To understand an industry, one must first understand its language. Though most newcomers are slowly introduced to these terms as they work longer in the field, there is still a beginner’s hump to overcome where everything you read or hear sounds like it’s in an entirely different language.

Agency – This is a company that represents you as a model. Model Agencies more specifically represent models for the fashion industry while Casting Agencies represent talent for numerous fields and tend to get models other types of jobs.

Buyout – Occasionally negotiated before a shoot or occasionally already included in the contract, this is payment given to the model for the use of their photographs.

Composite Card – This is your business card in the modeling world. It is a piece of thick card that has at least two photos of you printed on it as well as your and your agency’s information.

Head Sheet – Basically a head shot (as is used in the acting world), this is a small poster with a close-up shot of the model’s face printed alongside the model’s and their agency’s information.

Model Release – Arguably one of the most important aspects of the job to understand, this release is the legal document that allows the photographer to use the photographs taken during a specific shoot.

Prints – These are the printed negatives of a photo or series of photos.

Tearsheet – Often required by media buying agencies, a tearsheet is a page torn from a publication used to prove that a specific advertisement was published.

Usage – Another legal term, usage denotes the fact that models are paid each time and for each medium their photograph is used. From magazines to billboards, the longer and more widespread the photo, the more the model is paid.