Clothing Marks.Along with tan lines, keep an eye open for red marks
or indentations caused by clothing (such as bra straps). If your model has
marks on her body caused by her undergarments or her outer clothes,
chances are she was not in a robe during hair and makeup. Make it a habit
to have your models disrobebeforehair and makeup and wear nothing but
a smooth robe during this styling, giving the clothing marks some time to
fade. Most professional studios have clean robes for this purpose. The
makeup artist’s chair should also have no pattern on the seat or back (like
a wicker chair or wood slats). The ideal makeup chair is a tall director’s
chair, a type of folding chair usually made of wood and cloth.The Bust.
As you study your subject’s body and move from the stomach to the ster-
num, try to keep the pose as flattering to the model’s bust area as possi-
ble. As always, make your observations in a dignified manner; do not stare.
Accenting Size and Shape.Straight-on shots will tend to flatten the
appearance of the breasts. Most subjects won’t be happy with your pho-
tos if you make their breasts appear smaller than they are—espe-
cially if the subject has augmented breasts. The easiest way to
ensure the breasts maintain their curves, or to enhance the shape
of smaller breasts, is to have the model turn her upper torso slightly
away from the camera. This will help to produce chiaroscuro
(shape-revealing shadows) across the breasts, accenting the cleav-
age area and defining the bottom of the breasts. (Note:If the model
is small-cupped, you can also have her wear a push-up bra, a shape-en-
hancing bra, or natural-looking bra inserts.)
There are two things to watch out for when doing this. First, if the
model’s bust is turned in the direction of the light, it can make the breast
closest to the camera appear too bright—especially if the subject has light-
colored clothes on. Second, if the model’s breasts are turned away from
the light source, you’ll get great defining highlights and shadows, but you
can wind up with a bright upper arm or shoulder if the model is wearing
something without sleeves.
Uneven Breasts.Just like some people have one hand that is slightly
larger than the other, many women have one breast that is larger than the
other. If you photograph a subject with this shape, turn the smaller breast
closer to the camera. This exploits the optics of the camera’s lens, which
tends to make closer objects appear larger. The result is a balanced ap-
pearance. (Note:The same technique can be used to create a more flat-
tering look when photographing subjects with unevenly sized eyes. More
on this in chapter 5.)Keep an eye open for
red marksor indentations
caused by clothing.
THETORSO,ARMS,ANDHANDS47