Content in category
frequently asked questions (faq)
sundry
I’m the only smile collector working for this website, no one else will contact you in my name and there is no one else taking pictures for me.
FYI, I can’t usually contact you via the Facebook’s page so I’m usually contacting people through my personal profile (http://www.facebook.com/laurent.cosmic).
Not a lot for different reasons.
I like the natural – no need to provide you with more explanations.
And I’m not an expert on Photoshop. So, if you have an acneiform rash, I can help, but if you want to look to someone else, I’m not the good person.
before the shooting
Few advices regarding the previous days to be well prepared for the shooting.
To make it simple: you need clothes in which YOU feel “comfortable” and that YOU like.
Of course, those clothes must be nice so just imagine you’re going to the wedding of your beloved cousin or your best friend, to a night on the town with friends, to the casino… but it could be also different such as streetwear, normcore, sportswear, cosplay, sexiness, glamour and sophistication, army lovers…
Well, everything is possible but most of the time, I have no clue on the content of your wardrobe so I rely on your help on this matter.
Do not gnaw your nails and prepare them as well on the hands as on the feet. Nails gnawed or damaged do not showcase the model at all ...
If your haircut needs to be refreshed, go to your hairdresser a week and a half before the session.
If you plan a session of hair removal, it is essential to carry out a few days before the session, this to avoid redness…
Also think of moisturizing your lips. It is very difficult to catch chapped or damaged lips in post-production.
Note: Some of those advises have been gleaned on internet
the day before and during the shooting
Few advices regarding the day before and during the shooting.
I have a bathroom in the studio and a beach cabin for outdoor – so it’s quite easy
The day before, drink a lot of water. Hydrate yourself well ... Dry skin does not return light; on the other hand, skin that is too greasy gives too much light.
Sleep well. Do not go to bed too late and be relaxed the same day (easy to say huh). Do not make a big meal before the session, it is better to take small snacks but do not neglect them ... A photo shoot can be very exhausting.
Train yourself to pose. Your best coach is your mirror. Inspire model poses on the web or in fashion catalogues.
Important: look at every detail, the hands, the position of the legs, the direction of the gaze, the expression of the face. Often, it takes a little nothing to make a beautiful picture.
FYI, personally, I often leave my models free to choose their poses - at least for the first pictures. The aim is to have a better idea of what you are able to do. I have the fabulous and now famous pink workbook which contains many poses but I like that it is as close as possible to your personality.
This site is well called smilecollector.photos, but the truth is that the most important in a portrait is the look. It will usually make picture awesome or not so great in the end.
Yeap! but it will be necessary to come to hear them – ahahah
Note: Some of those advises have been gleaned on internet
after the shooting
to receive the photos, how does it go?
I do a first selection applying post-treatment.
I usually only send a first wave of pictures to see what you like or not
Please note that both of us only publish pictures you have selected
The first wave is usually sent within 7 to 10 days but… sometimes it takes a bit longer
Honestly, I don’t have a look the first days to avoid influence by a too good feeling during the shooting. My selection is so a bit more impartial.
My method for the wave is like a zip used on our road. I post-treat some pictures for a model, then for another, for another then for the first one again… The advantage is that you’re not waiting too long to get some pictures…
To make it easy - drop me a quick list eve like this one :) #solennateam
I send the pictures in a web format using wetransfer (these pictures are low quality and signed in the bottom left corner.
I send also a zip file containing the above picture and a normal one that you can easily use for your printing or some enlargement like the one in my studio.
sundry Are you working alone? I’m the only smile collector working for this website, no one else will contact you in my name and there is no one else taking pictures for me. FYI, I can’t usually contact you via the Facebook’s page so I’m usually contacting people through my personal profile (http://www.facebook.com/laurent.cosmic). Are you doing image editing? Not a lot for different reasons. I ...
my websites
smilecollector.photos
This is the actual URL of my website, and there is a lot of reason for that... If some of them are personal, I can explain a couple if there is any interest.
The first is that I'm taking pictures in Belgium (of course as it's my country) but also in France and Luxembourg. The border is so close that I even not sure that statistic is relevant... Well as the studio is located in Belgium, this country will be the main, but it doesn't make any sense in fact.
The main second reason is quite simple. Even if smilecollector is the greatest name in the world, it's clearest when adding the extension .photos.
smlcol.com
This URL has been created to reach different objectives:
Firstly, create an information platform to provide some up-to-date information on what I propose and the way I do it usually.
Secondly, the URL smilecollector.photos is too long (even if I love this name because it's describe so well the concept) so I decide to have a shortest URL to share with you not so long links.
Finally, I want to have the smallest email addresses because when filling a form, it takes a while to type or to spell on the phone.
So, this address is still easy to recognise and is a good hashtag
smilecollector.be
Created in January 2004 after a visit of the Brussels Motor Show, I open the website SmileCollector.be to show the pictures of the hostess I saw and, but you have understood, who accept to be shot…
A motor show without picture is not a motor show (old popular proverb)
Before this logo, I used an apple in reference to René Magritte [Belgian surrealist artist]. One of his numerous symbols was an apple, but he used as well pipes, glasses, bells… you know the famous “this is not a pipe” (la Trahison des images).
The visit card on the left side is a relic. It was used between the apple and the actual one. Don’t be sarcastic, this wonderful yellow brighten color and this smiley were already kitsch when I made them on this time.
Well! At least, it made the job and it was the aim at the end of the day… At present day, the visit card is similar to the one on the right side.
The URL SmileCollector.be is not used anymore since end of 2018 even if some emails are still in used for the sake of convenience and some historic reasons.
The new URL is, what a surprise, smilecollector.photos. It doesn’t look like a big change but believe it, it is as it means a new visual for the website (well OK you see what I mean), new visit cards, new tshirts…
SUMMARY smilecollector.photos This is the actual URL of my website, and there is a lot of reason for that... If some of them are personal, I can explain a couple if there is any interest. The first ...
can we make adverts?
If we did some pix together, you can read this page where you can find more information about copyrights and hashtags I would like to use - to make it easy: credit photos referring to my name or my page and use the hashtag #smlcol.
But there some stuff you can also do (whatever if we have shoot together or not)
- share my page face2face (but you can also share my other pages)
- invite your friends my page face2face;
- speak about myself to your most beautiful friends who could be interested ;
- express your views on my page face2face;
- come back to shoot again - 'cos at the end of the day, this is one of the best proof that you like my work :D
If we did some pix together, you can read this page where you can find more information about copyrights and hashtags I would like to use - to make it easy: credit photos referring to my name or my ...
where can we do it?
From light to dark (don't hesitate to zoom in the picture), some towns to give you an idea of how far I can go, but we can meet halfway.
From light to dark (don't hesitate to zoom in the picture), some towns to give you an idea of how far I can go, but we can meet halfway.
If you're underage, you MUST talk to your parents BEFORE making any decisions or contacting me about a possible photo shoot…
