Portrait Guide
I'm looking for volunteer models to help me create photographs to show visual examples of fashion disasters, including taking good and bad examples.
I have been working with many individuals for portrait photoshoots and most of the time, the models have to provide their own wardrobe. That means we don't have the luxury of having a fashion designer to guide us or even to provide a suitable wardrobe. For certain photoshoots, we do have the involvement of a makeup artist who usually has the reasonable good fashion sense to reinforce my explanation to the model. Unfortunately, some girls may be over-confident in their own makeup and fashion sense. From my experience, no matter how trendy the model may seem to be, there are days when she will have a terrible fashion sense.
When I was new to portrait photography, I did face some bad situations, which I only learned after going through the photographs with my mentor, an ex-commercial hair and makeup artist. For example, a model was wearing an oversized bra and it created a distinct ugly shape as if the top of the bra was protruding out. I would usually avoid looking at the chest areas of my models during shoots in order to avoid any misunderstanding that may cause discomfort. Even if I had glanced at her chest area during the photoshoot, my level of fashion sense for girls at that point of time wouldn't help me much.
My motto towards fashion is that if the part of the clothes isn't meant to be seen, it shouldn't be shown. For example, if a girl is wearing a normal top, the bra and its straps shouldn't be shown, or otherwise, it will give a distasteful feel. In another example, if a girl wishes to portray a sporty feel and she's wearing a tank top or singlet, it's okay to let her sports bra be seen since a sports bra is fashionable.
These are some fashion disasters I have encountered or seen:
Some young girls seem to love this type of bra. Using a bra with straps would make them feel more secure compared to a strapless one or a nude bra since the bra with straps would be more secure. However, they assume the bra straps are truly transparent. I was in the same league until I started doing portrait photography.
In reality, the "transparent" bra straps aren't transparent at all. They do reflect light a lot, including both sunlight and flash, and thus would be very visible. If the girl wishes to display her bra straps as part of the fashion, why not use a normal bra instead?
After using the bra with transparent straps a few times, it would become more opaque and thus even uglier.
Another problem with using such a bra is that all bra straps would naturally be pressing down onto the skin and leaving some bra marks. Since the straps are "transparent", the bra marks would be visible instantly.
There were a few times that I tried to explain to the models the problems of using such a bra to pair with clothes like a tube top or even a spaghetti top, the immature models would simply say "you can just Photoshop it away". I guess most of these models usually don't zoom into photographs and thus they don't realise the flaws in their own selfies; not many people are into details.
A good photographer would rather rectify errors during the photoshoots because it takes time to edit them, there's a high chance that viewers can spot that the photographs are edited and there are some photographs that almost can't be edited. Bra straps are located at the edge of the body and thus it can be far more complicated to be edited.
A visible panty line is a line that gives away the shape of the panty that's visible on the outerwear. This is because the panty has some thickness and would be slightly protruding out of the outerwear. This usually happens if the outfit is body-hugging (bodycon), which sticks tightly to the body. The visible panty line issue may be solved by wearing a seamless panty and will definitely be solved simply by not wearing any panty at all. Having a visible panty line will usually attract a lot of attention from guys, in a sexual way.
If the photoshoot is supposed to be a concept that's very decent and elegant, it's going to be a fashion disaster as the viewers would be heavily distracted by the shape of the underwear.
However, since it attracts attention, if the model's purpose is to create a more sensual feel, she may show the panty line on purpose. In this case, wearing a G-string or thong would be more suitable.
A model friend related to me a story of her doing a local runway show and the male audiences were very excited to see her visible panty line.
In the past, I thought it was a good idea for models to wear safety pants for photoshoots in case of wardrobe malfunction. However, my portrait photography experience told me no.
Some of the safety pants or clothes with similar purposes may give the same problem like visible panty lines; therefore, it may make the entire styling look awful.
