Have you ever looked at yourself in selfies or in the mirror and thought to yourself why you don’t look like a model? Why can’t you just be perfect? Of course you know that most pictures you see online and in magazines are photoshopped. But that’s not all. There’s so many things that go into making the final image, and I’m going to explain to you what I do.
Concept
A good photo has a concept, or at least a theme. I often don’t have super clearly thought out concepts, and I generally don’t have a very deep meaning behind my work. But I do think about what “vibe” I want to capture.
Styling
I usually do the styling for shoots myself, or I work with what the model has brought to the shoot. But it has to work with the concept, the model, and together. Sometimes pieces all convey the vibe perfectly but they simply don’t work together. I have gone to school for styling, and I have a great love for this part.
The concept for this set was “soft and dreamy with a kinky twist”. So for the styling we chose to use a pastel blue lingerie set, a flower crown and ivy, and a leg harness”
Makeup
People think of makeup as just a tool to make yourself prettier, but it’s also a good way to strengthen the look and feel of the concept. You want to look like a fierce, dominant goddess? Maybe go for a purple smokey eye. Or do you want to look angelic and submissive? Keep it natural or draw on some fake freckles. If you book a shoot with me, you can do your own makeup, hire a MUA or I can do your makeup. More info on my makeup service can be found here.
Location
So now we have a concept, and our styling and makeup perfectly show our vision. But the background of the photos is obviously a make it or break it for a good photo. Does it make sense? Does it tell a story? And most importantly, does it make a beautiful picture?
This might not seem like a very beautiful place, and it honestly isn’t. But it works, because it’s athmospheric.
Light
What kind of light you use for photos is so important. The right lighting can enhance your beauty and set the right tone. I usually use a combination of the light that’s already there, usually daylight, and light I can control. I sometimes use a flash, or a LED panel. It all depends on the effect I want to achieve.
Posing
An experienced model has an arsenal of poses ready as soon as I pull out my camera. But even a professional model can’t see what I see, so I always have to direct a bit. Even if you don’t have experience, I can help you with posing, because I have modeling experience as well! It’s not uncommon for me to put my camera aside so I can show the model a pose I have in mind.
A good pose often isn’t very comfortable, and might not feel very natural in the moment. But tense those muscles, extend your hip and mind your hands and feet!
Camera Settings
At Haus Rebelle we don’t do “auto mode”. No no, for every shoot I have to manually select the right settings that work with the light available, the environment and the colors of the surroundings. It would be a shame if you have gotten everything right, but your settings weren’t optimal and now you regret your whole existence.
Photoshop
Yes, finally we have arrived at the most notorious culprit of photo-manipulation that makes us all feel like farts. I remove pimples, lighten teeth and eyes, smooth out hair and much more. But also enhance the light and colour. This last step is what I enjoy a lot, because this really makes the photo “finished”.
So, if you ever felt bad about the way you look, remember all these steps. And if you ever felt like you couldn’t possibly look that good in a photo, now you know, YOU CAN! So don’t hesitate to reach out to me and discuss the options for a photoshoot with me. I will always help you feel beautiful, powerful and confident.