Guide to Glamour Photography

Many photographers do not find much difference between glamour and fashion photography. True they are similar in certain aspects, but glamour photography is more about photographing a female model with little or no clothing, while Fashion photography is all about the clothing! Glamour photography is not intended for endorsement purposes. During World War II, glamour photos were called pin-ups, and consisted of scantily clad movie stars. These were extremely popular among American soldiers.

It's believed the most important change came with the introduction of Playboy Magazine! This was the first magazine to focus on nude models and its target was the mainstream male consumer. Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy in December 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Nude photos of Marilyn (the reason I started in photography), were also printed on the inside, which enhanced her image as a sex symbol and helped to subdue the public protest. In recent years popular men's magazines have started a trend by focusing more on the "glamour" and less on nudity. Some of these magazines include Maxim, Stuff Online, and the UK's FHM.

Photographing female models has evolved over the years, and as a photographer you need to understand this evolution before you can ever become a professional glamour photographer!

As a glamour photographer, there are some key elements that you need to master and understand. First you must understand the sharpness of your models eyes is critical. As a beginner with auto-focus cameras, most promising glamour photographers tend to focus on the nose, chin, or shoulder. This lesson is to learn how to focus on your models eyes while shooting. Photographers may experience a problem when using auto-focus cameras. This type of camera will tend to focus on the center of the image by default. Always be careful with your settings, and be sure to understand just how your camera operates!