Tuesday 18 February 2014
The Importance of Professional Business Portraits
A professional business portrait is a valuable asset in marketing yourself and/or your business.
Your business portrait not only shows your image, but it also reflects on your level of professionalism. Below are more examples of professional portraits. Source : https://www.facebook.com/spotonphotoshop
Use your professional image on your website or social media sites to
help build relationships by putting the best possible image of yourself
out there. The right image can enhance trust and build a level of
confidence with both potential and current clients.Spot-on Photoshop
Tuesday 3 September 2013
Modelling Wannabe? Extremely Important Concepts to Remember
This truly is a "first impression" business. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Every agency or client that you contact-your photos or modelling portfolio will always go in the door before you, therefore set your standards HIGH! You must use a critical eye when selecting any images to put in your modelling portfolio. Make sure that the pictures you show have the ability to WOW agencies and potential clients.
You are only as good as your worst image- and believe me- photographers, agencies and art directors will remember the worst image.
Questions and Answers to Help You Build a Great Portfolio
1. How many photos do I need to have?
Less is better! You will not impress with quantity-you will make a lasting impression with quality.
The purpose of the modelling portfolio is not just simply to show that you are attractive- it is to show your ability to portray different characters, age ranges and importantly personality!
As a model, 6-12 pictures is adequate to present yourself to a new agency. 20 should be a maximum-but only if they are 20 WOW pictures.
2. Do I need to shoot with more than one photographer to develop my portfolio?
NO. Certainly if you have lots of money to spend, hire several photographers to help you develop your portfolio. You will however not get work because you spent a ton of money and time to shoot with multiple photographers. You will get work with a selection of pictures that show you at your best, show your range of emotions and ability to portray various characters.
3. Should the pictures all be in color?
Is every advertising in color? Black and white is not only an artistic medium that can be effectively used to create and convey a mood, but it is also a medium that is very much in use today- so don't be afraid to include a few black and white photos in your portfolio.
4. Do I need to do photos in a swimsuit or lingerie?
You do not have to model anything that is in conflict with your cultural or religious beliefs. Certainly, the more that you are willing and able to do, the more opportunities that you will make available to yourself.
5.How large should the photos be?
The correct answer does tend to be market specific. I would recommend purchasing a book that holds 8X10 pages.
You are only as good as your worst image- and believe me- photographers, agencies and art directors will remember the worst image.
Questions and Answers to Help You Build a Great Portfolio
1. How many photos do I need to have?
Less is better! You will not impress with quantity-you will make a lasting impression with quality.
The purpose of the modelling portfolio is not just simply to show that you are attractive- it is to show your ability to portray different characters, age ranges and importantly personality!
As a model, 6-12 pictures is adequate to present yourself to a new agency. 20 should be a maximum-but only if they are 20 WOW pictures.
2. Do I need to shoot with more than one photographer to develop my portfolio?
NO. Certainly if you have lots of money to spend, hire several photographers to help you develop your portfolio. You will however not get work because you spent a ton of money and time to shoot with multiple photographers. You will get work with a selection of pictures that show you at your best, show your range of emotions and ability to portray various characters.
3. Should the pictures all be in color?
Is every advertising in color? Black and white is not only an artistic medium that can be effectively used to create and convey a mood, but it is also a medium that is very much in use today- so don't be afraid to include a few black and white photos in your portfolio.
4. Do I need to do photos in a swimsuit or lingerie?
You do not have to model anything that is in conflict with your cultural or religious beliefs. Certainly, the more that you are willing and able to do, the more opportunities that you will make available to yourself.
5.How large should the photos be?
The correct answer does tend to be market specific. I would recommend purchasing a book that holds 8X10 pages.
Remember
that this is truly a “first impression” business. You know the quote –
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” – There is no
business where that is more true than modeling. Every agency or client
that you contact – your photos, comp card or modeling portfolio will
always go in the door before you. - See more at:
http://www.joeedelman.com/modeling-portfolio/#sthash.kIzKv8hc.dpuf
Remember
that this is truly a “first impression” business. You know the quote –
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” – There is no
business where that is more true than modeling. Every agency or client
that you contact – your photos, comp card or modeling portfolio will
always go in the door before you. - See more at:
http://www.joeedelman.com/modeling-portfolio/#sthash.kIzKv8hc.dpuf
Remember
that this is truly a “first impression” business. You know the quote –
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” – There is no
business where that is more true than modeling. Every agency or client
that you contact – your photos, comp card or modeling portfolio will
always go in the door before you. - See more at:
http://www.joeedelman.com/modeling-portfolio/#sthash.kIzKv8hc.dpufWednesday 28 August 2013
What Exactly is Photoshop?
Hello once again ladies and gents? So sorry for the long silence. I have been extra busy of late. Chasing that paper and all. Just because you don't see photos uploaded doesn't mean i have been snapping away. Some clients don't prefer having their photos online and I have to respect their wishes. Anyways here I am.
As I said, I have been extra busy. I have been talking to a lot of you. I have been bombarded with a myriad of questions concerning Spot-on Photoshop. People are asking, "How different is your kind of photography?". Well, wonder no more.
