Anyone using social networking websites would agree with me on this: glamour photography is as trendy as it was in the days of old-fashioned pinup models. It seems that everyone wants to have a glamour photo in their personal portfolio or just on a Facebook profile. If you aren’t able to shoot a glamour photo, what kind of photographer are you? Just kidding! However, it’s true that this field of photography is used for advertising campaigns and being good at it can be beneficial to your career. Since the key to the well-done glamour photo is not just a pose and a lightning, we’ll try to help you with this old but new photographic style.
Before you start thinking about locations and lightning, you should focus on teaching your model how to pose. If you are working with professional models, there’s nothing to worry about, but most of the time you’ll be dealing with amateurs. Needless to say, they usually don’t know even the basic poses. So, you have to know what you want to achieve and you need to interact with your model. Provide them useful guidance and feedback during the shot and the outcome will be satisfying.
When it comes to lightning, it certainly plays a huge role in any field of photography. If you set the wrong type of lightning, you will be very likely to ruin everything. But, don’t go for a basic and soft lightning, because sometimes it can take away the emotion. Our piece of advice is to plan in advance: what you want to achieve and what exactly you would like to capture. Think about your goal and the final image you wish to acquire. Be playful with lightning types, be brave, but always keep in mind those basic lightning rules any photographer should follow.
No matter how skilled as a photographer you are, if you don’t choose the right location, your results won’t be that good. Think about your model and theme and choose the location depending on that. Classic pinup environment will add a different visual appeal compared to an industrial grungy area. Also, when deciding on location, think about the lightning and light sources. Is it necessary to bring your own lightning when shooting at certain place? Everything counts!
So, you have a model, location and lightning. Is that all? Almost, but there’s at least one thing you should pay attention to: the right outfit & makeup. Makeup artists could help you about the latter. No, not “could”, but “should”! It’s glamour photography, so your model must look glamorously! When it comes to outfit, it should suit your model, match the theme and the location.
Last, but not the least, learn how to use photo-editing software such as Photoshop. It’s inevitable in any field of photography nowadays, but when it comes to glamour photography, it’s almost essential!