How to Take Male Model Portfolio Pictures
Shoot outdoors unless you have a near-professionally lit indoor space., Choose a bland, basic background., Ensure your model is evenly lit, without any dramatic shadows., Do your best to make the model comfortable, happy, and willing to play., Make...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Shoot outdoors unless you have a near-professionally lit indoor space.
You will save yourself 100's of headaches if you just shoot outside, aiming for the
1.5 hours after sunrise or before sunset.
This is known as the "golden hour," when sunlight naturally diffuses through the atmosphere for soft, appealing shadows and well-rounded lighting.
Overcast days are great shooting days, as they provide naturally soft lighting as well.
You should still avoid shooting from 11:00 AM
- 1:00 PM, when the sun is directly overhead, however.
If you do have to shoot inside, turn on every light and open every window.
The more light, the better. -
Step 2: Choose a bland
A great scene or setting in the back simply distracts from your model.
A modeling agency doesn't care about the setting of the photo, they care who is in it.
A plainly colored wall that the subjects "pops" from is your only concern.
Don't match the model with the background.
A black man shouldn't be on a dark brown background, and a woman in a bright dress shouldn't be flush against a yellow wall.
You want contrast.
When taking photos, leave the background out of focus, making the model pop out even more. , While a hard shadow looks great in a regular photo, the fact is modeling agencies need to see as much of the model's body as possible.While you want some shadows for definition, you need to aim for clarity above all.
Pay careful attention to the face, particularly the eye sockets, for dark or distracting shadows.
A reflective bounce or weak light on the face can usually eliminate any issues. , Taking modeling photos is a creative endeavor, and it should be a lot of fun.
This isn't just to have a good time
-- a happy model is a relaxed one, and relaxed models always look better on camera.
The best way to do this is talk
-- find out what kind of shots they want, their general personality, and the type of modeling they're interested in.
Don't feel bad about "taking control." People, especially on camera, want to be told what looks good.
So move the model around, make them smile, and give direction., The following are your can't-miss shots: the three images you must have good copies of in order to get the bare minimum.
Luckily, they are simple, easy shots to set up, and you've seen countless examples of them in ads and magazines.
Full Body:
Simple and easy, you capture the model from head to toe.
Good posture, is key, as is shooting slightly from below the subject
-- it makes them seem bigger and more manly.
Half-length:
From the mid-thigh up.
Hands can be up, in pockets, or out.
Again, shoot from below for the best results.
Waist Up:
Particularly necessary for shirtless models, this cuts right at the hip.
If shirtless, make sure that no fabric is showing.
Again, a lower angle makes everyone look hotter., Even if you're not particularly practiced as a photo editor, you should still take a little time to work on the photos before sending them.
It doesn't matter what program you're using, you should, at least, take a look at:
Crop:
Crop the image so that model takes up most of the frame, and isn't cut off in any way.
You want the shot to be pretty tight like it was a full-page magazine ad Brightness & Contrast:
Make sure the darkest parts of the picture (there shouldn't be many) are a nice deep black, and there are no nasty, bright white glares.
Hue Saturation:
This changes some basic color settings.
It can be useful for balancing images.
For example, if there is a distracting red glow coming off a red dress, you can lower the saturation of the "red" slider to faintly tone the reds in the image down.
You can also boost overall saturation to add some more color "pop" into the picture.
Clarity:
Usually offered on only higher-end programs, this catch-all setting for sharpness and image quality is useful when bumped up 8-12.
Don't go above
20., To go the extra mile, send them copies of each shot in black and white as well (which may require a retouch of Brightness & Contrast), so that they have the option to use either.
Ask them if there were any other shots they liked, or if they have any comments on these.
From here, you can always re-shoot, re-edit, or send off the shots to an agency.
Most agencies want prints, usually
8.5 x 11".
More and more agencies, however, are converting to all digital submission processes. -
Step 3: basic background.