The most common problem with safety pants is that they tend to appear easily during the photoshoot, especially if the skirt or dress is short. That means there's a high chance that the movement of the model would cause the safety pant to appear. As mentioned, parts of the clothes that shouldn't be shown would give viewers the impression of "zaogeng", upskirt or wardrobe malfunction, as viewers would treat it like a panty being revealed. Imagine if the pose and expression of the model are fantastic but the safety pant is revealed accidentally, it's a terrible waste, especially for the great expression that may be difficult to be displayed again. It's always more tasteful to show more skin rather than show any underwear. A non-professional model may simply tell the photographer "let's just redo the pose again" and it's just not as simple and effortless as she thinks. There are also some models who would take note of the safety pants and be over-cautious about revealing it and thus under-perform in terms of their expression. Nobody should also expect the photographer to keep focusing on the bottom of the model to check if the safety pant is visible. Of course, if the model is wearing a panty, the panty will somehow be revealed as well, however, it won't be as frequent as safety pants. A G-string or a thong would be even better.
After all, if the model thinks that the photographer would be spending his time enjoying the "free show" of the underwear instead of focusing on getting good photographs, why would the model want to work with the photographer in the first place?
Another bad use of safety pants for a photoshoot is when the concept is supposed to be a little sexy and the bottom is supposed to be shown as part of the fashion. For example, if the model is wearing a boyfriend shirt or any top that can barely cover the bottom, the bottom is likely meant to be shown in the photographs. To photograph female models, we usually want to show curves and we would want to avoid straight lines. In this case, showing safety pants that are "huge" and square in shape is ugly; it would greatly reduce the beauty of the photographs.
Nevertheless, safety pants would be suitable for photoshoot with cheerleaders. It's a norm for cheerleaders to wear safety pants underneath their short skirts and the safety pants would be seen by the audience throughout the performance as they jump. It's since become part of the jersey, especially in Asia. I'm not aware if there's any cheerleader who would wear a panty or even a G-string to flash the audience.
For casual wear (non-photoshoot), safety pants are good.
This is very rare but it does happen. Tank tops or even muscle tees that have a large opening at the sides usually help a girl portray a sporty image. The girl can pair the top with a sports bra as part of the fashion, which would be revealed at the sides or the girl can simply go braless to give a sexy image.
Imagine the side holes of the tank top are a little deeper towards the nipples and the girl is wearing a normal bra, much of the bra would be revealed. Whatever isn't meant to be shown shouldn't be shown. Yes, it's a fashion disaster.
Again, whatever isn't supposed to be shown, shouldn't be shown.
If the top is supposed to reveal the girl's skin at the back, "showing off" any bra strap isn't a very tasteful sight. The bra strap(s) would be the centre of attention instead.
For the design of certain outfits, it may not be showing the entire back. In such cases, the bra straps, if shown, would complicate the design.
If the bra size is bigger than the chest, especially for a nearly full-cup bra that's made of hard material, it may be an ugly scene. The entire shape of the bra would be surface as if the bra is trying hard to get out of the clothes. It gives the illusion that the bra is made of an extremely thick sponge.
For illustration purposes, just put your mobile phone underneath your clothes near the chest area. You can see its shape and that's how the oversized bra would be shown, except that it's probably not as rectangular as the phone to be noticed so obviously from a distance away.
Luckily, this is quite rare.
If the outfit is a little translucent, the coloured bra will be shown. This is subjective and would depend on the design of both the outfit and bra. If the bra is not meant to be part of the fashion, then it's going to be distasteful.
It's usually safer to stick to bras with skin colour or a colour that's similar to the outfit. A white-coloured bra may not raise as much attention as others.
Some girls love wearing high-waist pants because it gives the illusion that their legs are longer. Unfortunately, not many girls' body shapes suit such designs. In contrast, it may backfire and may her look thicker at the hip or even waist area.
If the image of the model is supposed to be something edgy or street dancer kind, this can be considered. However, baggy bottoms usually make the girl look thick.
I'd worked on it half-heartedly at the request of both the model and makeup artist after our main concept was accomplished. Later, the model admitted to me that she regretted it.
I love denim jeans because they are more durable than other materials. Many girls love denim shorts too and I have admiration for girls who wear them.
However, when it comes to fashion, denim would give the audience an image that the model has a "rough" character due to the material. The texture is usually rougher and less stretchable (newer technology seems to have solved this issue). So, it depends a lot on the "feel" that the girl wishes to give. If she wants to appear "stronger" in the photograph, yes, denim is a very good choice.
