Snaps

What are snaps? The word "snaps" comes from the English "snapshot" and means a photograph, a photograph. In the professional environment of models, the word "snaps" is firmly entrenched over what each model should have, like a photo in a passport. Sneps is a set of images, made according to a certain standard, sufficient to form a complete picture of the individual features of the figure and face of the model from the customer or model agency.

The purpose of snows is as honest as possible, but at the same time, it is most profitable to convey to the customer (agency) the real state of the figure and face of the model.

Where to make snakes? If there is no place, then at least at home, even on the street. The main thing is to observe a number of simple rules. Sneps are not a product of the creation of high skill, they are simple technical images that are intended for viewing by professionals (a common man in the street to look at them is even harmful). But the more clearly and correctly they are made, the more they are of use.

The shoot place. It would be better if it was a studio. There is no point in saving 500-800 rubles per hour of studio rent, because you need the result! Ask a familiar photographer to spend a little time on you. If he does not know what snaps are, let him read this article.

The background should be solid, white or light gray, always clean. There certainly is no point in saving another 400 rubles for a couple of meters of paper background. Trampled background looks at least uncomfortable.

Lighting. The main source of direct scattered light (the size - the larger, the better) is installed centrally behind the camera. In most cases, it's one and enough. If there is no large-size source in the studio, you can replace it with two or three sources of scattered light, located on the left-right-top from the optical axis, but with a minimum distance from the center. Other lighting schemes are possible, but ultimately it is necessary to obtain pictures with uniform fill and the least number of shadows.

The skin should be natural color, tan is categorically excluded! Therefore, you should not visit the solarium, if you are going to do snaps in the near future. Also, do not do them after a vacation at sea.

Makeup on snaps should be absent as a fact. If the face (or body) has acne, moles, pigmentation or something else, this should be clearly visible. It is important for the customer to understand the real state of your skin, otherwise you may expect an unpleasant surprise at the casting. Never press pimples before taking pictures! Traces look much worse than the pimples themselves!

Eye proteins should be clean, do not contain redness. In case you have an erythema, use drops, which ones - consult a doctor.

Tonal cream should not be used for the same reasons as makeup. Not to mention the fact that the professional is immediately visible.

Underwear or a swimsuit is already at your choice. The most important requirement is that the tissue everywhere fit snugly to the body, nowhere was it going to bubble and not hang a parachute. To have fewer questions from the customer (agency), it will be better if it's thongs (the narrower the stripes, the better) with the maximally open buttocks and the bra with bones, the best is also the most open, the one in which your breasts look most profitable. Using Push-Up is not recommended at all in order to avoid the same problems with the customer. Color - better black (well, or dark blue), always monophonic, without any ryushechek, zavyazochek, bows, etc.

Shoes must be required. Do not take off your shoes barefoot. This is important in the first place so that you have a correct posture. Correctly will look beautiful shoes, closed, with high heels. The corporal color of the shoes visually lengthens the legs, any contrasting colors, on the contrary, are cut.

Hair, when you come to the picture, should be primarily clean. If their normal state is straight, then straight, if curling, and you straighten it, then it's up to you. With her hair loose, there is only one foreshortening - in full growth behind, whose task is to show how loose hair looks and how long it is.

Hair on the body is better if completely removed. The case, of course, is yours, but keep in mind that agencies pay particular attention to this.

Tattoo and scars, if they are present on your body, should be clearly visible on snakes. You do not need surprises then?

Ornaments should not be the same as any make-up. In this case, it must be remembered that on the skin for some time there are traces of jewelry, so you need to remove them in advance.

Footprints from clothes and shoes also go away long enough, so do not come to shoot snaps in tight clothes. The underwear in which you are going to be removed is also better to wear at home.

Food intake should be postponed for a while after filming. This will save you from having to pull in your stomach, besides, the belly involved looks not so natural.

Posture during the whole shooting should be such that there is no visible tension, however as flat as possible. Imagine that you were asked to walk along the catwalk.

The chin in all pictures should be parallel to the floor.

The head in all pictures should be placed directly relative to the body without any turns.

The face should be relaxed. Typically, the models in tension are lips. Before shooting it is better to do any exercise to relax the muscles of the face or just massage around the lips. The forehead should also be relaxed.

Positioning can only consist in the fact that you are as precise and not strained you are standing in the frame. Any other pose here is inappropriate.

Before you start shooting, make sure that the straps on the laundry are flat, not twisted, all the tags from the laundry should be cut off at home. Also make sure that your hair is not stuck out.

Which photos should contain a set of snaps? A fairly complete set of snows, which will satisfy the requirements of almost any agency, can be conditionally divided into three groups. Full-length shooting, portrait shooting (from the shoulders) in two versions - without emotion and with a smile. In each group, five shots are taken - a straight angle, three quarters (left and right view) and a profile (also left and right). In addition, two more pictures - in full growth from behind with her hair loose and taken in a bun. In a reduced version, you can omit the footage with a smile. In a completely truncated one, you can not take one of the camera angles (left or right). But, since you started shooting, it is unlikely that the number of pictures will be of great importance, so it's better to do everything in full.

The position of the model during the entire shooting is best kept unchanged. It will not be superfluous if an inconspicuous marker is glued on the floor, which will be under the model's foot.

