Welcome our photo guide. At its core, the Top Model of the Year is photography competition. It is an event in which models submit their work to be judged and evaluated based on composition, technical skill, creativity, and overall impact. Although art is completely subjective, we've prepared this guide to illustrate some of the elements that typically work best.
Professional photos encouraged but not required.
Fashion photographer Georges Antoni used a now 5 year old iPhone 7 Plus on Portrait mode to photograph Margaret Zhang for the June cover story of Elle Australia. There is an undeniable advantage to having professionally made photographs and a lot of our entries are shot by professionals. But there is a lot more to an eye catching image than the camera or methods used to create said image. Most modern cellphones today are more than capable of giving amazing results from their rear cameras.
Connect with the camera.
Whatever method or device you decide to use, make sure, there is good focus on the eyes. specially with close ups. Photos where the model has good eye contact with the camera or where the eyes are following the direction of the model's nose always perform better. Avoid exposing too much white in the eyes in any direction.
Prioritize light, pose and gesture.
Connection with the camera is not just about the eyes. Your pose and gesture also play an important part in defining the your image's impact. Being properly lit will accentuate your features and tie everything together. Specially if shooting with a cellphone, avoid low light scenarios as this is a particular shooting situation where the quality of even the most high end cellphones can fall apart. Unless submitting for Glitz, watch out for overly processed presets and automated skin smoothing apps that blotch or completely remove skin texture and detail.
Show off your style.
Regardless if your images were made inside or outdoors, with a simple ready to wear outfit or a designer gown, the best photos always let your personality show through. Do not be afraid to mix it up and get creative with your expressions and posing. Over the next coming weeks we will be publishing a few more detailed guides on posing techniques so make sure you are subscribed to Stylsh to get notified as soon as they drop.
