Keeping your e-portfolio up to date is essential and that means refreshing and replacing your photographs every so few months!
Ideally, a modelling agency like Models Direct will ask you to update your photos once every three months to ensure we have your latest look, as well as suitably seasonal images.
It really is not essential to have professionally taken photographs, but there are a few guidelines we suggest you follow when taking them yourself.
Your pictures need to help you to stand out from the crowd and it is therefore vital you take and supply them as we need them to be.
Ensuring you have a suitable backdrop to each image is a key part of creating the perfect picture.
Influencers and celebrities with a heavy social media presence spend time creating their sets and backdrops, often with astounding results.
You don’t have to do this but being creative while also ensuring you follow our guidelines can often yield fantastic results.
Here are Models Direct’s top tips for achieving a great backdrop:
Every portfolio picture you supply us with must have an uncluttered backdrop to ensure you stand out well. Clear anything behind you that detracts from the focal point – you!
Try not to stand in front of heavily patterned wallpaper or in a room with too many vibrant colours around you.
When in doubt have your photos taken against a plain background – for some shots you can’t go wrong with white.
All your shots need to be well lit and taking them outside in the natural light can really help with this.
Try to choose a picturesque outside location as your backdrop, but again ensure that whatever is behind you does not draw the eye away from you as the centrepiece.
Now spring is here, and the weather is warming up, you could perhaps find yourself some beautiful, green locations in which to take your photographs.
Perhaps also look for outdoor locations that might work as a backdrop with some edge – natural wood, concrete even corrugated iron could work well if you want an urban feel.
Try making your own indoor and outdoor backdrops to add interest to your shot without overwhelming the picture.
You can start with a large piece of board or plastic and then cover it.
These might range from velvet or another textured fabric in a colour to complement your clothing to something like strips of natural wood.
If your backdrop is solid, you can always experiment with different colours by repainting it as necessary.
Don’t be afraid to have fun with your backdrops but also be ruthless when it comes to editing your images down and discarding anything that doesn’t work.
The most important thing is to make sure your ePortfolio is looking it’s best, why you would be ideal for a particular modelling job, how confident and versitile you are infront of the camera and please update them regularly!!
