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Ask Heidi:

Photo by Danielle Bedics
December 2006

     Time again for another edition of "Ask Heidi." Modern Femme Fatale Heidi Van Horne answers your questions about what it takes to be a modern day pin-up.



     Happy Holidays Everyone!  Whatever religion you follow or winter traditions you continue, I hope your holiday season is happy and healthy and I hope you all get some quality time with the people you love! This month I'd like to answer a couple more Q's with some A's and then I will leave you with a few Pin-Up Modeling Do's and Don't's--or, since its Christmas time, pin-up habits that will land you on the Naughty or Nice lists.

I would like to know what you recommend to eat right before a photo shoot, I tend to get bloated when I drink lots of water.  What would you recommend that I do the night before to wake up with a leaner "looking" body?

     Definitely keep hydrated and drink the water! Work out the night before or morning of (before a shower) if you have time and definitely STRETCH! It gets the blood flowing and helps you feel strong. Even just a quick walk or some jumping jacks can work--just to get in tune with your body so you're not trying to tap into that connection on set. Try not to eat too much salty food or greasy stuff that day or the night before. I have a bad habit of craving McDonald's breakfast when I'm up early for a shoot! Not too big of a deal for some shoots, but its not too classy to be burping from a cheesy breakfast and a Coke on a set. Ask me how I know. When you are shooting with friends its a little different and you might be more comfortable, but its best to eat some fruit or something healthy just before so you have nourishment, but not food that will drag your energy or make you crash soon after, like sugar. Also check out the Punk Rock Domestics Board. Pin-up model and trainer Amie Decker is the resident expert on Fitness Tips, and she answers Q's there about the healthy stuff!
 

I'm under 18, not by very much, and pin-up/retro modeling is a passion of mine. Are there any legit contests I can enter before my eighteenth birthday, or am I just going to have to wait it out?

     Truthfully, I think most are 18 and up. If for no other reason than for those running the contest can protect themselves. The laws concerning suggestive photos for underage models has gotten tighter in recent years, and its often not about what the model is doing, but how the photographer shot it. To steer clear of the drama and legal problems (and avoid encouraging any version of child pornography!), people prefer to stick to over 18. However, we both know that mainstream models do similar work--the difference is largely in the inherent sexuality associated with pinup art. Even a face shot can be recognizable as a pinup if it looks a certain era or style and is of an attractive female. You might want to look into a legit modeling agency, perhaps you might end up doing pin-up on a paid shoot that many of us in pin-up-land are too...let's say worldly--instead of old--to get a chance at! 
     Pin-up has rebounded in popularity and your knowledge of and interest in it might set you apart among the mainstream gals at an agency, and since you are so young, you have a better shot at the "legit" side of modeling, where pinup is seeing a resurgence. If you found success there, you'd have your choice of who to collaborate with for pinups when you turn 18!
     If mainstream modeling makes you yawn and you're only interested in pin-up, then take this time to work on shoots you can do with friends or with photographers in your area--do dress shoots, retro fashion shots and head shots. Build up your book as best you can so that when you are ready to take some more pin-up and sexier shots, that won't be all you have, and you can show off your range as a model. Even in the niche of pinup modeling, range and variety only work to your benefit. Then when you enter the contests, you might already have a fan base and experience so you can shoot with even better photographers and on better projects. Just know that--as annoying as it is to hear--you do have all the time in the world ahead of you. Enjoy what you've got now--you'll be 18 soon enough and ready to rock it. And then you'll get to be frustrated with not being 21 yet. 

*  *  *  *  *

Heidi's Pin-Up Naughty List
*Slouching
*Insincere smiles or expressions
*Looking bored
*Looking insecure--unless you're trying to recreate an Elvgren Ooops! scenario for a shot, insecurity in a model's face or pose comes across as saying, "I don't believe I'm sexy or attractive" and if you don't, why should we?
*Crooked stance or awkward arms and legs
*Poses that you studied in Hustler

Heidi's Pin-Up Nice List
*Point your toes!
*Cross your ankles! Or if your legs aren't crossed, try to bring the legs together at the ankles, it creates a nicer leg line and body shape.
*Try to make your body into long lines, from head to toe, or hip to leg--whatever line is there visually, you want to make it appear long and graceful.
*Look at the camera and make a connection!
*Practice poses in the mirror to see what flatters your figure the most! Everyone is different!
*Elongate your body! From neck to toes! Stretch! "Act" tall!
*Shoulders back!
*Head up!
*Be confident!
*Poses that you studied from the classics like Bettie Page and Marilyn Monroe.
 

That's it for now!  Be nice, everyone!  We'll see ya in the new year! 
 

Love and Pin-Ups!
Heidi Van Horne
www.HeidiVanHorne.com
 
 

A little about Heidi: "I starting acting in Texas at age 13, I have worked and trained as an actress in film, TV & commercials for most of my life, as well as working behind the lens on various projects. I have been shooting my own retro pinups since late 2003, when I started doing self-shot photos (just like Bunny Yeager did!) with a self timer and a tripod in my home. Since then, I've been on the cover of 3 books ("Hot Rod Pin Ups" by David Perry and MBI Publishing, "How to Be a Dominant Diva" by Avalon Press, and the new "Modern Vixens: World of Winytiki" by Octavio Arizala and Goliath Press) as well as being featured on the cover of 3 (and inside 2 other) Pin Up Calendars for 2007, magazine covers and countless layouts, features and interviews in counter-culture publications, as well as a few mainstream mags. I've gotten to work with tons of amazing companies and photographers, including original pinup, pinup photographer & living legend, Bunny Yeager--shooting on the same beach where she and Bettie Page made Pin Up history! Living in LA pursuing my acting, I've kept myself busy on the side shooting the genre I love the most- and I'm thrilled to see how the niche has grown and grown worldwide!" 

Have a question for Heidi? E-mail us and we'll send it along to her!
 


 
 

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