Glamour & Nude photography - all the tips

[Claire]

I'm stealing this idea from Condyk's thread in the Urban Forum.

Ok, here is the aspiration:
There are many who want to try out glamour and nude photography. Some want to shoot glamour like Charles U, others may want Fine Art Nudes in style with Lorek's images, another person may want to shoot more erotic and experimental things. Many probably just want to try getting a decent sensual shot of our loved one.

Here's the process:

If you're a glamour/nude type shooter, all the time or just now and again, then drop in a tip or a load of tips here. No discussions about 'what is glamour, porn, fine art etc" - please take that somewhere else. The focus in this thread should be on delivering tips of any kind, may it be lighting, posing, clothes, makeup, how to make your model feel comfortable, post-processing etc, to how to get the best results with limited equipment.

/Claire

[Claire]

Here's a thread I started a while back:

A few suggestions from me regarding getting your wife/girlfriend to pose.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=139829

[weka2000]

Found this yesterday if you are looking for backdrops

http://www.backdropoutlet.com/

[JacobPhoto]

- make sure the location you are shooting is warm, but not too hot. too cold and your model will have goosebumps that you will spend HOURS touching out of the photo afterwards. Too hot and her hair will start to get 'knappy' and sticky, as well as make her sweat.

- make the model feel as comfortable as possible. This means as few assistants as you can handle, have her bring a friend if it helps her (but not a bf, as they are often overprotective), possibly put some music on, have some food / munchies around as well as plenty of water, etc. Also talk to her throughout the shoot. Tell her when she arrives what the timeline / game plan is, and walk her through everything. Make small talk when necessary. Remove any sexual innuendos from your mind while you are shooting - stay professional! If she's comfortable and having a good time, it will show in her photos.

[shavri]

Awesome tips JacobPhoto. Temperature is unbelievably important. I carry a small portable heater/fan with me to shoots when not working in the studio. Amazing what a difference having it available makes.

Also when you mention staying professional, very true, but be careful to make the model feel like a person. One thing I hear from models frequently is that the last photographer they worked with just "ordered them around from pose to pose" probably because that person was trying to stay "professional".

Give them a break when you are swapping memory cards. Let them stretch if they need it. Plan the shoot so that they get a decent period of time between changes if you are going to be shooting for a few hours. Yes, you might be paying them by the hour, but you may not get your moneys worth if you don't allow the model these breaks as she will look tired and run down in your images.

[Claire]

Originally Posted by JacobPhoto

- make sure the location you are shooting is warm, but not too hot. too cold and your model will have goosebumps that you will spend HOURS touching out of the photo afterwards. Too hot and her hair will start to get 'knappy' and sticky, as well as make her sweat.

I've heard models should not wear tight underwear for a couple of hours befor a shoot. Otherwise the bra strap marks are shown etc. Just what I've read somewhere.

Ok, this is a personal issue for me, but if you have a model who's tanned, perhaps ask her to tan all over? If there are tan lines on the body I get very distracted when looking at the photo. I just see these white marks where the bikini was...

[shavri]

hehe, from a female perspective the tan lines distract. But for some reason all the guys I ask say they love them.

Yeah, most models I work with seem to know not to wear anything tight or restrictive prior to the shoot, but it wouldn't hurt to mention it to someone that doesn't model a lot. Also, might ask them to "refresh" their usual shaving/waxing a couple days before the shoot. Nothing glamourous about spending hours using the healing brush on razor stubble or razor burn on underarms, bikini, or legs.

As far as clothes, shoes ect. I find that those little cell phone cameras are incredibly efficient. Every model I have worked with tries to describe an outfit they think I might want to work with. It never works. Now they take a digital snapshot of it on their cell phones and I can say yes bring it, or don't bother

[Claire]

Shavri,
Great idea about the cell cameras!

I think that we should just post whatever tips and advice we have in this thread. Many are not used to taking nudes or glamour photos, so some things that may seem obvious for experience shooters may not be for a novice.

[condyk]

Hey, I know nothing BUT ... there is a TV show on one of the channels here in the UK called 'Celebrity Snappers' or something cheezy and it is actually invaluable to watch how real world top photographers handle themselves in a studio and work with models.

So, the tip is either try and see a good photog working and learn and/or watch that TV show. The best are so obviously maestro's in combining technique, creativity and interpersonal skills.

[Claire]

I recently saw a UK (?) magazine fully dedicated to nude photography. Think it's called "New Nude" or similar. May be good for inspiration.

Looking in mags & on websites can be good inspiration in terms of poses etc.

