e-mail or fax these sketches to you
in advance of the shoot, so you can
study them to ensure you’ll have
the lighting and props you’ll need.
When working with art direc-
tors you normally encounter two
types: those who only interject
when needed, so as not to interrupt
the flow of the shoot, and those
who can’t stop interjecting and
want to take full control. When you
encounter the latter type of direc-
tor, just be courteous (you may
even instruct your makeup artist to
distract them with quiet conversa-
tion off the set). Sometimes you
may even need to take a break and
candidly let the art director know
that, while you appreciate their
feedback during the shoot, the fre-
quent interruptions are affecting
the flow of the shoot. It’s impor-
tant that the model doesn’t feel
she’s the problem or that she is
being talked about, as this can im-
pact her confidence. If you need to
have a conversation like this with
the art director, it’s a good time to
have the makeup artist touch up
the model’s makeup in an area away from your discussion.The Bottom Line.
In summary, the process of building rapport is an ongoing one; it never
stops—that is, unlessyoustop it by saying the wrong thing, or saying
something at the wrong time, or in the wrong place. Do not underesti-
mate the value of rapport in the success of your photography sessions—es-
pecially for glamour portraiture. In addition to ensuring better results in
your images, establishing a good rapport will allow you to develop many
long-lasting and professional friendships with your subjects, while bring-
ing out their inner beauty. Rapport is a necessary ingredient in the recipe
of great glamour photography.Study Photojournalism Techniques
Today, both fashion and glamour photographers are employing more pho-
tojournalistic styles, producing images that stand strong and often make
statements. I’ve been fortunate enough to have almost thirty years of pho-
tojournalism experience that often kicks in when I’m photographing glam-
our models. If you don’t have this type of training, I recommend that you
study photojournalistic images by looking through news magazines and
observing what you see printed in your local paper.
A great book I highly recommend, old but still available, isThePicture:
AnAssociatedPressGuidetoGoodNewsPhotography(Associated Press,
1989). It’s thin, concise, and lays it out like a dictionary. This book covers
terms used to describe photojournalistic styles of photography, which are
becoming more popular in photography today, and also helps give you
ideas for your poses and styling of the set.
A term that most photographers without photojournalism training do not
know isjuxtaposition.In juxtaposition, a photojournalist tries to add a sec-
ond element in the frame to help tell the story—or sometimes just to add
something funny or even serious. In glamour photography, this can be ap-
plied by keeping the main focus on the actual glamour subject, but adding
another model, sign, or element to enhance the story. Normally, this ele-
ment will be out of focus to prevent distraction.
Still another term used in photojournalism is thepicturestory. While
every image tells a picture story, sometimes a series of glamour photos
can tell a story too. Normally, I approach all my shoots like a picture story
and previsualize various poses and scenarios to accomplish that feat. This
often includes a headshot, three-quarter shot, bust-up shot, and some type
of shot emphasizing more of the back of the model.
Photojournalists are trained to get the shot in any situation—to keep
their eyes open and constantly be looking for ways to tell stories through
images. In glamour photography (and many other genres), these skills are
also invaluable and well worth fostering.FACING PAGE—Playboy model Ashly poses
in an World War II tunnel in the Virgin Is-
lands near an old submarine base. I
placed an assistant in the background to
add some suspense to the image. Notice
that the pose of the assistant is also cru-
cial—almost like he is ready to “draw” a
gun. The effect at work here is juxtapo-
sition. (Camera:Canon 5D;Lens:Canon
70-200mm f/2.8L IS, USM lens, effective
focal length at 85mm;ISO:100;Shutter
speed:^1 / 160 second;Aperture:f/2.8;
Lighting:natural;White balance:6000K)
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