On the other hand, if the girl wishes to appear more gentle, she probably should use a bottom that's made of smoother materials. For example, cotton or satin.
Another big problem with wearing denim shorts is that many girls don't get very fitting ones or the cutting simply isn't flattering. As a result, the denim shorts would make the girls' hips look much bigger.
Nipple tapes are saviours for girls who wish to do sexy photoshoots yet they are extremely afraid of having wardrobe malfunctions during the photoshoots.
As a portrait photographer, I can testify that wardrobe malfunction is extremely common and this is why many naughty non-photographers would comment about photographers having a "good life". In actual fact, professional photographers are working towards hiding all private parts that are not supposed to be shown in the photographs instead of enjoying the cheap thrill. If the model has any doubt about the photographer, she shouldn't have worked with the photographer in the first place.
I've encountered bad situations with models using nipple tapes. If the concept of the photoshoot is implied nude, it's naturally going to be sexy and show more skin without exposing the nipples. However, some nipple tapes can be quite wide that they cover quite an amount of skin. I've done an implied nude photoshoot that the model pasted extra tapes over her nipple tapes, such that the diameter of the "tapes" was large. The essence of an implied nude photoshoot is to let the audience know that the model isn't wearing a bra or even underwear, yet not revealing the private parts. If a large area of the chest is covered, then the effect of the implied nude photoshoot wouldn't be as great.
The areola is a small circular area, in particular the ring of pigmented skin surrounding a nipple. Some girls have very wide areolas. Anyway, it's up to the individual's taste as to whether part of the areola should be shown in an implied nude photograph. From my experience, it's much easier to edit the areola during post-production to match the normal skin colour as compared to a nipple tape. Since everyone has different areola sizes, it's usually very safe to remove them without viewers noticing; thus there's actually not a big issue in terms of professional photography.
Given a situation where the model's expression (most non-professional models have problems giving the right expression and thus are very valuable) and pose are good but it happens that a bit of her areola is being exposed, it can be easily edited away. If the model were to be using nipple tapes and the tapes are revealed instead, it may be difficult to replace them with her normal skin colour and texture in Photoshop to make that area look natural.
In the case that the concept of the photoshoot is supposed to reveal the shape of the nipples underneath the outfit to add a more sensual, art or natural feel, the nipple tapes would definitely defeat the purpose.
Of course, if the girl is not doing a photoshoot and is wearing a revealing outfit that a normal bra can't fit in (will be shown), she's highly advised to use nipple tapes or stickers that can make sure the outfit is stuck onto her skin in case of any wardrobe malfunction when she's outside.
Bikini is known to be worn at the beach or swimming pool (and poolside). Basically, a girl will be barefooted or simply in a flip-flop. People who walk around in shoes at the poolside or beach may be deemed as "noobs". At the beach, the sand would get inside the shoes and it's an irritating feeling. I experienced it a few times when the photoshoot venue was suddenly changed to the beach.
There may also be girls wearing bikinis, instead of sports bras, for jogging or cycling near the beach but most of them will probably be wearing shorts at the bottom.
Therefore, if a girl were to wear a pair of shoes for her bikini photoshoot, it's weird. We never know about the trend in further but as of the time I'm writing this article, the combination of a bikini set with shoes doesn't look appealing.
One of my biggest regrets was when planning a casual shoot with a client, I didn't insist to talk to his friend. They are super nice people and I shouldn't have held back!
I went through the outfit with him for the design and colour that would fit the scenery. He probably thought his friend had good fashion sense and thus didn't share my tips with her.
From my experience, some "models" find it a hassle to discuss the outfit. Lazy, manipulative and over-confident. They would insist on just bringing along a few outfits for the shoot without disclosing them.
If the model is a friend, regardless of how hot she is, I can find an excuse to cancel the shoot. However, when it comes to clients where income is on the table, it's not easy.
In my case, the cute client happened to use an outfit that wasn't very suitable. It wasn't that bad but it sucked when things could have been done much better.
Photography isn't only about clicking the shutter button. There're still many things for me to learn.
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