Glamour photography is a portrait genre of photography that is closely related to model photography, however, can be more inclined towards a combination of boudoir, model photography and art. Glamour photography is usually considered to be an elegant artistic and sensual extension of portrait photography and it can be created in-studio or outdoors.
Celebrating beauty through glamour photography
Glamour photography celebrates the beauty of the subject in a still-life alignment of elements within the creation; where the backdrop or setting (although can at times be a magnificent part of the composition) is only a prop that does not compete with the beauty of subject. Experienced portrait photographers will often explore glamour photography as a fine art artistic expression.
Clothing and makeup choices are paramount when creating glamour photography portraits and it is a clever idea to team-up with a local beauty and makeup artist. The artist will provide the skill and creativity to prepare the subject for the shoot. A price for services could be negotiated with the artist and the cost incorporated into the glamour photography session fee.
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Equipment
The camera should have a reasonable resolution as subject detail will likely be required. Prime lenses are best for sharpness and detail however zoom lenses provide a greater flexibility of composure choices when shooting.
Camera and lens choice is important; however, it is lighting choice and setup that will make or break a glamour photography portrait. On-camera flash is not recommended for most portrait photography shoots and more-so with glamour photography. As a photographic artist you want to be able to meld light and shadow gradients into your artistic vision and this is almost impossible with on-camera flash in glamour photography.
Lighting and composition
Natural or artificial light is an artistic and personal choice of the photographer in glamour photography. Whether the photographer is using either lighting method it is important to avoid harsh shadows on the model. Smooth gradients of light and shadows provide a sensual revelation of tones on the subject.
Glamour photography experience
Substantial posing and composition experience and training will be necessary to be able to create outstanding glamour photography work. A great way to achieve impressive results and to gain experience in glamour photography posing and composition is to hire an experienced model to practice with. Although there Is a large movement amongst amateur and semi-professional photographers and models the provide what is known as TFP or Time for Prints (see our model photography genre for more information on TFP shoots) where photos are provided to the model in exchange for their time, this is not recommended when seriously practicing glamour photography.
The business of glamour photography
To become a paid professional glamour photographer you will need to practice, practice, practice! Create a website portfolio of your sensual glamour work, and upload your greatest photographs and build a beautiful online portfolio on your social accounts such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Practice
Practicing for experience in glamour photography requires a semi-professional or professional model and as such, a payment to the model should take place rather than TFP, or both. Achieving good posing and composition experience is best gained by using a model that has good experience in this genre.
Retouching
Retouching is an important post-processing step but should not go too far as to result in an artificial plastic look to the model. Glamour photography is about beauty, elegance, sensuality and art so keeping within limits on retouching should reflect those elements.
