Model savors variety of his job

Francesco Nosig poses for the lens. Fashion photos by Carpe Lucem Photography

By Tom Victoria

Francesco Nosig’s job is to be a different person every day. The Austrian fashion model continuously sports new looks.

“Definitely many aspects I really enjoy about modeling,” he said. “Probably the most interesting part is the different styles and expressing different versions of myself. This metamorphosis going through the different shootings, different opportunities you have. I really love this big spectrum and definitely learning stuff about myself. When I didn't think I could fit in this scheme, suddenly I do. I definitely love that.”

For Francesco, 25, the most difficult feeling to convery for the lens is being melancholy.

“The hardest emotion to express is sadness or devastation, something like this,” he said. “It is just harder to express this than, for example, anger or joy. The devastation comes from such deep insight that it can be really tough to bring it to the people convincingly.”

Francesco finds less dramatic expressions easier to do.

“I usually tend to be as neutral and emotionless because the expression, especially as a male guy who's doing photography, seems to be the best,” he said. “People like it the most when it's just a blank expression. No real joy, no real anger. Feeling happy, but also free. Too much of this joy seems like faking it too much.”

Francesco has a preference as to where photoshoots occur.

“The preferences are definitely in the indoor shoots,” he said. “I like outdoor shoots as well because the whole setting is just a different vibe. You can fit in the environment in another way than just the studio. But I like this chilling atmosphere in the studios. It feels more natural to have a lot of pictures taken in a studio with different light, different light settings. I can change better between the whole outfits, the sceneries. There are much more possibilities within these indoor shootings I have.”

Francesco said indoor shoots have more variety.

“Most of the time, the outer shoots are just okay,” he said. “This is one particular outfit, one particular style we are going for. We are just doing this and then it's done for the day. But with indoor shoots, you can make five, six, seven different styles of shoots. I love those metamorphoses between these shoots.”

Francesco said weather and lighting can impede shoots.

“The lighting is really difficult to manage,” he said. “Even though some people bring their professional lights as well, if the sun is shining in the wrong direction, it's hard to make good photos. Also, I don't really like outdoors with the wind, when the wind is just blowing straight into your face and then you have to make a serious good-looking face. It's just hard.”

Francesco said if the weather is sufficiently inclement, an exterior photo shoot can be impacted.

“One time, we actually planned some part of indoor shooting and outer shooting at the same time,” he said. “We did the inner shoot first because the weather was really not looking very nice for the terms of shooting. We said, okay, let's do the inner shoot first. Maybe the weather gets better, but it got worse, actually. We just scrapped the whole thing with the outer shooter. Just made another one. Two different shootings indoors.”

Francesco said weather conditions typically fit the shoot’s desired effect.

“These outer shootings I had, the weather was pretty fitting for the theme we wanted to go for,” he said. “The only thing was the wind. That sometimes was a little bit hard to manage, but it still worked out really well.”

Francesco enjoys the travel that accompanies modeling.

“I definitely love traveling,” he said. “I live in a really small village, so it's hard to manage to get from one place to another, I really enjoy just getting around, getting out of my small village, seeing other cities I've never been to or other countries as well. I really always am excited if I know that I can travel somewhere for a shooting and it's not at the same locations I've always been to. I definitely love that.”

Francesco modeled in three European countries so far.

“So Austria, of course,” he said. “Then I participated in Germany and in Italy as well. Not far travel with a plane or anything. That's the part of the job I want really to get to: travel around the whole world. For modeling, it's hard, but I want to.”

During Francesco’s time abroad unrelated to modeling, interest was expressed in photographing him.

“I got told while I was in Japan for half a year, many people asked me if I do modeling,” he said. “The same with Korea as well. When I walk around the right streets, people are asking me to participate in photoshoots because I'm just so tall compared to the Asian people. I got talked about or talked to a lot in different countries, but I didn't really have the possibility to get a photo shooting in those, but I really hope that I can maybe participate one day in one of these countries as well.”

Francesco said the European market seeks people with qualifications having nothing to do with looks.

