Photofocus

Copyright Joe Farace

Guest Post & Photo by Joe Farace – Follow Joe on Twitter

Many photographers are intrigued at the prospect of creating glamour photographs but may feel that a lack of “proper” equipment makes this goal unattainable. Nothing is farther from the truth. My No Frills approach to glamour photography doesn’t require a studio and, as Wilford Brimley might have said, “You don’t even need any fancy studio lighting equipment.” All that’s really necessary to produce professional quality glamour images is a camera with interchangeable lenses, a few simple photographic accessories, such as reflector and speedlight, and models that are willing to pose for you.

Here’s a few simple tips that will help make your first glamour photographs a little bit better.

1. Avoid flashy jewelry. Make your model’s face, especially her eyes, the focus of the photograph.
2. Have her wear solid colors. Nothing detracts more than clothes covered with busy patterns and prints.
3. Clothing fit. If a model’s clothes don’t fit, use wooden clothespins (out of camera range) to snug them up. And this happens more than you might think.
4. Hairstyles. Ask the model to style their hair differently for each change of clothing to add variety to the session and the photos that she can have in her portfolio.
5. Expression. Some models look great with a smile, others look better without one. Shoot a few test shots each way and make a determination what looks best for her. It will be obvious, right there on your camera’s LCD screen.
6. Make-up. When changing hairstyles or outfits, ask the model to changes her makeup style and color too. It doesn’t have to be drastic, maybe a different lipstick color or darker eye shadow. Red lipstick rocks. Ask her to try it.
7. Footwear. For a more a statuesque posture, ask the model to wear her highest heels. No high heels? Ask her to stand on her toes for s few shots.
8. Relax. A glamour shoot is a team effort. Model and photographer must work together to achieve the best possible images.

Joe is the author of a new book called Joe Farace’s Glamour Photography: The Digital Photographer’s Guide to Getting Great Results with Minimal Equipment

___
This post sponsored by X-Rite Color and the ColorChecker Passport