"Boost Models" is two unrelated businesses, and the answer depends on which one contacted you. Boost Models at boostmodels.com is a promotional and event staffing agency that says it charges no upfront fees and signs models non-exclusively, which is how a legitimate agency works. Boost Models at boost-models.com calls itself a modeling agency in Atlanta, but its own footer says it is a trading name of The Photo Studio Group LLC, and its process ends in an invitation to a portfolio shoot.
If you sent a selfie and got a reply inviting you in, or a staffing company called Boost wants you for a trade show, this is what each company says about itself, what the public record shows about the studio group, what the shoot has cost other people, and the questions to ask before you pay anyone.
Is Boost Models legit?
Both companies exist, so neither is a fake website. The promo agency at boostmodels.com works the way a real agency should: it is paid by the brands that book you, not by you. The Atlanta page at boost-models.com is a different model. It is run by a photo studio business, and the step after "we will get back to you in 24 hours" is a portfolio shoot at a studio. Whether that is a good deal depends entirely on what you are asked to pay once you are there.
| boost-models.com | boostmodels.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it calls itself | "a modeling agency that helps people find and apply for modeling jobs in Atlanta" | "A Model & Talent Agency" for trade show, promo, brand ambassador and event staff |
| Who runs it | "a trading style of The Photo Studio Group LLC" | Not stated on the pages we read |
| How you apply | Register with a selfie, get feedback in 24 hours, get invited "in for a portfolio shoot" | Online model application. Natural photos accepted, no professional shots needed |
| Fees | None published. No prices, no terms page | "does not charge upfront fees for representation" |
| Contract | Not published | "non-exclusive", and it "cannot guarantee regular work" |
| Work it books | Not described beyond "modeling jobs in Atlanta" | Event promotions, trade shows, photo shoots, video, hosting, bartending |
Boost Models Atlanta and The Photo Studio Group
The Atlanta site describes itself as "the ultimate experience day for those interested in becoming models in Atlanta" and lists three steps: register online with a recent image ("even a selfie is good enough"), hear back within 24 hours, and be invited in for a portfolio shoot "if you're a good match". It publishes no price, no address and no terms, and its privacy policy link returns a 404. The domain was registered in November 2021.
The operator it names, The Photo Studio Group, has been reported on. In an investigation titled "Aspiring models file complaints against Atlanta photo studio", Atlanta station 11Alive reported that people invited to a test shoot at The Photo Studio Group Atlanta said they were then pressured to sign contracts to pay up to $6,000 for the images, and that the Georgia Attorney General's office confirmed at least five formal complaints. One complainant told 11Alive he agreed to pay $3,000 and, after six weeks, received 24 photos, a portfolio website and an email of tips. 11Alive also reported that the group, based in Florida, runs studios under other names, including Studio 1 and Maps Studios. That report did not mention Boost Models by name.
Boost Models reviews and BBB record
We found no Better Business Bureau profile filed under the name Boost Models on 29 September 2026. The BBB does list the studios 11Alive tied to the same group, and both are accredited, which means they answer complaints, not that the product is good value:
| BBB profile | Rating | What the file shows |
|---|---|---|
| Studio1, Parkland FL (also Houston and Dallas) | B+, accredited | 59 complaints in the last 3 years, 27 closed in the last 12 months |
| Maps Studio NYC (The Photo Studio Group New York LLC) | A minus, accredited since June 2022 | Rating reduced for 1 complaint not resolved. Business started October 2021 |
Fifty-nine complaints in three years is a lot for a photo studio. The pattern described in the published ones and in the 11Alive piece is consistent: a free or cheap test shoot, a sales conversation afterwards, and a large package price for the photos. One BBB complaint described staff talking about agency connections while the signed contract said the company is not a talent or modeling agency and will not find work. Read that clause in any contract you are handed. Online, the "Boost Models reviews" people search for are mostly TikTok videos and a Scamadviser page, whose "very likely safe" score is an automated check of the website, not of the business.
How much does a Boost Models portfolio shoot cost?
Boost Models does not publish a price, so nobody outside the room knows what you will be quoted. The closest public figures are the ones 11Alive reported for the group's Atlanta studio: contracts of up to $6,000, and one customer who paid $3,000. Treat any figure you are given as a sales price, and do not sign on the day.
Questions to ask before you sign anything
- Is this an agency or a photo studio? Ask them to point to the line in the contract that says which.
- What is the total price, in writing, before I shoot? Not a range, not "it depends which images you choose".
- Which agencies or clients will see these photos, by name? "Our network" is not an answer.
- What is the cancellation and refund policy? Get it on paper and take it home overnight.
- Can I use a friend's photos instead? A real agency will say yes. Clear phone photos in daylight are what agencies ask for.
A legitimate agency makes its money from a commission on work it books you, so it has no reason to sell you photos. If you have already signed and the product was not what you were told, the Georgia Attorney General's consumer protection unit (or your own state's) takes complaints, and it helps to run a public-records check on the company behind a trading name so the complaint names the right legal entity. Our page on how to spot a modeling scam lists the other patterns.
Is boostmodels.com legit?
The promo agency at boostmodels.com reads like a normal event staffing company. Its FAQ says it "does not charge upfront fees for representation" and warns you to "be cautious of agencies that require payment before securing work". Professional photos are not required, experience is preferred but not needed, contracts are non-exclusive, and it is upfront that it "cannot guarantee regular work". It books trade show models, brand ambassadors, spokesmodels, hosts and bartenders, and says it has worked events for ten years. That is ordinary, paid promo work. If that is the Boost that contacted you, the usual rules apply: get the rate, hours and payment date in writing before the event. More on this kind of work is on our promotional models page.
Is Boost Models worth it for models?
For promo work, a non-exclusive staffing agency that charges nothing costs you nothing to join, so it is worth an application. For the Atlanta portfolio shoot, the math is different: a package in the thousands buys photos, but nobody is obliged to book you afterwards. Commercial, catalog, e-commerce, fit and lifestyle clients book from clear, current photos, and most of them search for models directly.
| Studio portfolio package | MaxGirls Talent | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Not published. Up to $6,000 in contracts 11Alive reported | $19 a month, published, cancel any month |
| What you get | Photos, sometimes a portfolio website | A reviewed profile brands and photographers search by category, city and date |
| Photos you need | The ones they shoot | Five current photos. Phone photos in daylight are fine to start |
| Work promised | None in writing | None promised either. Clients email you, and you keep the whole fee |
| If it does not work out | Whatever the contract says | Cancel and your profile comes down |
What to do instead of paying for a portfolio shoot
Shoot five photos with a friend in daylight: a headshot, a full length and three natural shots. Put your sizes, city and day rate next to them. That is what an agency asks for and what a brand needs to book you. You can build a comp card from those photos in a few minutes, and our portfolio guide covers what to add as you get paid work.
Then make yourself findable. Freelance modeling without an agency is how most commercial, catalog and lifestyle days get booked, and a MaxGirls profile puts your photos, categories, city, a day-rate range and your availability in front of the brands and photographers searching. If you have been sold other paid services, our reviews of John Casablancas and Explore Talent cover the same questions.
It takes about twenty minutes to create your profile, a person reviews it before it goes public, and you can cancel any month.
Where this applies on MaxGirls
Your day-rate range, your categories, your city and your availability sit on your own profile, visible to a brand before they contact you, and MaxGirls takes no share of anything you book.