Portfolio of the master of permanent makeup: the secrets of presentability

And these are not empty words. If you ask potential clients a few questions to find out what factor will most influence the choice of a master, it turns out that the portfolio of the master for clients is the most important thing. Clients have become more selective, they no longer want “cheaper”, but strive for a beautiful, natural and high-quality tattoo. Therefore, the portfolio of any master should be as presentable as possible. How to achieve this - we will discuss in the material.

Portfolio: where to start

Theater begins with a hanger, and a portfolio begins with a photograph! Think back to when you did your first job and then spent almost as much time trying to take a photo. And it is either dark, or blurry, or the angle is not the same ... For novice masters, we recommend that you learn how to photograph close to the eyebrows, eyes and lips even before the first client lies on your couch. Take an affordable gadget and train on a girlfriend, mother, husband.

The ideal camera distance from the face is 30-40 cm. Your task is to “play” with angles, get used to the ideal distance. It’s great if a micropigmentation specialist has a professional macro lens from the first days of practice and the master knows how to use it perfectly. But this is from the realm of fantasy, but in life usually only a phone is at hand, and it’s not always possible to take a more or less high-quality macro photo even from 10 times. But you shouldn't give up. If high-quality photos do not come out at all on an existing gadget, look for a way out: rent equipment for a while from friends, or rent it, or get a loan. Remember that by saving on a quality photo, you automatically lose 80% of your customers!

As practice shows, it is very difficult to take a high-quality photo, even with the latest models of phones. Ideally, buy a quality camera. However, set the maximum photo extension on your phone and try! Photographers recommend using autofocus - touch the screen of the phone, wait for the signal (the phone stabilizes the image) and only then take pictures. And you need to press the "shutter" button not on the screen, but on the side panel of the phone. So the photo will turn out better. Be patient - be sure to take a few shots (to have plenty to choose from), try different modes and locations.

The lion's share in the success of a photo event is played by natural light. It is because of its complete (if the procedure takes place in the evening) or partial (office without natural light, cloudy day) lack of photos that are of poor quality. Therefore, our task is to create the maximum possible lighting in the office. For this you need:

• buy a maximum power LED lamp and install it in the office. They do not flicker, but do not choose lamps with yellow or cold white lighting, so as not to distort the color reproduction. It is recommended to choose a powerful, but neutral range;
• refuse to use blinds or remove them as much as possible at the time of photography;
• ensure that when photographing, the lighting hits the client’s face, and not the camera lens!
• it’s good if there are white walls in the office - white perfectly reflects light. Pro tip: If there are no white walls, you can use a white coat as a screen, holding it in your hands to the side or below the client's chin.

We live in the 21st century and technology does not stand still. Portable flash units (LED rings) have long been invented and come in a variety of sizes. Photographers use circles with a diameter of about 40-60 cm. In the work of the PM master, a portable ring is enough for the phone.

Modern users of social networks, spoiled by beautiful photos, crave not only high-quality performance of work, but also “delicious presentation”. But always try to keep the color reproduction in the area of the work itself. It doesn't matter if the flash changes the color of the client's eyes, but you should definitely make sure that the color reproduction of your work and its realism are preserved as much as possible.

Portfolio Tips

If you're posting photos of the whole face, remember that it's always nicer to look at the attractive faces of clients, without noticeable aesthetic flaws. Therefore, if something in the resulting photo can unpleasantly “hook the eye” (we are not talking about the nuances of the performance of the work, but about minor annoyances, such as a pimple, post-acne, etc.), it is better to crop the photo and set a close-up of the zone tattoo.

The portfolio should contain both fresh work (so that the client can imagine how it will look immediately after the procedure), and already healed. Be sure to sign each work and indicate its "age".

To take a photo of the healed work before the correction, you need to wait for the client for this very correction. Some masters recommend at least the first time to do the correction for free or for a symbolic price - this significantly stimulates the return of customers to you and guarantees maximum photos at the correction stage.

Create collages with your work and put your name and phone number on them. Yes, a portfolio on a personal website should look as attractive as possible, but informative materials should be posted on social networks. If a person likes your work, he should be able to call you and sign up for the procedure.

Post macro photos of your work. If you are a master with experience and you want to demonstrate your skills, do not deny yourself the pleasure. High-quality shading looks very tempting up close.

Portfolio a priori must be dynamic. After all, the qualification of the master is growing every day and there is no point in keeping your very first works in the gallery. The client should see the level of your skill at the moment, and not your entire creative path. Therefore, regularly “clean up” the portfolio, trying to look at it a little critically.

Speaking of portfolios, I would like to paraphrase an old student saying: first you work for the portfolio, and then the portfolio works for you! Therefore, devote a lot of time to it, do not spare investments in technical means and time to develop your inner skills as a photographer. And be sure to put a watermark on your work - so you insure the fruits of your creativity from theft.