Predetermine what you want to have in focus. Focus ties in with sharpness and depth of field. Focus on one main aspect of Glamour, adult, fine art nude photography. Until you are totally confident to capture and produce magazine quality images. Click here: Composition
Take sharp images in camera and then refine the level and quality of the sharpness "clarity" by using digital editing software. There are loads of techniques, each with their own specific merits. To sharpen a glamour or fine art nude image. Click here: How to sharpen a Glamour / Nude image.
Controlling depth of field
Increase depth of field
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Narrow your aperture (larger f-number)
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Move farther from the subject
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Shorten focal length
Decrease depth of field
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Widen your aperture (smaller f-number)
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Move closer to the subject
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Lengthen your focal length
Click here: Depth of field
The two main types are soft and hard light. They are produced by four main sources of natural and artificial light. At various intensities and strength.
Ambient light: Basically the light around us, present in the scene.
Strobe:- stroboscopic lamp produces a flash of light using electricity.
Speedlites / Flashes:- Portable light source, powered by a battery pack.
Mixture of strobe and ambient or ambient and flash/Speedlite:- Combining the ambient with either a strobe or flash. Click here: Understanding light
Avoid awkward positions and posing levels. If you are unsure how to pose your model. Use a model posing guide card. Always go for a natural looking pose.
Click here: Model posing guide
These are the main rules Glamour photographers use.
1) Pattern & Texture
2) Leading lines
3) Rule of thirds The key is to get 10 out of the 15
4) Create depth in this checklist.
Study and use them all to create your own style.
Are your images lacking that wow factor. It maybe because you haven't followed a few simple rules to construct, arrange or introduce into your images, subject, background etc. There are loads. Learn the one's relevant to your type of photography.
Learn the "Rules of composition". Before you decide to break the rules.
Click here: Composition
First chose a model that has done or wants to do Adult & Glamour modelling work. Outline the level of photography required. Click here: Model levels.
How to recruit a model. Click here:- Recruit models
Why fill the frame.
Photographers use this compositional technique to add elements of drama to visual aspects of the image. It adds mood to an image, as in the "Fine Art nude" photography. When the photographer has only captured a section of the models body. By filling the frame you add more of a specific core element - and highlight the main important details. It helps to eliminate a distracting background. It always helps to previsualise before you actually pick up your camera. This is an excellent compositional rule for creating your own style. Perfect option if you do fine art photography.
Cropping refers to the removal of the outer parts of an image to improve framing, accentuate subject matter or change aspect ratio. Depending on the application, this may be performed on a physical photograph, artwork or film footage, or achieved digitally using image editing software.
The rule of thirds involves mentally dividing up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines, as shown above. You then position the important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet. The idea is that an off-centre composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame. It also encourages you to make creative use of negative space, the empty areas around your subject.
A less known and used rule. Is the Fibonacci "Golden rule". Click here: Fibonacci
Nude in perspective: Bill Brandt
Perspective, in context of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes, or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects.
The use of lighting to create interconnected differential tonal and contrast levels between the highlights and mid tones. To create two and three dimensional levels to display depth and form. Great for displaying muscle tones and body shapes.
Structure is the broad, underlying colours, shapes and contrasts between light and dark area's. Photographers use structure in photography by using contrast to bring attention to the photograph. Click here: Zone system
You need to be conscientious and proactive when photographing in a built up urban or rural area. Lower or raise your position to avoid capturing distracting elements. This could be a number of things. The smallest distraction in an image. Could stop you from selling your images to a magazine. If you are going for that urban grunge appearance to your images. Then make sure that the distracting element which is in the background. Is not only in one image.
The main rule would be to eliminate all distracting elements. What you might think as being quirky and unique. A picture editor won't. Read and study the magazine you want to submit your images too. Request a submission guideline from them. Perhaps phone and speak to the submissions team. You might find out that there are a lot more restrictions placed on you, than you initially thought. The key is to be constantly observant of your surroundings.
If you have ever heard the phrase "less is more". You will know exactly how to balance the tone, colour contrast and space within your image. This rule in balance and space is mainly used in "Fine art", "Commercial" and "Advertising photography". To draw the viewers main point of focus on to the subject / model. This rule ties in with the rule of thirds. As you need to balance and position the main subject / model correctly in the frame to achieve the correct result. It can sometimes be termed negative space. As your model maybe the only element in the frame. This compositional rule is great for adding depth and dimension to your image. It heightens the gravity and re-enforces depth of field. A very important point to remember. If you choose one rule, make sure it ties in with another compositional rule. Or else you with find the compositional rule elements will oppose one another.
Learn how to edit your own images. Attend workshops or do an editing course. Perhaps even hire a professional to edit your images for you. There are loads of free tutorials and online youtube videos. Which will take you through each step on how to edit your images. Not to mention the countless number of editing tutorial books available today. If you are unsure how to proceed with the editing of your images. Seek guidance and support. You don't want to edit a great image and transform it into an over edited image. In the editing of adult, Glamour, erotic and nude fine art images you should be consistent.
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