What To Send Me
I need 3 things from you:
1. Your pictures.
2. Some information.
3. Your payment.
First you email the pictures and information to me at virtualffs@btopenworld.com. For security reasons, I only accept jpeg images as email attachments. I don't accept zip files or download links.
I will check the pictures and information carefully and let you know if the pictures need re-doing or if I need any additional information.
Once I have everything I need, I will send you a link to the checkout and tell you when you can expect to receive the enhanced pictures and assessment.
Please read through the rest of this page carefully so that you know exactly what kind of pictures and information to send me.
Pictures
I need a good all-round view of your face to be able to assess your needs and for this I need 8 pictures:
1. A frontal shot.
2. A frontal shot with your mouth relaxed but open.
3. A frontal shot with your mouth open but showing your upper teeth.
4. A smiling frontal shot.
5. A right ¾ profile.
6. A left ¾ profile.
7. A right profile.
8. A left profile.
Here's how they should look (I have not included versions of 3 and 4 in the examples below yet):
(please see my notes on these pictures at the bottom of the page)
I usually recommend having 3 of the pictures worked on and these are the frontal shot with the mouth closed, one of the ¾ profiles and one of the profiles. I can choose the best one to work on for each angle, but let me know if you have a preference.
It's OK to send me more than 1
version of each picture, but please don't send more than 3 versions of
each.
Even if you only want 1 picture worked on, or only want a written assessment, I still need you to send all 8 pictures so that I can get a good all round view of your face. You can also send me more than one version of each angle if you're not sure which one is best.
Many of my clients also include an informal picture with their hair and make-up done for me to work on. This is not essential but some people find it helpful.
It can be helpful to send me some informal shots from your everyday life so I can get an idea of how you look in context. This is not essential so please don't feel that you have to send them if you are uncomfortable doing so. Also, not everyone has informal pictures of themselves as women - especially if they are at the beginning of their transition.
Here are some guidelines for taking your pictures:
This may seem like a lot of detail but it is worth trying to get the best pictures you can to start with.
1. Don't use a phone to take your pictures unless you it has a really high quality and high resolution camera. Most phone cameras do not take good pictures for Virtual FFS. The problem is that they have a "digital" zoom rather than an "optical" zoom and that means they magnify the image, instead of bringing the subject closer. You don't necessarily need a fancy SLR camera though - even relatively cheap digital cameras tend to take better pictures than phone cameras.
2. It is very important that the camera is at least 6 feet (2 metres) away from your face. If the camera is closer than that it causes distortion of the facial features and that means that my work will not be accurate. So don't try to hold the camera at arms length.
The ideal distance for the camera is 6 - 12 feet away (2 - 3.5 metres). If you need to bring the face closer it is fine to use the zoom (zoom does not distort the features in the same way as moving the actual camera closer to the face.
3. Camera Angle. The camera should be at eye level, not above or below your face. For the 3/4 profile it is usually best to try and get the tip of the nose to align roughly with the edge of the cheek as in the examples above.
4. The pictures should be well lit and in focus.
5. Keep a blank expression (except in the smiling shot!). Smiling changes lots of facial proportions and makes it very difficult for me to assess your needs accurately. It is still useful to see you smile which is why I also ask to see a smiling shot but the main pictures should be with a blank expression.
6. It is best to turn your whole body to get the different angles rather than just turning your head.
7. Keep your hair tied back. The hairline is important in feminisation so it's best to keep your hair pulled back so I can see the hairline and the forehead clearly. A hair band is usually best for this.
8. Picture Size. I usually work on pictures between about 500 kB and 2 MB though this is flexible. It is better to send pictures that are too big rather than too small. If your pictures are more than 2 MB each – please don't send more than 3 of them in one email.
9. Using a self-timer. These can be really handy if you are taking the pictures alone but there is a problem with them – they often take pictures which are out of focus because they focus on what is in front of them when you press the shutter. This is usually the wall you are about to stand in front of so when you actually stand there and the picture is taken, the wall is in focus but you are not.
