By Mike Kepka From SF Gate

A recent Thursday, 11:48 a.m.: Unsure of what to expect, 13-year-old Rachel Combs of San Carlos held a sign with her name written on it as she walked down a hotel staircase headed for her for first modeling shoot.

It was the third day of Modeling Camp in San Francisco, and after having her hair and makeup professionally done in an upstairs conference room at the Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Wharf, she and nine other girls ages 10 to 17 were transformed from giggly, T-shirt-wearing kids into models ready for the pages of a fashion magazine.

The braces Rachel has worn the past 10 months glittered when she smiled for the photographer near the hotel pool.

“I learned that appearance isn’t everything. It’s about being yourself and showing personality,” said Rachel, who became interested in modeling by watching reality TV shows like “America’s Next Top Model” and “Project Runway.”

After 20 minutes of Rachel’s trying different poses and walking techniques, the next girl showed up for her shoot. At the end of the camp, the girls get a book of shots they can use as a keepsake or to try to launch a career, if that’s what they want.

The day after the shoot, representatives of local talent agencies were going to visit the camp, giving audition tips and maybe selecting a few girls for the chance to model for real.

“I did similar types of things when I was young, and I think it taught me how to present myself and how to carry myself when I walk,” said Rachel’s mother, Cindy Combs, an executive recruiter for tech companies. “Everything we do is all about presentation, and I think to learn that at a young age is great.

As for a modeling career for Rachel, her mom said, “I think it’s something she would consider. But I think she’s too young. … One day she wants to play sports. The next day she wants to model. The next day she wants to be a computer programmer. I think she learned that it’s hard work.”

Elizabeth Davis did her best to hold back emotions when she saw her 10-year-old daughter, Francesca Blackett, walk through the hotel lobby in a pink strapless dress and black heels.

“My heart just leaps. She’s growing very fast and she’s very beautiful,” said Davis, who traveled to the camp with her daughter from Westlake Village (Los Angeles County). “I think as an only child, she really tries to please us, but this is about her.

“It’s a safe place for her to wear that dress that I would never let her wear,” Davis said. “She’s not there yet, but I definitely see a glimpse of who she’s going to be.”

Modeling Camp was started by Heather Cole in 1996 in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Cole spent nine years as a model, pulling back when her son was born. Now she runs camps in six cities around the country.

Campers’ families pay $999 for the four-day program. Cole says her New York camp has drawn people from as far as Israel and Dubai. This year at the San Francisco camp, two girls were from the Cayman Islands.

“The whole purpose of Modeling Camp is not always clear from the name,” Cole said. “People hear the words ‘modeling camp’ and ‘young girls’ in the same sentence, and everyone’s hair stands on end. People get worried that these are young girls and they’re thrown into the world of modeling. … These are just kids coming to camp.”

After the morning shoot, all 10 girls were kids in T-shirts again, laughing and gossiping at lunch in the hotel restaurant.

“We know not everyone’s going to be a model. We get that,” Cole said. “But here, for the week, everyone is a model.”

To see a multimedia production of this piece, go to http://blog. sfgate.com/cityexposed. If you have ideas for the City Exposed, e-mail Mike Kepka at [email protected]

IMAGES:

Rachel Combs, 13, gets her hair and makeup done for her Modeling Camp photo shoot in San Francisco. Photo: Mike Kepka

Brianna Stephenson, 13, of the Cayman Islands and Catherine Arnt, 11, of Vienna, Va., goof around on a practice runway at Modeling Camp in San Francisco. Photo: Mike Kepka

Camp founder Heather Cole perfects 10-year-old Francesca Blackett’s look. Photo: Mike Kepka

Heather Cole founded modeling camp in 1996 in Virginia and over the last seven years has started camps across the country. This was the first year for San Francisco. Photo: Mike Kepka

For more on this story go to: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/cityexposed/article/Poised-for-a-few-days-of-fun-at-summer-Modeling-5694568.php#photo-6738067