Full Body Photos

For every modelling and casting agency , you will need a photo body photo. It is one of the standard documents for the job. It provides a good impression of your figure and therefore supports any applications you may have. Find out here what you need to do to get a successful full body photo and why a professional photographer is very important.

The purpose of a full-body portrait

The purpose of a full-body picture is to make your stature and proportions visible, i.e. to visually show everything that you’ve written in your profile. Although you will have inputted your height and weight, these do not reveal everything about your physique. A full-body photo, on the other hand, brings striking aspects of your figure into focus. What prospective clients look for when viewing the full-body portrait photos depends on the content of their project. It's often the little things that make the difference - and usually something that the model herself may never have noticed before. You may be familiar with the term ‘sitting giant’, which refers to people with a relatively long torso. The opposite would be a model with a high waist, whose legs appear extremely long. Both fail to fit into standard ready-to-wear fashion, but are well suited for other roles. The full-body photo will show what roles you could work in and how you fit in with a group of people. If a film, television or advertising team is looking for people of approximately the same stature, they also have to pay attention to proportions that can only be recognised by looking at full-body photos. Finally, these photos can also be a good way to present any visible disabilities you have.

Tips and tricks to take a successful full-body photo

Make sure your photo fulfils these requirements:
- You are the only person in the photo- no group photos!
- The photo shows your current appearance- hair colour, weight, height etc.
- The photo shows you in normal, close-fitting clothing. If you wear glasses, your glasses should be included in the photo.
- Your clothing must not conceal, cover or alienate anything. Caps or hats, a wide coat, a floor-length skirt or sunglasses are not suitable in full-body photos!
- They should all tie in nicely with the other parts of your portfolio. Beachwear and lingerie shots are a good addition to a portfolio, but they shouldn’t be the main event.

Technical requirements for your full-body photo

There are also some technical aspects to consider:
- The photo must not be a selfie. Mirror selfies or selfies taken with an outstretched arm look out of place and unprofessional.
- The picture must have as high a resolution as possible.
- The photo must show you as naturally and realistically as possible, they should not be edited
- Make sure you are stood in front of a neutral background with good lighting.
- Your body should be centred in the image.

The importance of a good photographer

Your full-body photo doesn’t need to have been taken by a professional photographer, it should just convey a good image of your figure. But the photographer should have a good eye for detail. Overexposed or underexposed pictures or shadows on your face can ruin the most important shot in your portfolio . The colour of your clothing or the background can also have a huge influence on the image. Now we have digital cameras, it is easy to do plenty of test shots to make sure you have the perfect full body photo.