There are three ways of tackling this - you can place something at about the position where your face is going to be so that the camera focuses in the right place when you press the shutter. Secondly you could try moving the camera backwards after you have pressed the shutter so that the distance between you and the camera is the same as the distance between the camera and whatever it focused on. Thirdly you could ask someone to take the photos for you however, I realise sometimes that is not possible.
10. Don't take the pictures in direct sunlight. Daylight is good for the photos but direct sunlight can make you squint and makes very hard shadows which are difficult to work with.
11. Try to have a blank background. This is not always possible but it can help you see the outlines of features more clearly, particularly in the profile shot, and be careful not to choose a background that has a similar tome to your skin, otherwise it can be difficult to see the outline of the features.
12. Don't wear glasses – they hide and distort lots of important structure.
13. Make-up. It's fine to wear a little make-up but try not to make it too heavy as it can start to hide features like the shape of the lips and eyes, and please try to avoid false eyelashes.
14. Facial hair. If you still have facial hair, please shave as closely as possible. I can remove beard shadow, but usually not unshaven facial hair or beards.
15. Wigs. I cannot generally add hair to pictures. If you have short hair or suffer from baldness but want to see yourself with feminine hair in the final shots, it is best to wear a wig. In this case it is usually best to send 2 sets of pictures - one set with the wig, one set without.
16. Don't worry if you can't take perfect pictures – send me the best ones you can - I will tell you if I can do useful work on them or I may be able to give you some advice on how to take better ones. It's very normal for my clients to send several sets of pictures before we get to some really useful ones so if you are not sure, send them anyway and I'll let you know if they will work.
This is the information I need:
1. Hormones. Let me know if you want me to simulate the effects of hormones in your pictures. If you are already on hormones I may not need to simulate the effects but let me know how long you have been on them and if you are on a full dose. If you are on a low dose, let me know if you plan to take a full dose in the future.
2. Rejuvenation. Are you interested in feminisation only or are you also interested in looking younger? If you are younger than about 40, this question will probably not apply to you.
3. Do you already know what you want done? I can usually show you the procedures and let you know if they are likely to be beneficial or if there might be some problems with them. If you have no idea what you want that's absolutely fine – I am here to advise you.
4. If you have other assessments, perhaps from surgeons, feel free to send them to me or to ask me to simulate what the they have recommended. Bear in mind that occasionally this is not possible. I can also give you a second opinion on any recommendations that you have received from surgeons.
5. Have you had any previous facial surgery? or any facial injuries? This might affect what else can be done.
6. If passing is important to you, do you have passability problems? This means do people see you as female when you are out as yourself or do they still see you as male.
7. What do you like about your face? It's OK to say "nothing".
8. What is your height, weight and age? This is personal information of course and please don't feel obliged to give it but it can sometimes help me balance the priorities for you.
9. How far away from the camera were you? You must be at least 6 feet (2 metres) away.
10. How many pictures would you like me to work on? I generally recommend 3 with the written assessment but I can do fewer if you prefer and I can also do a written assessment on its own.
11. What email address should I send the payment request to? Please note that the payment request will be in GBP (British Pounds) because that is my local currency.
12. How did you find out about my service?
Once I have everything I need, I will send you a link to the checkout and tell you when you can expect to receive the enhanced pictures and assessment. You can find a full list of my prices on the Prices & Checkout page
Notes on the Pictures:
The pictures above are not of a real person, I have actually blended faces together to create a new face that allows me to show a wide range of FFS procedures. Finding a real face is not easy, firstly, people are understandably cautious about having their faces on my website and secondly, it is very hard to find someone who is both willing to have their pictures featured and who also has just the right sort of face to serve as a good example of the most important procedures in FFS. So, I created a new face, then masculinised it where necessary to form the pictures you see on this page. On the “What you get page” you can see the feminised version of these pictures.