When I mentioned I couldn’t come up with a new theme for Tuesdays, my wife suggested “Tricky Tuesday” as a way to share some of the tricks, tips and techniques that I’ve used over the years when shooting glamour images in the studio. This Tuesday’s post features the always amazing Pam Simpson.
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” — Alfred Stieglitz
Glamour photography has its roots in the pin-up or cheesecake photography of the 1940’s and ’50’s but over time has evolved into a more natural style influenced, in my opinion, by generations of talented Playboy photographers. The current iteration of the genre seems primarily intended for the private enjoyment of the subject and their significant other as well as a creative outlet for both professional and amateur photographers. Glamour photography seems distinct from boudoir photography in that it is usually more explicit and produces images that not always intended to be seen by a wide audience but remain under the control of the photographer but especially the subject.
What Makes Real Glamour?
I think, and this is most assuredly just my opinion, that any successful glamour photograph should include, at least, some of the following elements:
- Sexiness. Glamour photography focuses on a subject with a strong emphasis on sensuality but today’s trend is toward a more natural look and even a vulnerable look, such as my model, Pam Simpson, is giving me in today’s featured image.
- Technique: Using make-up along with camera and lighting techniques to produce an appealing and sometimes romanticized vision of the subject. While some photographers prefer gritty, urban realism in their glamour images, you can put me in the former group.
- Sharp focus? Some photographers such as the late Peter Gowland preferred crisply rendered images while others like to add touch of softness along with the use of filters, lenses and retouching the portrait. How much and how often these techniques are used is up to the photographer because ultimately it all comes down to the…
- Having rapport with your subject creates the uniquely collaborative effort that’s required in glamour photography. Your subject must be comfortable being photographed wearing less clothes than normal and it’s the photographer’s job to make sure they’re relaxed because it will make the session go smoothly and let you both create the best possible images.
How I made this portrait: I photographed the versatile Pam Simpson in my home studio using an Olympus E-M10 Mark I mirrorless camera. The lens used was the wonderfully practical Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8. Lighting was from a single Purple Haze Paul C Buff AlienBee 800 monolight. (That particular color is no longer available but the Alien Bees are available in lots of other colors.) The monolight was fitted with an 18-inch OMNI Reflector with a diffusion sock in place. Exposure was 1/125 sec at f/4.5 and ISO 200. The original JPEG image was retouched and processed in Color Efex. For more on my approach to glamour photography, please see my post, Boudoir & Glamour Photography with Entry Level SLRs.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to treat me to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), please click here. And if you do, thanks so much.
My book Joe Farace’s Glamour Photography is full of tips, tools and techniques for glamour and boudoir photography and includes information on all of the cameras used as well as the complete exposure data for each image. New books are available from Amazon for $20.02 with used books starting around ten bucks.as I write this. The Kindle version is $19.99 for those preferring a digital format.