- Joined
- Aug 21, 2012
- Messages
- 12,900
- Reaction score
- 31,946
This isn't for you. This is for me. I like looking at nice pictures of nice clothes. Sure, I'll settle for a bathroom pic of a brilliantly cut Liverano; who wouldn't? But I like looking at nice pictures of nice clothes. Nice pictures.
Unfortunately, not all of us have business partners willing to indulge each other (Braddock and Sander) or lifestyle photographers to follow us around (VictorSF and Stitchy, recently) or super accommodating spouses/SO's (EFV). So we make do. Some of us make more do than others.
I like to think I make a lot of do. So much do, in fact, that my own experience might not be too helpful to y'all. Unless y'all all (oh yes, that double all does make sense. Plural you. Then all. To indicate all of you) buy dslr's and tripods. Which y'all all totally should.
But perhaps certain elements might be useful. I'd also like to note that I have particularly high regard for the selfie abilities of @Gerry Nelson @EliodA and @Pingson and would be interested in what they have to say about the matter. @Henry Carter as well, come to think of it, who follows my school of selfie thought (one picture, no hassle). He also does great product photography. ****, and @An Acute Style
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Light obviously is key. Natural light. Stand by a window. You have one. Look around. I bet you have one. You have one, don't you? If it's too bright, use blinds. This actually is a big help. I open/close my blinds to control the amount of light getting in. My camera can adjust for it, sure, but it looks better when it doesn't have to. Best light in the morning. Leave too early? Cubicle jockey? (respek) Alright. Well. Damn. Have an office? Put your pants on and take advantage of that ****. Unless you don't have a window in there. In which case, get a promotion.
Keep the backgrounds simple. Unless you've got a camera/lens able to get a nice depth of field, so all your awesome paintings, hockey sticks, socks, vodka bottles, baby carriages and assorted prosthetics are super blurred, nothing beats a nice blank wall. In my opinion.
And if you do get depth of field, awesome. I love me some fit pics with depth of field. Not too much, though. Gerry. Looking at you.
Poses. I like sitting because I don't have to pose. But some of us have certain poses that work for us. Roboposes aren't for everyone. They're surprisingly tricky to do well. Vox was king of them. I do a pretty good robopose if I have to. I can't, however, pose all relaxed. That's @Tirailleur1 's forte. It works for him. I can try it. I can get the pose exactly right. And it won't look even a third as good. So find something that works for you.
@Braddock knows how to pose. But that's part of his job.
A good pose should accentuate your clothes, I think, and be consistent with its context. If you want to do the hands jammed in your pockets, it better be with a casual outfit because you'll be sending out a casual vibe. And if it doesn't look natural (long arms, short jacket), don't try it. I used to do it. It didn't work.
Get everything in there. Ironic, I know, since my shoes are never in my selfies. But I make sure to at least get the pants and the jacket in the same frame. Crucial, I think, to get the feel of the entire outfit. When I see pictures of a top block and a bottom block, no overlap, I struggle to put them together in my mind. Another reason that I like sitting for mine.
How the **** did I forget to tag the king of the selfie? @NOBD
Unfortunately, not all of us have business partners willing to indulge each other (Braddock and Sander) or lifestyle photographers to follow us around (VictorSF and Stitchy, recently) or super accommodating spouses/SO's (EFV). So we make do. Some of us make more do than others.
I like to think I make a lot of do. So much do, in fact, that my own experience might not be too helpful to y'all. Unless y'all all (oh yes, that double all does make sense. Plural you. Then all. To indicate all of you) buy dslr's and tripods. Which y'all all totally should.
But perhaps certain elements might be useful. I'd also like to note that I have particularly high regard for the selfie abilities of @Gerry Nelson @EliodA and @Pingson and would be interested in what they have to say about the matter. @Henry Carter as well, come to think of it, who follows my school of selfie thought (one picture, no hassle). He also does great product photography. ****, and @An Acute Style
--------
Light obviously is key. Natural light. Stand by a window. You have one. Look around. I bet you have one. You have one, don't you? If it's too bright, use blinds. This actually is a big help. I open/close my blinds to control the amount of light getting in. My camera can adjust for it, sure, but it looks better when it doesn't have to. Best light in the morning. Leave too early? Cubicle jockey? (respek) Alright. Well. Damn. Have an office? Put your pants on and take advantage of that ****. Unless you don't have a window in there. In which case, get a promotion.
Keep the backgrounds simple. Unless you've got a camera/lens able to get a nice depth of field, so all your awesome paintings, hockey sticks, socks, vodka bottles, baby carriages and assorted prosthetics are super blurred, nothing beats a nice blank wall. In my opinion.
And if you do get depth of field, awesome. I love me some fit pics with depth of field. Not too much, though. Gerry. Looking at you.
Poses. I like sitting because I don't have to pose. But some of us have certain poses that work for us. Roboposes aren't for everyone. They're surprisingly tricky to do well. Vox was king of them. I do a pretty good robopose if I have to. I can't, however, pose all relaxed. That's @Tirailleur1 's forte. It works for him. I can try it. I can get the pose exactly right. And it won't look even a third as good. So find something that works for you.
@Braddock knows how to pose. But that's part of his job.
A good pose should accentuate your clothes, I think, and be consistent with its context. If you want to do the hands jammed in your pockets, it better be with a casual outfit because you'll be sending out a casual vibe. And if it doesn't look natural (long arms, short jacket), don't try it. I used to do it. It didn't work.
Get everything in there. Ironic, I know, since my shoes are never in my selfies. But I make sure to at least get the pants and the jacket in the same frame. Crucial, I think, to get the feel of the entire outfit. When I see pictures of a top block and a bottom block, no overlap, I struggle to put them together in my mind. Another reason that I like sitting for mine.
How the **** did I forget to tag the king of the selfie? @NOBD
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