“For guys, you definitely have to have a certain height, also a certain body structure for modeling,” he said. “Europeans, they only have maybe one or two possibilities they want to shoot with. If you don't fit within those standards, it's hard to get. You can always find some others, maybe a few ones who can say you don't have to be 185 (cm). Everything smaller is hard. It's definitely harder to get. It's not impossible, but I can definitely tell that you have to have a certain height in order to get more jobs.”

Francesco relishes the opportunity to walk a runway, sponsored by brands such Dulce & Gabbana and Burberry, someday.

“I'm super interested in fashion and the whole trends going around,” he said. “Every year, I watch a lot of runway stuff, and I love watching it. I love watching the models, how they do it. It would be an honor to go to a runway one day, but I didn't have the chance yet.”

Francesco said those running fashion shows want people who aren’t short and are unique more than beautiful.

“The people, especially who got casted for the runways, they just have to stand out,” he said. “They have to have some special features for the audience. If you don't have this special aspect, either in your face or your body, then it's harder to stand out from all these insanely handsome people who want to get cast for the runways. If you're too normal, then it's just hard to really stand out. It's not enough anymore to be just pretty. It's to have personality and be special.”

Francesco said models need to possess patience.

“Patience is definitely something you have to bring,” he said. “Sometimes, it's just sending emails and requests, and trying to get an opportunity for something without actually hearing back. It's sometimes devastating, but the waiting, most of the time, it's worth it. But it doesn't get easier with time.”

Francesco was fascinated by modeling as a child.

“When I was a kid, I always loved to watch the German version of America's Next Top Model,” he said. “Back then, it was girls only, but I just liked to watch it, how they change in every different episode. I thought it's such a cool experience for them. Those pictures always really stunned me. But back then, I thought it's just a girl thing. And then the Austrian version of the Top Model series started, and they let guys participate in it before Germany did. Because of that, I got a little bit more interested.”

Francesco, who started being photographed professionally five years ago, wasn’t always comfortable in front of the camera.

“I hated being on camera,” he said. “I hated when somebody was taking a photo of me. I always tried to avoid every picture day, every opportunity or possibility somebody could take a photo of me because I never really was confident in my looks. It took a really long time until I got comfortable for the camera.”

Then Francesco’s first modeling opportunity arose.

“I was going on Facebook on these different groups where different photographers are around who are offering on a trade basis,” he said. “I try different styles in shooting and you can try yourself standing in front of the camera. I found this one particular photographer. I thought his work was really nice. It wasn't that far away, was an hour by car. We managed to get a date where we both had time. So that was how the first contact with photoshooting was created.”

Beginning to model changed Francesco’s outlook.

“It started with my first modeling job with the professional photography where I was like, okay, maybe this is different, maybe it's all right,” he said. “I started getting used to more pictures, either selfies or professional pictures. It took way longer for selfies to be on this confident level to post it. I often forced myself, just do selfies, try to enjoy it and then post it. But it took quite some time until I realized this is the way I am. I look how I look. It's okay how I look. I'm feeling comfortable.”

Francesco then had the confidence to pursue more gigs.

“The moment I thought I want to do something like this was after the first photo shooting,” he said. “I wanted to do this to improve my confidence. To prove myself. I'm not that ugly looking as I always thought I'd be. I did this photo shooting, did some amazing pictures. I'm still in love with the first photo shooting pictures I have. After I saw these pictures, after I saw that I actually can be photogenic, I was like, it was so much fun. I loved every moment of it. Maybe I want to do it on a more regular basis.”

Social media has been a useful tool for Francesco as contacts were made through Instagram, where he posts shots.

“Photographers are commenting or writing private messages, mostly around my country,” he said. “The furthest away was Vienna, so on the other end of Austria. But people are definitely reaching out saying, okay, if you're in Vienna, if you're in Munich, in Cologne or anything, text us and hopefully we can do a photo shooting together.”

Francesco also is recommended for work by others.

“It's also really nice that I met a lot of nice photographers or other models who are recommending me to them or their friends,” he said. “Because of the nice recommendation, I had another chance or other models who said there's one specific photo shooting we still need a guy for. Do you have time? They took me to another place, another country like Italy, to participate in this. It comes from either other models or other photographers or social media to have more possibilities or opportunities.”

Francesco said it’s vital for models to maintain professionalism and keep a good reputation.