First thing first. Africans are kind of very slow creatures. When the white man introduced us to the Agrarian revolution, we resisted very strongly. Now, we are dying of starvation. When he later came and introduced us to the industrial revolution, we still resisted. Now we buy all our machinery from abroad further hurting our pockets and sinking us into more poverty. Now, the white man once again has brought us a very powerful revolutionary tool called Adobe Photoshop and majority of the African population are calling it a hoax including these so-called "aspiring models". Yes. It is that bad. You would think they should be twice as enthusiastic as I am but noooooo!
Moving on swiftly, so what exactly is Photoshop? Photoshop, in the simplest terms, is an image editing program. Image editing ranges from simple manipulations such as cropping to more complex works like color correction, skin retouching to composition creations. It is a tool that your photographer should always use. Unfortunately its interface is very intimidating and since humans fear the unknown, most photographers bash it and call it all sorts of names. I, on the other hand, have been playing around with Photoshop and Corel Graphics Suite ever since I was in high school back in the year 2005 so to me, I literally know the ropes around these sophisticated programs.
Below is a simple illustration of what Photoshop can do for your photos:
How awesome is that? I think we should embrace this technology if we are to compete on the same level with the west and the rest of the world as a whole. Let's get out of our comfort zones. And if you are a model or want a portfolio done for you, please go for a photographer who will sell you. Flat photos are just plain boring. They may make you look cute and all but artistic pieces will open doors for you and that is what photo editing programs are all about. Don't believe me? That's too bad for you.
As I said, I have been extra busy. I have been talking to a lot of you. I have been bombarded with a myriad of questions concerning Spot-on Photoshop. People are asking, "How different is your kind of photography?". Well, wonder no more.
First thing first. Africans are kind of very slow creatures. When the white man introduced us to the Agrarian revolution, we resisted very strongly. Now, we are dying of starvation. When he later came and introduced us to the industrial revolution, we still resisted. Now we buy all our machinery from abroad further hurting our pockets and sinking us into more poverty. Now, the white man once again has brought us a very powerful revolutionary tool called Adobe Photoshop and majority of the African population are calling it a hoax including these so-called "aspiring models". Yes. It is that bad. You would think they should be twice as enthusiastic as I am but noooooo!
Moving on swiftly, so what exactly is Photoshop? Photoshop, in the simplest terms, is an image editing program. Image editing ranges from simple manipulations such as cropping to more complex works like color correction, skin retouching to composition creations. It is a tool that your photographer should always use. Unfortunately its interface is very intimidating and since humans fear the unknown, most photographers bash it and call it all sorts of names. I, on the other hand, have been playing around with Photoshop and Corel Graphics Suite ever since I was in high school back in the year 2005 so to me, I literally know the ropes around these sophisticated programs.
Below is a simple illustration of what Photoshop can do for your photos:
Wednesday 7 August 2013
The Re-invention
Hello ladies and gents. For those who don't know me, I am Norbert Oigara, the founder of Spot-on Photoshop. When I started photography, not so long ago, I was doing it purely out of passion. I loved it. I loved it, partly because I had been using photoshop for a very long time but I didn't have a camera at that time. So I used to download images from the internet such as the one below and edit it.
Its when I got hold of my big brother's camera that I really took off(literally). I felt invincible. And I started photographing and photoshopping away. I mostly did my close friends first. And we did it as a hobby. I knew very little about photography. Actually, I knew nothing. and so long as I could photoshop, I thought things would only get better.
It has been close to 6 months now since then. I have grown wiser. I have learned that its always important to get it right in camera. There are some photos I over-edited and my friends didn't like them. They didn't have to tell me but I knew they hated them. I was making the classic mistake of putting up one bad photo after another thinking I had created master pieces. We are all human. We hold dearly to our creations and protect them jealously. Its human nature.
Over the last few months, I have come to appreciate that the photographer and the subject don't see eye to eye(pun intended). And that is where most photographers get it wrong. You can shoot a great composition according to your standards but when you present the work to a client, they go like "my nose looks big in this one". It is for this reason that I decided to re-invent myself. I am not yet there but one day I will. Overall though, I love my progress. I want to focus on portrait and to a small extent, product photography. Things like jewelery, clothing, shoes, the works. That is where my niche is. Have you seen my latest work on the former? Check it out on www.facebook.com/spotonphotoshop .
In conclusion, this is one journey am really looking forward to. Making people look awesome :). Coz its your right to look good in a photo. You paid for it after all didn't you?
It has been close to 6 months now since then. I have grown wiser. I have learned that its always important to get it right in camera. There are some photos I over-edited and my friends didn't like them. They didn't have to tell me but I knew they hated them. I was making the classic mistake of putting up one bad photo after another thinking I had created master pieces. We are all human. We hold dearly to our creations and protect them jealously. Its human nature.
Over the last few months, I have come to appreciate that the photographer and the subject don't see eye to eye(pun intended). And that is where most photographers get it wrong. You can shoot a great composition according to your standards but when you present the work to a client, they go like "my nose looks big in this one". It is for this reason that I decided to re-invent myself. I am not yet there but one day I will. Overall though, I love my progress. I want to focus on portrait and to a small extent, product photography. Things like jewelery, clothing, shoes, the works. That is where my niche is. Have you seen my latest work on the former? Check it out on www.facebook.com/spotonphotoshop .
In conclusion, this is one journey am really looking forward to. Making people look awesome :). Coz its your right to look good in a photo. You paid for it after all didn't you?
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