There are a few general rules for taking your own digitals. We will lay them out for you here and then discuss the process.
1: No Makeup!!! It is ok to use a little concealer here and there. The general rule is you can hide anything that may not be there tomorrow. So covering a pimple-yes, covering a birthmark no! No retouching of the photos. They must be submitted as they are taken.
2: Hair! Pulled back. Show your cheek bones and jawlines.
3: Clothing-Light Blue Jeans and a white tank or tee. I prefer a ribbed top because of the way the light hits it, but either will do. Your jeans should be form fitting, not skin tight. Just enough to show your shape. No accessories!!! Mo fancy belts, no jewelry no rings……nothing. if you have a nose ring…….take it out. You can put it back after, I promise. No Stilettos, 2″ to 4″ pumps are fine.pumps are fine. I would suggest shoes that show your foot as it elongates the body. If you Are not 5″7 then it’s a great idea to show some ankle and foot, it will make you appear taller. High heels change the shape of your body, they change the way you shift your weight on your feet. If you are wearing high heels to make you look taller……you are doing more harm than good.
4: Location! You need a white background. It can be a white wall. It needs to be clean. If you are using a backdrop, it should not be all wrinkly, it needs to be flat. The floor needs to be clean, preferably white also, but it’s ok if it isn’t. It just can’t be distracting.
5: Lighting!! Natural light is your best bet. If you can find a place indoors with a lot of natural light coming in. that’s a home run. Do not use the flash on your phone or camera. When you are out be aware of your surroundings, you will find a place that works. It could be in the grocery store, or a coffee shop. You would be surprised at what you may find, if you are looking. The light source should be in front of you not behind you and it should be even. There should be nothing casting a shadow.
6: Posing : There are standard poses required for your digitals. They should all be subtle. These are not runway poses. They need to be gentle and show off your shape and features, but not dramatically. The poses are simple, full body front facing, 3/4 left, 3/4 right, left profile, right profile, close up head shot smiling, not smiling. See below for illustrations.
Front Facing:
Here Katilynn is very gently showing us her shape. She has some great angles in her arms with give her great geometry. She also has one shoulder slightly higher than the other. This creates a much more pleasing and inviting look than when they are even. Her chin is perfectly level to the ground and she is looking directly at the camera.
3/4 facing camera right.
Again Kaitlynn is showing very gentle posing. She has great geometry in her arms.You can see how her left arm is following the shape of her body accentuating it but very very slightly.
3/4 facing camera left
Same as above just facing camera left
Left Profile
Straight profile shot. Standing straight and keeping your chin level to the ground is important for this shot. We can really see Kaitlynn’s shape and structure. Keeping there chin level is very important as it really shows the outline of her face
Right Profile
Same as above only right profile
Head Shots
The Charlotte Fashion Collective 