A Perfect Pose, A Perfect Shot
No matter how beautiful the model and how good the photographer, a
perfect glamour photo can never be achieved without proper positioning
or posing. A model's pose, the angle with which the photographer takes
the photo, as well as the lighting can actually make or break the shot.
Everyone has flaws, and no model is perfect. Everyone is dealing with
physical issues such as a big nose, multiple chins, facial blemishes,
and so on. And these imperfections can either be magnified or concealed
by the type of lighting used, the color of the background, and, most
importantly, the angle the picture is taken.
Here are some tried-and-tested tips that are meant to de-emphasize
models' flaws and enhance their good features to achieve a glamour
portrait that is worth a thousand words.
For Round Face
A round or plump face can be made to look shapelier and narrower by
avoiding taking a pure frontal headshot and instead letting the model
pose 3/4 to the camera. Position the face so that the main light
illuminates the side of the face turned away from the camera.
For Thin Face
To make a thin, narrow face appear wider, let the model face the
camera and to the direction of the main light.
For Big Nose
Some amateurs make the mistake of trying to hide a big nose by taking
a shot at an angle. The don't realize they are just expanding the
problem area because the size will just be exaggerated by the shadow. To
make a large nose appear smaller and narrower, let the model pose with
the nose straight to the lens and the chin raised slightly. And if
shooting with a 3/4 portrait, make sure that the nose does not cut
through the far check.
For Small Nose
To add depth, a model with a small nose may pose at an angle to the
camera, with the main light source illuminating the entire one side of
the face.
For Big Ears
Usually, covering the ears with ears will do the trick. However, make
sure that the hair light is turned off so as not to draw attention to
the ears. A 2/3 of 3/4 face shot with narrow lighting will result in a
perfect shot as the ears are not silhouetted against the background.
For Different-Sized Ears
Maintain the narrow lighting and a 3/4 shot, but let the model pose
so that the smaller ear is toward the camera while the larger one is
concealed in the shadow.
For Different-Sized Eyes
The largest eye should be positioned closest to the camera while the
smaller one is in the shadow. However, if a dramatic evening effect is
desired, the largest eye may be positioned away from the cam.
For Double Chin
It is actually very simple to vanish multiple chins in a portrait.
Just let the model stretch the neck by leaning the head toward the
camera. A full frontal shot is also ideal, though a bit of angle will
also do. Do not put the light above the head as it will accentuate or
create another layer of chin.
For Wrinkles and Deep Facial Lines
Creating deep shadows to emphasize the lines will usually make a
portrait more real and dramatic. However, that is only for artistic
purposes. For glamour photography, we want to hide as much wrinkles and
lines as possible and make the skin look smooth and flawless. To achieve
this, use softer, frontal lighting.
For Blemishes and Scars
An ugly pimple mark makes a glamour portrait unglamorous; hence, a
well-applied makeup and a lot of shadowing to conceal problem areas will
remedy the situation. Experiment on lighting and reposition the model to
hide the problem areas.
Human imperfections will present challenges to the glamour
photographer. But with a lot of experimentation and practice, coupled
with the right techniques, the best glamour shot can be achieved. |
