work with her to correct or conceal some of these deficiencies—especially
through posing, clothing and corrective lighting.
Lack of Muscle Tone.If the model’s body is not toned, I’ll have her
wear long sleeves or pants. A dark color is also flattering if she’s a bit heavy.
I’ll also use poses that extend her body, not ones that make her slouch, and
we’ll keep her body turned at a slight angle to the camera, not a complete
profile and not directly into the camera. I’ll probably avoid laying-down
poses, and if I have her sit, I’ll have her face the chair back or lean back.
Larger Noses.If the model’s nose is large, I’ll avoid profile shots and
keep her more evenly lit across the face. It’s also more flattering if you
pose the nose into the main light directly. Basically, you want to avoid
poses where the nose is turned so that it casts a shadow on the face; this
will only accentuate its size.
Disproportionate Height and Weight.For heavy subjects, avoid
lenses shorter than 85mm—especially a 50mm lens, which tend to add
roundness to the subject. My favorite by far in this situation are (for 35mm
cameras) the Canon 85mm f/1.2 and the Nikon 105mm. You
should also shoot from a low camera angle and up to thin them
out while making them look taller (again, using lens perspective to
your advantage). When posing have the model extend her body
and avoid slouching poses. An ideal pose can be created by having
the model lie down on the bed facing the camera with her upper
body propped up on her elbows. Then, have her body turned at a
more dramatic angle, so that when you shoot a horizontal of this pose her
feet go toward the upper corner of the frame and her arms are at the op-
posite lower end of the frame. This forms a nice diagonal line in the frame.
Visible Hair Roots or Extensions.Watch out for models with clip-
in or poor hair extensions. One way to avoid showing where the hair is
clipped, glued, or seamed together is to keep the model’s head posing for-
ward. Also, don’t let her run her hands through her hair during the shoot.
If the model’s roots are off color, you have a choice: either reschedule
the shoot after she’s had them colored or hope you’re good enough in
Adobe Photoshop to make any needed corrections. When you have no
choice but to shoot, keep the model’s head tilted a bit higher or shoot
from a lower position. You can also minimize the lighting on the hair.
Poorly Groomed Nails.Dedicated models always sport great nails
and toenails along with clean-shaven, silky-smooth legs. When a subject
shows up with ragged fingernails or bad-looking toenails, you have two
choices: send them home for a manicure and pedicure and reschedule the
shoot, or have them wear closed-toe shoes while minimizing the appear-
ance of their hands in the images, which limits your poses. Another option,Watch outfor models
with clip-in or poor
hair extensions.WHATTOLOOKFOR,WHATTOAVOID119