Anybody can be a model we believe, and we make it our mission and our job to prove our theory right, every time. With a little self-assurance magic definitely happens, and towards the end of these shoots smiles happen, the ones we have been hoping for. It’s quite a big responsibility on us to get people all relaxed and not be intimidated in front of the camera. Something about being in front of the camera gets some people very anxious, but then all people want good, professional photographs taken to record their children’s growth or their special wedding day or to have a portfolio done as prospect full model – we as photographers find it in ourselves from somewhere to get those natural, lovely smiles that make a picture pop.

To be a model is mostly all about looking good, it isn’t like environmental portraiture, where the actual essence of the photo lies in the character of people’s faces, where things like poverty, hunger, distress and destruction is what makes the photo evoke an emotion with the viewer. With model photography, a certain esthetic beauty should be present which has nothing to do with facial features, weight or age – it’s all about an attitude from within, it should only be tapped by the photographer, hence the reason why it is our passion. As a team, Riani and I have witnessed little miracles happen in front of our eyes, whether it has been a 7-day old baby’s gummy smile that came out of nowhere, or a little boy with big eyes smile after some jokes and giggles, and to have a person pose as model, and we get those beautiful lines and expressions right is a big reward and the very thing that will make them go “Wow”, when they see the end-product.

Model photography can be low-key, high-key, done in studio or in the field, but is always about where the light will fall on the subject so much so, that it’s as flattering as possible, make who they are stand out as much as possible, and have the result be as striking as possible.

Yolandi Jacobsz

Professional modelling photography