“It's a giant business around all the world,” he said. “Maybe you have a beef with this one special photographer who's a friend with another one, and then everything can just go to hell.”

Francesco hopes to participate in a fashion week someday.

“I always wanted to be part of a classic fashion week in either Milano or also, I love the Asian Fashion Week, like the Seoul fashion week,” he said. “It would be an absolute dream to be in one of my absolute favorite countries, like Korea or Japan, and participating in a fashion week in these countries because I love the Asian fashion way more than the European fashion. Being part of this big moment would be such an honor.”

Francesco wants to return to Asia and visit South America at some point.

“If I would have to choose one specific country I really want to see, probably Brazil,” he said. “Brazil is a really, really interesting country. But my heart belongs to Asia.”

Francesco also focuses on fitness.

“I do fitness anyway,” he said. “Even if I would never model again, I would still continue working out. I probably would have worked out as well if I didn't get the chance for some modeling jobs. Just for the general health, for feeling more comfortable in my body and just improving myself.”

Francesco doesn’t worry about modeling influencing how he looks in everyday life.

“Modeling is a job,” he said. “I don't feel like it's worth it to give up the way I want to look. I'm already planning for my next tattoos. I just want to feel comfortable in my body. I want to look in the mirror and say I like the way I look. I feel comfortable. I don't want to change it just because of my job. If it's working out with the job, it's fine. It's amazing. But if it disqualifies me from certain jobs or certain opportunities, it's just how it is.”

Occasionally, Francesco wears makeup even when not modeling.

“I'm just standing out this way on my own because I can't really name you one or two other guys around my area who are wearing makeup just to feel nice, to feel a little bit more clean,” he said. “I'm not wearing makeup to overexaggerate my expressions or stuff. I just want to have a clean appearance. I just want to make the best out of what I have. I wouldn't do it any other way.”

Francesco said intolerant people don’t understand how prolific makeup wearing is among all genders.

“The people, most of the time, don't understand that almost all of the actors they like, all of the athletes are also wearing makeup for movies or for interviews,” he said. “People are doing it for multiple purposes and they are more surrounded by it than they can imagine.”

Francesco said such haters overreact.

“Because they can't imagine doing it themselves or maybe they are not confident enough to do it themselves,” he said. “I don't know the reason, but as soon as they feel insulted by something like this, it always gets interesting. When I started with stuff like this and I heard some negative comments, I was a little bit hurt and thought maybe this wasn't the right decision, maybe I should stop doing this. But the more I did it, the more comfortable I got.”

Francesco’s focus on fitness keeps him galvanized.

“I definitely stay motivated by working out,” he said. “That motivates me in general to keep going. When I look at myself and I feel comfortable, I feel motivated as well to continue the whole process. But also thinking of the possibilities, the chances that could open up, even though it can take some time. I'm happy to be a guy because the modeling range in terms of age for guys is much wider, so I'm not feeling rushed by it. I still have time to improve myself and thinking of the chances I could get, even though maybe I'd never get them. But there's a chance that I can achieve my goals, and this definitely keeps up and makes me more motivated into the future.”

Francesco hasn’t determined what he may do down the road after his modeling career is done.

“I don't really have plans that intensely for the future,” he said. “Maybe my preferences change after modeling as well. Maybe I want to do something after this whole progress right now that I can't imagine at this point. I can't really tell you one specific thing except I want to move abroad in a larger country for more possibilities as well. Austria is such a small, sleepy country. I want to go out in the world. That's one thing I can definitely tell.”

Francesco advised aspiring models to not become discouraged.

“Don't let yourself down or get dismotivated if things don't work out like they should,” he said. “Modeling is a really, really tough business. The judges, the instructors, the photographers — if you don't work out like they want you to — they will just tell it to you straight into your face. You have to not let yourself down by it. Even though you're looking amazing and even though you're in the best shape you probably can get into, they tell you, no, they don't want you because maybe it's not what they're looking for.”

Francesco stressed the reward for persistence is worth it in the end.

“Don't let yourself get down,” he said. “Keep the head up. Accept and think that there will be a lot of missed opportunities, that there will be a lot of rejection. But just keep trying. And one day, there will be some success as well. And this success after a long time of rejection, will be the sweetest ever.”

Francesco’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_just__jesse/