When a beautiful manicure appears on the nails, we have an irresistible desire to photograph it! And masters in general all the time need to add to the portfolio and take pictures of their work on clients. But for some reason photos don’t just show this unearthly beauty, but distort the perception: nails on the phone or camera don’t look attractive. Why does it happen and what to do? How to correctly photograph a manicure for the master and the client? We’ll show you in this article! And we also tell you about the main mistakes when taking pictures of nails.
Why it’s Important to Photograph Your Nails Correctly
Taking winning nail photos is very important because:
- Beautiful work will help the master to attract new clients;
- With their help you can get a proper idea of the high quality of the master’s work;
- Images will help to build up master’s image and personal brand;
- They will distinguish the master from his competitors;
- If you are not a nail-master, then beautiful pictures of manicure will add to your social networks appeal and will serve as an indicator of your excellent taste;
- Also beautiful photos often serve as a source of inspiration and new ideas for other users;
- As a bonus, once you learn how to take quality photos you can go further and become a professional photographer.
Choosing Your Hand Position
Are there any win-win hand positions that will always look good in the shot? Yes! Here’s a list.
Arms up in the air
You can raise your hands up, elegantly intertwine them, and place them in the center of the frame. Decorate the fingers with massive jewelry and don’t forget the bracelets!
Arms on your face or on your chest
Put your hands in front of your face or on your chest and spread your fingers out. It is better to choose plain clothes of a calm color.
Interlace your fingers or place your hands side by side
Intertwine your fingers beautifully, place them in the center of the frame and remove everything superfluous from the background. Or repeat the classic pose with your hands relaxed side by side or one on top of the other.
Spontaneity and dynamism
Very advantageous look as if accidentally made photos: for example, in motion, with the hand, fixing the hair or covering the mouth while laughing. You can also take pictures as if you are dancing: put your phone on an autotimer and make smooth movements.
Love
Great look pictures when lovers are hugging or holding hands, with the emphasis on the fingers of the girl and, of course, her perfect manicure 🙂 Another option: stretch forward the hand with the engagement ring.
Attributes and Props for Manicure Photos
There are also items that can decorate any photo and enhance the manicure!
A massive mug
Preferably, it contains something very delicious: coffee or cocoa with marshmallows, glasses… Embrace the cup – a beautiful shot is ready.
Fashionable clothes, accessories
Photos of girls holding a clutch or a branded bag in their manicured fingers always look stylish. And you can also casually touch the collar of the coat with the brush.
Materials with which the manicure was made
Simply embrace the bottle of nail polish.
Face
Flirtatiously cover your eyes or mouth with the brush.
Jewelry
Go over beads in your hands or squeeze a stylish bracelet.
Background for a Manicure Photo
Of course, the focus of the frame is on the hands with our beautiful manicure, but the background gives an additional mood to the photo, here too it’s important not to make a mistake! We made a selection of the most successful “backstages” for you.
- White backgrounds – Wall, wadding, etc. Minimalism and nothing superfluous.
- A little author’s abstraction – You can add strokes of watercolor or other paints on the Watman.
- Wood or marble is exquisite and beautiful – You don’t have to go to a rustic hut or museum, you can buy a background in a photo store or even in a construction store (self-adhesive).
- Plaid – The cozier the better!
- Nature – Water, grass, flowers, forest. This is always a successful background.
Basic Rules of Manicure Photos on a Smartphone
Smartphones are now the most popular “camera”, it is always at hand and the shooting quality of modern devices is excellent! There are some rules on how not to spoil a picture with a manicure:
- It is better to have the subject in the center. To do this set the cropping mode with a grid;
- The most advantageous light is daylight;
- We advise you not to use a flash – it will make the frame either too white or yellow, and certainly not conducive to a natural transfer of light;
- not enough props? Keep to the rules of minimalism and remove all unnecessary objects from the frame;
- be sure to wipe down the camera glass before shooting;
- Don’t forget to moisturize your hands and cuticles with a special cream or oil before shooting.
Nails with highlights: photo rules
So how do you take beautiful photos of flawlessly glossy nails? How do you arrange the light correctly so that the glare looks stunning?
First, the surface of the nail should be perfectly flat by itself. Second, avoid harsh lighting, choose diffused light. A daylight lamp with a reflector is a good choice.
Photo Rules for Masters
It’s one thing if you’re taking pictures of your nails for yourself, but it’s quite another if you’re a handyman and you need to get the best possible pictures of your nails for your portfolio.
- Do you sign your work? Make sure that all your photos have the same caption: the same font, style, etc.
- It is even better if all your photos in social networking sites follow the same style.
- You can choose a certain set of presets in a particular photo editor for this purpose.
- Keep an eye on trends: what accessories do masters use for photos, what’s popular?
- Are you doing a themed nail design? Why not pick up a themed background? For example, a manicure with ice cream on the background of ice cream, etc. And get inspired with beautiful new photos, constantly drawing ideas for gorgeous shots!
How to Properly Photograph Pedicures
The same rules are relevant for pedicure photos as for manicure shoots: think about the background and the presence of accessories. In the case of nail design on the feet it can be stylish open shoes. A common manicure and pedicure photo also serves as a successful option: brush on the foot.
Main Mistakes in Nail Photography
You have to know the enemy in the face! Let’s identify the most common mistakes when photographing nails and try to avoid them:
- Don’t strain – this applies to whatever pose you choose! The worst look hands and fingers “toned”, in addition they clearly show veins, which obviously will not decorate the picture;
- Don’t press your hands too hard against the surface;
- Avoid photographing your nails from the tips (with the tips facing the camera); this can distort their shape;
- avoid overloading the background: less is more;
- do not overdo filters: a nice touch is great, but do not overdo the colors;
- Don’t put too much oil on the cuticle before the picture is taken;
- Keep a normal distance between the camera and your nails: don’t take a picture too close or too far away;
- as if spontaneous shots are great, but not when it’s not clear what the frame depicts. The manicured hand should be clearly visible.
We hope our review was helpful and that you will create a stunning portfolio of your gorgeous work! We wish you beautiful manicures and photos.