It's Floofie's World
Photograph by Tim Bradshaw
I usually try to stay away from such standard questions as “how long have you been modeling”, but you have such an extensive portfolio, which leads me to believe that you’ve been doing this for a while.
Yup! It’s been 14 years to be exact. Phew, it feels like forever, and the blink of an eye, like most things.
When people think of models, often they envision someone tall and leggy. You’re obviously not, so tell me, did you have any trepidation because you weren’t tall? Does it even matter in your business?
Believe it or not, this was the thing I was most insecure about for much of my childhood, and certainly felt like it held me back in the early part of my modeling career. I have since learned to embrace my small stature and do work that is suited to my compact frame. Yes, height still matters a lot in the commercial world, and I feel extremely fortunate that Ryan Artists has offered to represent me despite my height.
Many of your photographs show a Floofie who takes pride in her work. You reference yourself as a “petite dynamo”, implying that though diminutive in stature, you put in a lot of work. How has it been thus far?
I’m a naturally hard worker who wants to do the best she can with what she’s given. So I have put a lot into my modeling, and tried to hone it as a craft. I definitely think the hard work has paid off, because every time someone says they’ve heard I’m a great model and a great person, I smile. I smile not only because I’m flattered, but because I’ve worked really hard to become successful and I pride myself on my work ethic.
I know you travel extensively in the U.S., but have you gone abroad for photoshoots?
Yes! I have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Japan and Singapore for modeling. It’s sort of hard to even fathom for someone who used to be afraid to go to college in British Columbia.
What are some of the types of locations you’ve done shoots in? What were your favorites, and what were your experiences like?
I’ve done lots of shoots in stunning natural surroundings, and even run a group event called ExplOregon with my buddy Jordan Hamlin where we take models and photographers out to stunning but less visited places in our home state. Alvord Desert is one of the most stark environments you can find - a dry lakebed in the middle of nowhere. I’m fascinated by the desert, since I come from Portland. We see lots of trees daily, but that cracked surface is something else! Also being on location a lot means I’m often hot, cold, or windblown. I remember one specific instance in rural Ontario, Canada where I was in an alcove on a cliff face, it must have been 45 degrees and extremely windy. I thought I was going to freeze or fall, so I yelled “I think I need to stop!” But the photographer said “just a few more shots!” Isn’t that always the way? So I hung out there for about 2 more minutes before scrambling awkwardly out of the alcove, frozen. We got the shot.
Where have you not been, that you would absolutely love to do a photoshoot?
I want to go to Central or South America pretty badly. I have never even been to Mexico! I think Costa Rica is my next destination. Hopefully if I can make my Patreon goal of $1000/mo, I will book myself a trip and find a photographer to go along!
It seems to me that practically every week (okay, I might be exaggerating a little), you’re doing another shoot with a different photographer. Have you kept count of how many you’ve worked with?
You’re actually not exaggerating at all. With the exception of my wedding month (Oct 2016) I have 2-4 shoots a week locally on average, and when I’m on tour it’s 1-3 per day. I’ve got no idea how many people I’ve worked with but it must be in the thousands!
You have a Patreon event going on. Tell me about it.
I finally started my Patreon Jan 2018. It’s a fun way to share more of my world with folks who would like to support my work as a model, because it allows me to be more engaged with them on a weekly basis. It also allows me to create work with photographers I might not otherwise have the time to work with, whose work is on a level at or above mine. It’s a real rollercoaster for the emotions when people join and cancel though! I am working on adjusting to that. I’m hoping to reach my goal of $500 per month by the end of the year, this will mean to me that I should keep going and create double the exclusive photo sets for my fans. My link is pretty easy, just www.floofiesworld.com, hope you check it out!
Lead photograph by Tim Bradshaw, Sydney, Australia. Check out Floofie at Instagram and Facebook.
