While it’s easiest with a friend 👯♀️ to help you make the Test Shots or Grooming Images we need, we know that’s not always convenient. So, here’s our tried-and-tested method of making either type of images on your own. 💃🏽
- Use your smartphone
- Any smartphone made in the last six years will be fine
- Orient the phone in portrait orientation (that is, longest side vertical)
- Turn the flash to be always-on
- This helps the images be bright and clear
- Use the self-timer
- Tips on Apple iOS; on Android
- Rest your phone against something at around tummy height
- For example, a bookshelf or kitchen table / bench
- Get the phone to be mostly vertical (so it’s not taking a picture of mostly-ceiling).
- Your phone will need to lean against something to stay upright. Adding an elastic band might help if it tends to slip, if your phone case does not do that already (some do, some don’t).
- Test it!
- We want you to be as big in the frame as possible, with as little background / ceiling / walls as possible. See examples below.
- It’ll take some practise to get your distance from the phone to be correct – it’s usually around 4 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 metres), but depends on your phone’s camera.
“The grooming photos were okay too. They were easy for me to do, even without somebody helping me” (Lisette, Aug 2021).
Let’s do it! 🤪
We have two similar-but-different sets of self-images we need from you, depending on where you are in the process of making a shoot. Check the email from us asking you to send pictures – it’ll always be clear on what we need, either Test shots, or Grooming images.
Test Shots
A set of images we need to assess your suitability for working with us, in general. Required:
- The first time we shoot you, after your phone call Info Session
- If it’s been two or more months since your last shoot with us (or, since you last provided Test shots).
- If your look has changed significantly (what we consider significant)
Details and examples of the Test Shots we need.
Grooming images
A set of images we require of you to show any grooming issues that might affect your booked shoot. Required:
- Several times before your shoot, after the Shoot Booking call
Details and examples of the Grooming Images we need.
We have several pages on Grooming: overview of grooming; what a grooming issue is and isn’t; how to provide us grooming images; tips for dealing with grooming issues.
