A UNM student who landed on the cover of this summer's Abercrombie & Fitch catalog attributes his young modeling career to simply being in the right place at the right time.
Michael Smith, a 21-year-old UNM junior, said he met his modeling agent while at the 7-11 convenient store in his neighborhood about a year ago.
"He basically approached me about becoming a model and making lots of money and I said sure," Smith said.
That model scout was Martin Ryter, photographer and modeling agent at Maja Models, an agency with offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.
Ryter said that Smith is what he calls "camera ready" with a "good skull shape" and that he has good form to be a model.
"Modeling is a set amount of parameters set around physical features," Ryter said. "A model is a clothes hanger and clothes only look good on certain hangers."
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Smith said he was surprised that he made it on the cover of the popular clothing chain's summer catalog, adding that until then, he had mostly done test shoots.
"This is a really good way to start off," he said, noting that his agent has begun receiving modeling inquires. "A lot of professional models have started off with Abercrombie."
Smith said he traveled to Los Angeles and Miami for the Abercrombie photo shoots and during his stay, hung out with several other male and female models.
"You meet a lot of amazing people, and you get paid for it," Smith said. "I'd do that for free."
Smith, 21, who used to compete in the pole vault for the UNM Track and Field team, said on one of those Abercrombie shoots he met Justin Timberlake.
Timberlake was there because Smith's photographer was also shooting him that day, Smith said.
Ryter said Smith's appearance on the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog is important for his career and that he beat out as many as 50,000 other models who submitted their photos to Abercrombie scouts.
Smith said he was paid for each day catalog photographers were shooting him and that unfortunately, he did not get any free clothes.
But, he added, "they treat you real well."
Despite the apparent success in his modeling career, Smith said earning his bachelor's degree is his primary goal.
"I'm going to finish school before I commit to modeling full-time," Smith said. "If I can [model full-time] I will."
Although he has high hopes for his future career, Smith also expressed caution at becoming part of an industry based upon physical looks and public exposure.
"It's real strange for me to be in the public eye," he said. "But it's definitely worth it and hopefully, it continues to be good."
