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. The braces Rachel has worn the past 10 months glittered when she smiled for the photographer near the hotel pool. 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. 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. 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. After the morning shoot, all 10 girls were kids in T-shirts again, laughing and gossiping at lunch in the hotel restaurant.