-
Step 4: Ensure your model is evenly lit
-
Step 5: without any dramatic shadows.
-
Step 6: Do your best to make the model comfortable
-
Step 7: and willing to play.
-
Step 8: Make sure you cover the three "essential" photos before you start getting creative.
-
Step 9: Always retouch photos before sending them back to the model.
-
Step 10: Send the model the retouched shots for approval.
Detailed Guide
You will save yourself 100's of headaches if you just shoot outside, aiming for the
1.5 hours after sunrise or before sunset.
This is known as the "golden hour," when sunlight naturally diffuses through the atmosphere for soft, appealing shadows and well-rounded lighting.
Overcast days are great shooting days, as they provide naturally soft lighting as well.
You should still avoid shooting from 11:00 AM
- 1:00 PM, when the sun is directly overhead, however.
If you do have to shoot inside, turn on every light and open every window.
The more light, the better.
A great scene or setting in the back simply distracts from your model.
A modeling agency doesn't care about the setting of the photo, they care who is in it.
A plainly colored wall that the subjects "pops" from is your only concern.
Don't match the model with the background.
A black man shouldn't be on a dark brown background, and a woman in a bright dress shouldn't be flush against a yellow wall.
You want contrast.
When taking photos, leave the background out of focus, making the model pop out even more. , While a hard shadow looks great in a regular photo, the fact is modeling agencies need to see as much of the model's body as possible.While you want some shadows for definition, you need to aim for clarity above all.
Pay careful attention to the face, particularly the eye sockets, for dark or distracting shadows.
A reflective bounce or weak light on the face can usually eliminate any issues. , Taking modeling photos is a creative endeavor, and it should be a lot of fun.
This isn't just to have a good time
-- a happy model is a relaxed one, and relaxed models always look better on camera.
The best way to do this is talk
-- find out what kind of shots they want, their general personality, and the type of modeling they're interested in.
Don't feel bad about "taking control." People, especially on camera, want to be told what looks good.
So move the model around, make them smile, and give direction., The following are your can't-miss shots: the three images you must have good copies of in order to get the bare minimum.
Luckily, they are simple, easy shots to set up, and you've seen countless examples of them in ads and magazines.
Full Body:
Simple and easy, you capture the model from head to toe.
Good posture, is key, as is shooting slightly from below the subject
-- it makes them seem bigger and more manly.
Half-length:
From the mid-thigh up.
Hands can be up, in pockets, or out.
Again, shoot from below for the best results.
Waist Up:
Particularly necessary for shirtless models, this cuts right at the hip.
If shirtless, make sure that no fabric is showing.
Again, a lower angle makes everyone look hotter., Even if you're not particularly practiced as a photo editor, you should still take a little time to work on the photos before sending them.
It doesn't matter what program you're using, you should, at least, take a look at:
Crop:
Crop the image so that model takes up most of the frame, and isn't cut off in any way.
You want the shot to be pretty tight like it was a full-page magazine ad Brightness & Contrast:
Make sure the darkest parts of the picture (there shouldn't be many) are a nice deep black, and there are no nasty, bright white glares.
Hue Saturation:
This changes some basic color settings.
It can be useful for balancing images.
For example, if there is a distracting red glow coming off a red dress, you can lower the saturation of the "red" slider to faintly tone the reds in the image down.
You can also boost overall saturation to add some more color "pop" into the picture.
Clarity:
Usually offered on only higher-end programs, this catch-all setting for sharpness and image quality is useful when bumped up 8-12.
Don't go above
20., To go the extra mile, send them copies of each shot in black and white as well (which may require a retouch of Brightness & Contrast), so that they have the option to use either.
Ask them if there were any other shots they liked, or if they have any comments on these.
From here, you can always re-shoot, re-edit, or send off the shots to an agency.
Most agencies want prints, usually
8.5 x 11".
More and more agencies, however, are converting to all digital submission processes.
About the Author
George Brown
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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