Interview with Esther Hwang

AC: Esther, I think we stirred up a little bit of controversy with the "sex kitten" acting roles question in our live message board! - For all the aspiring models who have e-mailed you, what is your typical day on a modeling assignment?

Esther: A typical modeling print shoot for me usually starts around 9-10 AM. There is a makeup artist and a hairstylist waiting for me at the studio or at the location where the photographers are setting up their equipment: lighting, flashes, umbrellas etc.

I walk in with absolutely NO makeup, usually wearing dark big sunglasses to cover my "naked" eyes, a baseball cap to cover up my damp just-washed hair, jeans, comfortable platforms, a small mid-drift tank top and an unbuttoned cardigan.

Of course I have a bottle of water in one hand and my model bag with all my essentials: Emergency makeup just in case the makeup artist never shows, all different types of undergarments (because you never know exactly what you'll need to wear underneath until you see the clothes you will be wearing during the shoot), 2-3 different types of shoes (depending on what kind of shoot it is), my organizer, a banana, maybe an apple or an orange (for hunger pains, since breakfast is usually sacrificed on those mornings in an attempt to flatten out the tummy as much as possible), a fashion magazine (for reference maybe), a workshop LSAT prep book (just in case the makeup artist/stylist(s) and photographer(s) show up late - squeezing in some time for studying), a change of clothes (just in case I want to look cute after the shoot and go shopping in the city), cell phone (can't leave home without it), pager (always on), gum (sugarless), wallet with at least $40-$60 in CASH (just in case my ATM card doesn't work), and lastly my portfolio with my latest pictures (just in case I need it for reference during the photo shoot).

The shoot preparations usually take 1-2 hours (hair, makeup, and wardrobe) and the actual shoot itself starts around noon. I am usually done at a typical photo shoot by 2 PM.

Runway fashion shows, commercial shoots, music videos, catalog print work, auditions, casting cattle calls, hair shows and so on are all very different, with very diverse stories to go with each one. I'll save those stories for a rainy day.

AC: Always the "scholar" I see you even carry your LSAT prep book to your photo shoots! How do you feel after your photo shoots?

Esther: In the end, all the time and energy I devote to modeling is worth it. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I see the results from the long hours spent in front of a camera.

I see a different person, a different personality, in those photos than the one I see when I look in the mirror. I feel as if I'm communicating at a level unavailable to me when I write or speak.

I get to wear incredible outfits (even though it may be for just a few hours), travel to places I normally would not visit, and best of all, meet a wonderful variety of people from all different walks of life.

If I had my life to do all over again, I wouldn't change the model in me. When I think back to all those awkward years at those god-awful dances in junior high school and how much I wanted to be someone different, I am so grateful to God that I stayed true to myself.

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