subject is tall, leggy, and slender, you can shoot from a higher angle, which
will normally balance the subject out for a more appealing look.
Sometimes I’ll use a ladder to get a better camera position. When a
model is laying on a bed or couch, the ladder gives me the ability to shoot
from above the subject while keeping the lens as parallel as possible to the
subject to minimize any potential lens distortion. (Just watch out for ceil-
ing fans!) I’ll then have the model bend her legs and place them slightly
apart to create interesting lines (see chapter 7 for more on this). This ele-
vated angle normally adds a very minimal amount of weight to the subject,
Here’s an image from my editorial erot-
ica series where I posed the model,
Raven, indoors. Her leg placement,
wrapped around the firebox, is crucial to
creating this mood. The deep shadowing
of the lighting adds to this effect in the
image. (Camera:Canon 5D;Lens:Canon
85mm f/1.2L, USM lens, effective focal
length 85mm;ISO:250;Shutter speed:(^1) / 80 second;Aperture:f/1.2;Lighting:
Modeling lamp [3200K[ from a Hensel
Integra Pro Plus 500 monolight fitted
with a 7-inch reflector and a 20-degree
grid (flash was not triggered);White bal-
ance:3900K)
40POSINGTECHNIQUESFORGLAMOURPHOTOGRAPHY