If you’re thinking about entering the modelling industry, you’ll know that having a standout portfolio is a model’s personal marketing document. Your portfolio should include versatile images that are high-quality and professional. Does this mean that you’ll need to hire a professional photographer?
It depends – if you have the budget and opportunities available to you then you can. However, it isn’t mandatory to have the expertise of a professional photographer curate your collection of images. You don’t need to feel that FOMO kind of feeling. You, a family member or a friend can be the eyes in front of the lens taking a selfie or behind it, and do the job just as well.
If you need some tips from a long-standing modelling agency like us, Models Direct, to help you take the best pics to expand your portfolio, they are as follows:
Use your smartphone for mobile photography
You don’t need to invest in a state-of-the-art device to take your snaps but a phone with a good camera is a great asset to have. When you want a quick snapshot, and hopefully your phone provides ample battery life, the opportunities are endless. You don’t need a bulky camera whenever you go since your phone probably goes with you everywhere. Just make sure it’s powered up for those spur-of-the-moment super snaps you could add to your model marketing document – your portfolio.
Make the most of the natural light
When capturing a must-add-to-your-portfolio image, it’s nice to take your shots in natural light capturing its beauty as your backdrop. This levels up the playing field and helps to create simplistic and maybe striking images perfect for your portfolio compilation. Nothing complicated or busy – just clear images where your viewer can see you without any overcasting shadows and unnecessary elements.
Take lots of images
If you have a shutter speed that captures plenty of shots, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting which images you want to bump your collection up with. You can set your speed up and depending on the make and model of your mobile phone, you can get some with seriously neat features and capabilities such as optical zooming, magic eraser (to rid of any unwanted elements), and macro mode snapping. This will also help you to get more confident in front of the camera because let’s face it – not all of us are comfortable with a lens pointing in our direction and people behind it. The more you keep snapping yourself, hopefully with time, the more comfy you’ll feel.
Bloopers are a good thing!
When you’ve set up for pics to be taken, you’re bound to find a good few bloopers in there. However, a hidden gem may turn up unexpectedly and sometimes those snaps are the best ones. Sound familiar? From a personal perspective, I’m not a professional photographer by no means but being behind the lens at a recent family member’s wedding, lots of photos were taken. Everyone was happy, glammed up, ready for a union ship to be cemented in front of family and friends, and honestly, one of the best snaps was captured. It wasn’t orchestrated, rehearsed or forced. It was just a natural, in-the-moment, action shot and appreciated by the subjects and many others who saw it. I was pleased, and it goes to show that you don’t need a professional photographer as you can do it yourself.
Overall, it’s a personal choice if you’d like to invest in some professional photography. Although there’s nothing wrong with it and it could potentially uplevel your images, you or someone you’d like to pass the reigns to could do a great job too!
