juliet sora
model & modelling coach
Juliet Sora Knows The Rules, and Breaks Them Well
How her work as a model and modeling coach helps clients defy industry standards
By Stephanie Pollard-Scott
Juliet Sora didn’t plan on having a career modelling or as a modelling coach – at first.
“I kind of stumbled into modelling. When I was 15 years old I did a photoshoot just for fun, and those photos got me scouted. I found that I really enjoyed it …and I really spent a lot of time and energy just honing the craft. I think it’s a creative outlet for me, it is very much like creating art.
I don’t think it’s something I ever want to stop doing. Even when I get old, and I’m not modelling professionally anymore, it’s going to be something I want to keep doing throughout my life because it’s really fulfilling for me,” she said.
Preparation, Practice, Progress
Working with her lithe, 5”8 frame and ballet training, Juliet brings discipline and passion to an art form that gets put down as ‘just standing there.’ Like many artists that practice mastering their craft, they make it look easy. And preparation, Juliet found, has been the key to managing the unknown while on set, setting her apart as a model and helping new models and non-models navigate the photoshoot environment.
“Usually I consult with the photographer beforehand about what kind of poses I want to do and what the aesthetic is, and if there’s a moodboard that’s accessible I will always go through the moodboard and make a playlist – all that inspires the energy and movement I give to the camera. I’m also autistic, so I feel like I totally have to be prepared for going into an environment. When unexpected things happen on set, it can get me a bit dysregulated and I have a bit of a harder time managing. So because I always want to be at my best I am always asking ‘what exactly can I expect from this?’ I think learning as much as I possibly can is a way of getting my brain to be like okay, you know what you’re doing, and the over preparation – which a lot of people don’t really think about – has benefited me in helping new models and people who just want to feel better about posing and about themselves.
I think it translates to coaching really well,” Juliet said.
Working with Lingerie In Canada and Coaching Clients
In terms of working with unique photoshoot environments, working with the Lingerie In Canada team as a model and modelling coach has been the kind of experience that allows everyone to do what they do best, producing imaginative results.
“The vibe is always super professional and I always know what to expect, but it is still a creative space. There are lots of photoshoots I go to where I don’t have room for experimenting – the creative director wants something very specific and I have to sort of stay in that box. But with Lingerie In Canada it’s very much a collaborative process. Dan trusts my instincts…he is usually really on board with fostering that creativity and getting something really cool, so it’s one of the more fun spaces to be in. I also don’t generally shoot a lot of lingerie but I have shot some with Dan because his shoots can work with my guidelines I go by for my shoots… A lot of times models are expected to do what they’re told without having their boundaries thought about or asked about, but with Dan I always have the option to say no and it’s totally fine – that’s something I really appreciate about the space,” Juliet said.
The mutual respect also gives Juliet clearance to focus on her clients, each with distinct needs.
How to be a Lingerie Model (Or any kind of Model)
“It’s important to me to work with aspiring models who don’t fit into the standard of what the modelling world wants. When you don’t fit into that standard, you have to achieve so much more before you can even get in the door. I know there are lots of women who have so much beauty and talent that they can’t get through that door as easily…so they really have to do so much more than your average model in order to show they have the aptitude.
By the way, Lingerie In Canada also supports working with models of all body types, ages, races, gender identities and experience levels. If you are interested in working with us, you can find our model sign-up form here.
For non-models, I think modelling is an important skill for persons assigned as female at birth because we go through so much with how we’re expected to present to the world, and a lot of people – women and people who grew up as women – have been told ‘you’re not pretty enough.’ I think there are so many photogenic and beautiful people that just don’t know how to act in front of a camera…a lot of bad photos come from not knowing the rules of posing…having a modelling coach help you through that will give you amazing photos that you will use for as long as you want,” she explained.
For an industry that demands illusions of perfection, Juliet is among artists pushing for progress – one movement at a time.
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