Camera. It will be better if it is mounted on a tripod in a fixed state. Immediately set the final crop and do not change the camera position until the end of the group snapshot. Standing next to the pictures taken in different angles, but under the same conditions, look much nicer.

Shooting at the rear in full growth with flowing hair. This is the best shot first (since for all the other frames it is necessary to assemble the hair into a bundle or into the tail and not the fact that after that you will normally scrape them). Hands should be placed along the body in a natural way, but so that along the entire length of the hand there is a visible gap with respect to the body. This is necessary in order to clearly consider all the lines of the contour of the figure. The legs are set exactly, as close to each other as possible so that the shape of the gap between the legs is clearly discernible. Both legs with straight knees. Shoulders should be smooth, straight, straightened. The position of the body should be as flat as possible, but in such a way as not to create stresses.

The camera position is clearly centered. When shooting at full height, the height should be selected depending on the proportions of the model. The base point of the optical axis is at the level of the navel of the model. Moving the camera down from the base point gives a visual increase in the legs, but do not get carried away by this, because if the size of the head of the model is small, it will seem even smaller, and the neck is even shorter. In some cases, it is advisable to shift, on the contrary, upwards from the base point, but not very much. In addition, much depends on the type of lens used. Do not shoot snaps with wide-angle lenses.

Shooting at the rear in full growth with the hair taken away. Everything except hair is the same as in the previous frame. The hair is taken in a bun (or at least in the tail). This is necessary in order to clearly consider the neck, its length and shape. The tail can interfere with this a little.

Straight perspective standing in full growth. The model stands exactly opposite the camera and looks into the lens. The facial expression is calm, relaxed, without any emotion. All other requirements as in the previous frame.

View ¾ full-length (left and right). The model rotates the entire body about 45 degrees from the direct angle. Do not turn your head in relation to the body. The look is straight. The position of the hands is also along the body, but this time in a more comfortable way, so that the blades are in their natural state. If possible, hide the far arm so that it can not be seen by the camera. Other requirements as in the previous frame.

Side view in full growth (left and right). The model rotates the entire body 90 degrees from the direct angle. Position - hands, depending on the purpose of snap. If the snows are done mainly for photographers - it is desirable to ensure that all the curves of the body are clearly visible. For agencies, the shape of your shoulder blades is more important under normal arm position. Ideally, achieve both. Other requirements as in the previous frame.

Straight angle from the shoulders. Requirements for posture are the same as for shooting in full growth. Position of hands along the body (although they are not in the frame) in the most comfortable condition. The view is directed into the lens. The muscles of the face are still relaxed.

The camera position is central, the height of the base point of the optical axis at the level of the nose of the model, the offset is chosen experimentally.

View ¾ from the shoulders (left and right). The model is the same as when shooting ¾ in full growth.

Side view from the shoulders (left and right). The setting of the model is the same as for shooting the lateral view in full growth.

Shooting from the shoulders with a smile. All the same, as without a smile, only with a smile.

A smile should be like if you were asked to smile during the show. The smile should show the part of the teeth that is exposed when you usually smile. If you have problems with the teeth and they are removable, then you obviously should first visit a dentist. However, if you have any too obvious problems with your teeth, then do not resort to tricks to hide them on snaps. Better do not do this part of snooping at all. It starts to look only those customers, which it can interest in a particular shooting or display.

Software processing of images in this case is inadmissible, except for framing (trimming the frame) and removing foreign objects from the frame (if the photographer decided to save money and suggested that you shoot on a dirty paper background). In any case, the sections of the frame affecting the model should not be edited. Do not try to cover up acne, bruises, etc, and even more so, never use plastic (who works with Photoshop, knows what it's about). If you notice a correction on your snaps (and a professional will notice it), your snaps will be guaranteed to be rejected. Not to mention all of the same possible problems with casting.

The framing should be done in a comfortable way for perception. Fields (in this case - the distance from the model to the edge of the frame) should not exceed 10% of the frame size for the top and bottom fields, and the side fields should be approximately the same. For perception it will be more comfortable if within each group of snaps the images have the same fields. In addition to single frames (we counted 17 of them), we can make composite frames. For full-length shooting, it's all seven frames in one row, arranged in one shot. For shooting from the shoulders - it's 5 frames in 2 rows (without a smile and with a smile)

The shelf life of snaps is determined by each person for himself. You can make snaps, like a couple of weeks 3 times a day in McDonald's, and the customer does not recognize you! And some people need to re-do it once a year, if people know how to keep themselves in shape. Professional models that work constantly, remake snows, usually once every 2-3 months, but they do it already in the agency, for example, before traveling to work abroad. In any case, the date of production of snows is an integral part of snaps. Do not specify an incorrect shooting date. Better obsolete snaps than surprises on casting.

Finally. You can, of course, make snows and somehow. You can at home against the backdrop of the sheet, you can against the background of the door, you can against the background of trees, asking your grandmother to click you on the iPhone. But imagine for a moment that you are a casting director of a modeling agency (or something else) and before you a few dozen model beeches. What will you do? Give preference to the model that came with beautiful professional pictures or will you try to see the unwritten beauty on the "ai-photos"? Do not forget, conscientious attitude to your future work forms the appropriate opinion of your future employer about you, considerably raises your price. And, at the same time, and your chances to break into the world of high fashion.