[Claire]

Some links that may give good inspiration. Found on Google.

http://www.photographysites.com/html...tography.shtml

I'd also like to mention a photography friend of mine - Christer Roswell - who specialises in Fine Art nudes and erotica. His website is: www.christerart.com

[weka2000]

Websites for ideas. These are others gallerys

Links for ideas (can contain nudity- not work safe)

Im always looking for ideas and poses. How people use light. (more links to follow.

http://www.pbase.com/digineil/root
http://www.pbase.com/paul/root
http://www.pbase.com/kevgre/models
http://www.pbase.com/esm93

http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4496967
http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4491541
http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4491809
http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4487660
http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4492253
http://photo.net/photodb/member-phot...oto_id=4487769

[charlesu]

Work with models who have great expression

[Doug Rowan]

This was given to me by a Professional Make-Up Artist to post on my (former) site. It works equally well for film or digital. I ususally forward this to any model prior to working with her. I also tell her not to wear ANY makeup on her way to a shoot (younger models tend to use glitter eye makeup and I hate to tell them to redo it once they show up):

Makeup for Black and White Film

Dark tones appear to recede:

Used darker colors to accent bone structure, where natural shadows occur, such as the hollows of cheeks, temples, eye sockets. Do not use color on apples or planes of cheeks. Use only under the cheekbone, and blend well. Do not use color on eyelids or brow bones. Use only in crease of eyes, and around lash line. Blend well.

Light tones appear to come forward:
Use highlight to accent where the light hits, like tops of cheeks, bridge of nose, brow bone (under row arch), center of forehead. Use a light toned concealer under eyes only on inside corners, and blend well. Using under entire under eye makes the face appear wider at the eye area, and lowers the cheekbones.

Beware of harsh lines:
Blending is especially important in black and white. Remember that you will see only tonal values, not colors. Liquid and pencil liners are too harsh. Use dark shadows instead. Do not use lip liners unless your lips are very unbalanced.

Beware of textures:
Textures are more visible in black and white, since there is no color to distract the eye. Iridescent powders must be blended carefully, and used sparingly. The same applies for glosses and wet-look makeup. Keep lips matte, or highlight only the bow and center of lips.

Tonal values:
Use colors that are easy to judge how light or dark they will appear in black and white. Charcoals and browns are good choices for eyes, true reds for lips. Apply little to no tint to brows, as they will appear heavier, and draw the eye area down.
Match foundation to upper chest area, so face is not visibly lighter than rest of skin. Blend from face to neck, wetting sponge with water as you blend from jaw line to chest.


Principles of Makeup for Color Film

Studio lights and strobes:

Studio lighting flattens features, so contouring is very important. Accent bone structure, and blend into color. Flashes and strobes cause powdered skin to reflect light. Un-powdered skin absorbs light, which can cause powdered areas to look several shades lighter than bare skin. Powder neck, collarbone, and chest to achieve consistent skin tone. Strong lighting washes golden tones from skin. Use warmer colors on cheeks and lips and for contouring. Mauves tend to look muddy, so use truer pinks and wines.

Color balance:

To achieve uniform skin tone, use the color wheel to balance tones you want to appear neutral. The opposite shade on the color wheel cancels the shade you wish to eliminate.

1: Green: cancels red tones from broken capillaries, pimples, bites
2: Yellow: cancels purple tones from under eye circles, bruises
3: Orange: cancels blue tones in under eye circles, bruises

Setting:

Use makeup appropriate for the content you are shooting. Keep in mind what the focus will be, and how far you will be from the camera. Contour a little more heavily for full-length shots than for headshots. This is only a guide, but may help to get a greater variety of looks into your book. Feel free to experiment!

1: Fashion: deep cheek contour, basic lips and eyes.
2: Glamour, Swimwear, Lingerie: light cheek contour, accent lips (deep color) or eyes (smokey)
3: Beauty, Hairstyle, Swimwear: medium cheek contour, trendy eyes, medium lips.
4: Fine art: Neutral colors, accent on bone structure.
5: Lifestyle, Fitness: High color cheeks, neutral eyes, bright lips


Model Makeup Bag Basics

Foundations:

Liquid or crème; matching chest
Creme or stick; 2 shades darker than chest

Concealors:

White
Yellow
Green

Powders:

Translucent loose
Highlighting (Revlon skinlights are good)
Pressed, matching chest


Tools:

Lash curler
Lash comb
Large, soft powder brush
Wedge shaped sponges (for blending)
Circle or teardrop sponges (for foundation and powder)
Large eye shadow brush
Flat and pointy eye shadow sponge applicators
Small, slightly stiff blush brush
Eyeliner brush

Pencils:

Black liner
Basic brown liner (no golden tone)
White liner
Brownish flesh tone lip liner

Shadows:

Ecru (slightly yellow toned) powder
Golden brown powder
Basic brown powder
Charcoal powder
Raisin powder
1 set of fashion colors (no mauves!)


Blushes:

Golden brown (for contouring)
Peach-toned pink
True red
Hot pink
ABSOLUTELY NO MAUVES!

Lips:

Basic true red
Brown (not beige) neutral
Wine or raisin
Neutral (not bubble gum!) pink gloss
Bronze gloss


Extras:

Black mascara
Water mist bottle
Q-tips
Anti-redness eye drops
Lotion
Large powder puff
Razor
Tweezers
Cornstarch-based powder
As many lipsticks as you can carry!


With these colors and tools, you can create many different looks by playing with combinations and color placement and shapes for variety.
_________________
Gayle Elizabeth
http://www.gayle-e.com

[ImagineTNT]

Wow, great info. Thanks Gayle and Doug! I'm sure everyone else wants to know this too so I'll ask: Would both of you give us permission to reuse that on our own sites (giving credit to the author)?