative judgments about another person who they never meet or spoken to and not realizing the consequences to there actions and words in the REAL world for the internet behavior.I'm a semi retired professional photographer who has worked with agencies and in the commercial print arena.Good Luck to you Miss Childs, Maybe you will be the worlds president or a state elected official one day

[nekuee]

Never mind