- 1). Assess your hands, realistically. Your hands may be nice compared to hands in other ads, but sometimes those aren't the hands of professionals. Ask yourself a few questions to see if your hands are model worthy. Is your skin tone even? Are your nails even and symmetrical? If you're a woman, are your palms thin and slender? Answering no to these questions is a deal breaker. Do you have any visible scars, freckles or birthmarks? Makeup cannot cover up large blemishes when the camera has to get in so close, the fewer blemishes, the better.
- 2). Create photos of your hands. If you've decided that your hands are good enough to attempt to model with, you don't need a professional photographer. Look through as many print ads as you can to compare your hands, and to create photos that mimic those in the ad. Don't worry about lighting, most ads light up the product and not the hands. Use props, such as those in ads. Have a friend take the pictures. Look at the pictures, if your hands photograph well (some do not in spite of being very attractive), go on to the next step.
- 3). Gather contact information of reputable modeling agencies in your area. Stay away from gimmick agencies that charge you a lot of money. Most agencies don't have a department for hand modeling, but they do represent hand models. Call the agencies and ask for an interview, tell them your photos are not professional but mimic current ads. If they say they aren't taking interviews, ask for a follow up date and note it.
- 4). Dress professionally for your interview. Although you are trying to sell your hands, your entire appearance should be well groomed and clean-looking. An agency may set you up with a professional photographer, whose services you have to pay for; this is not uncommon in the modeling world for beginners. But an agency won't charge you for their services until you've booked a job. They'll send you on go-sees and take commission for work that you get.
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