Jany Tomba on Being a Model
The first time I was photographed for a magazine was with two other girls: a blonde and a brunette. It was an ad for JC Penney. I did not know how important it was to have a national ad that ran in Seventeen Magazine—a huge magazine. I had no preconceived idea of what to feel.
It was a new experience. I remember the blinding lights, the preparation for the shoot; the hustle bustle in the studio.
The day before the shoot, I remember going on ‘the go-see’ (the interview), where several girls were also present. I just showed up as myself, unaware of what people were thinking or might be thinking. I think I was comfortable with myself and that came through. That was my first paid job. I thought it was very natural for me to be in front of the camera.
Did I think of myself as being pretty? I didn’t think so until I left Ste. Rose de Lima—a school that was run by nuns. When I attended Centre d’ Etudes Secondaires, an excellent private boy and girl school back inHaiti, I started to smile.
I did not know I would be a model. As a child I thought I would have been a doctor. When I saw the stylish girls walking around NYC city with their portfolio, it seemed like a nice way of living. Continue Reading. . .
VoicesfromHaiti
Honoring the Past. Celebrating the New Journey.