I'm doing a series of shoots with a lady who is an aspiring model and wants pictures for her portfolio. Question is, what kinds of pics should I be taking for her? Is there anything specific you need for a modeling portfolio? TIA
Depends on what type of modelling she wants to do. If glamour, do some bikini shots, if fashion, some lovely long dresses maybe, beauty, clothing doesn't matter (as it's mainly face shots), but hair and makeup do (as well as symmetry). Have a look around Model Mayhem for some inspiration.
I've done a few model portfolio shoots myself recently and there are several things you need to establish before the shoot even starts. First of all, what kind of modelling does she want to get into? For example, if she doesn't want to model lingerie (probably the most profitable business for her, closely followed by bikini/swimsuit modelling) then there's no point shooting her in her sexiest underwear. You need to create a portfolio that shows her at her best, so she needs to feel relaxed - the best way to achieve that is to establish a professional relationship with her with plenty of dialogue explaining what you're doing, but be able to crack the occasional joke (nothing that will offend, though) to get her to smile. Also be sure to keep telling her she looks amazing, as that'll keep her confidence high. A good portfolio has variety of images across a range of themes and in several different outfits (depending on what she wants to do and what she's comfortable with). The most important of these IMO are the beauty shots, which are designed to emphasise the beauty of her skin and hair. If possible, get a makeup artist for the whole shoot so that it's one less thing she has to worry about. Other themes to consider are swimsuit/bikini, sports (running, cycling, tennis, etc), some contemporary fashion and, if she wants to, lingerie. You can either do these all in the studio, or plan a few outdoor locations (a swimming pool would be good for the swimsuit shots, if you've got access to one... if not, use the studio). If you're shooting indoors, use umbrellas or soft boxes to soften the artificial light hitting her skin. It's important that the light isn't plain and boring, but it's also important that it's not too dramatic - if the agent can't see what she looks like, she'll never get a job. It needs to be clean and should flatter her. If you're shooting outdoors, the best time to shoot is in the golden hours - one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset - as the light is at its softest and helps to soften the skin. If you can only shoot in the middle of the day, be prepared to set up some diffusers or shoot in the shade to avoid harsh light. For clothing, she needs to bring a range of outfits and at least two per theme. That way, you can mix and match the clothing depending on the look you're trying to achieve during the shoot. I'm sure there's more, but the most important thing to do is to open a dialogue with the model. It's her portfolio after all, and she needs to be clear on what types of jobs she'd be comfortable doing and the look she's trying to achieve. Once you've done that, you can then work within her requirements, while making her feel confident and sexy. She needs to feel like a million dollars.
as is purestome & netmodel are but another 2. In addition to Tims post. You'll need to ask her if it will be just a digital portfolio or if she wants to get it printed as well so she can carry it with her. It wont be as important if your just sorting her out with a digital portfolio for websites and such but if she wants to get it printed in a book so she can take it with her too auditions you will need to process and crop the photos correctly for printing (8 x 10 size or 8.5 x 11) make sure you use the same colour profile for all shots and that they are all sharpened and edited to your highest standard (this is not just her work this is also showing off your work too) Make sure when you do the shoot you include atleast a Full length, 3/4 & some Headshots, this will give her clients a look at how she will fit into what they want from her, they might want to use her for full on fashion, or just advertise hats so if it just hats no point having all full length shots in your portfolio, also with the head shots means she'll have to work on her expressions more so she doesnt look woodern or lifeless. Sometimes it is a good idea to get a few shots with minimal makeup or none at all some clients want the natural look and if all you have a book full of war paint and airbrushing then you'll attract far less work. Paraphrased (Mix of full length, 3/4 & headshots with a variety of with & without makeup) Posing, Poseing for the shots is very important if this is her first shoot she'll take alot away with her so you need to be able to have either some posing cards or be able to show her yourself and direct her into the correct pose for the right shot, its not good her standing there like a lifeless manakin for every different outfit and them you choose again, this would be upto you & her but 9 times out of 10 when I'm shooting someone new they've done no homework and jsut turn up stand there and expect me to take the shot, the other good thing about showing them how to pose is its a damn good ice breaking if you make yourself look like a numpty they wont mind following after you . Paraphrased (Variety of well practiced poses & facial expressions)
maybe you can refer to some other experts in taking a modeling portfolio. in their, you can get some useful tips what can of picture you should be taking of your model.
