[sapedotru]

Rolando Gomez writes
[Everyone always asks me, how do I achieve that soft, look with sharp eyes on a model, or how do I achieve that “glow” in my images? It’s simple, I spend a $1.99 at Wal-Mart for a “Simply Basic, Ladies Nylon Scarf, (sku# 3917427298)” made by Paris Accessories, Inc. from New York
The black scarf is a tool, not magic. You have to practice to utilize its benefits in the long run. It is primarily used for glamour, nudes, or fashion involving the female, and its effect is designed to tone down the harshness of “hard,” artificial lighting, such as studio strobesWhy use a black scarf? First, it’s black—neutral density—doesn’t shift colors (increase exposure by 1/3 f/stop). Second, the cross-weave of the thread acts as a cross-screen filter. The thread itself acts as the diffuser. Last, it’s cheap and works
]The key to using the filter is to associate the effect of the filter with your aperture of the camera. F/8 has a total different effect than f/5.6. The wider the aperture, or smaller the number, the more diffused effect and the less the defined the stars coming from the cross-screen will be on specular highlights
]In addition, the light modifiers used on your light source, will affect the effect of the filter. The softer the light source modification, i.e. a soft box, the softer the image and slightly lower contrast. The harder the light, such as open flash or direct sun, the less soft the image will appear. Keep in mind, there is a difference between a “soft” image and a “diffused” image. While the filter acts as a diffuser, the light source and aperture determine the softness, or out-of-focus look the filter will produce. The higher the f/stop, the less effect the filter will produce
However, even with less effect, the plus of the black scarf is that it helps diffuse imperfections in skin complexions, stretch marks, pores that appear with hard light and smoothes out the hair for a more flowing look

Camera Position. Another decision you should make carefully is the angle of your camera in relation to the subject
Vertical Images. Turning the camera to create a vertical image can make a big difference in a glamour image. Verticals tend to be more psychologically powerful to the human mind because we are so accustomed to the horizontal view we see from the moment we are born. Consider the normal format of books and magazines; most are vertical--marketing at its finest. So don't let verticals intimidate you, but be sure to provide equal balance with horizontal images. You may someday need images for a horizontal calendar or to fill a page and allow room to drop in text above or below the image

]Camera Tilt. Sometimes, I shift my camera angle to be half vertical and half horizontal. I don't do this in all my images, of course. Used too often, this format shift can start to dictate a set style--a style that is more cliché than original

Camera Height. Unlike fashion models, glamour models do not have to meet a minimum height requirement. Thus, I find myself working with shorter models more than tall ones. As a result, I often shift my position lower to the ground and look up toward the model. This can add length and slenderness to my subject as a result of a natural shift in the lens perspective. If you photograph from a higher angle, you'll not only make your model look shorter, but she'll also look heavier--something I don't recommend
When determining the best camera height, you should keep some geometry in mind. Imagine your subject as a plane and keep yourself parallel to it. This will help prevent distortion of the subject's arms, legs, thighs, nose, forehead, etc. In this pursuit, selective camera position goes hand-in-hand with careful posing. When positioning your subject, you can prevent unattractive distortion by keeping the plane of the subject's body as narrow as possible--meaning that you should, where possible, keep all of the model's body parts at about the same distance from the camera.
]Let's consider a model who is posed laying on a bed with her arms and legs extended. In this position, the plane of her body can be wide. To avoid distortion, I'd climb a ladder and shoot down, putting myself in a position where the camera is as parallel as possible to the geometric plane the subject has created. By shifting my shooting axis, I have effectively reduced the width of the model's geometric plane and avoided distortion. (Note: When I shoot from above, I always look out for ceiling fans and make sure the ladder I'm standing on is either secured or held by an assistant. Because this type of pose often requires lights to be placed above the model, I also ensure that each unit is secured by sandbags or held by assistants; you don't want light stands and studio flash heads falling on your subject
There are a few additional things to consider before you put a model in this position. First, you need a subject with firm breasts or in a bra. Otherwise, the breasts will tend to move to the sides of the body and the subject will lose her natural shape. If this happens, have the model come up on her upper torso and rest on a pillow. Focus on the eyes when you take your photographs and you'll have her lower torso a little out of focus. Also keep your subject's knees down. A raised knee that is closer to the light source than the rest of the body tends to be quite bright. If this happens, the viewer of your finished print will look at the subject's knee first, not her facial beauty

Vary Your Perspective. Learn to get away from the same old standing position--move around, try low angles, shift to high angles, move your body around the model, walk around and look at the entire set and the subject, study how the light falls and changes when you change your shooting position

One of the biggest mistakes glamour photographers make is they tend to mark a subconscious "X" on the ground and stay planted in that spot. Sometimes this reflects the photographer's concern about the exposure changing as he moves around. Well, today we shoot digital. With the LCD screen at your disposal, exposure is easy to check--and besides, if your subject and light don't move, your exposure won't change. As your skills grow, you'll find that reacting to exposure changes will come naturally, and you won't need to check the LCD for every shot
Personally, I don't worry about the light output; my aperture setting will not change as long as my subject stays at the same distance from the lights as when we first metered the shot. When I change my position or camera angle, the distance from my subject to the light source doesn't change. Because I rarely shoot with on-camera flash, this is not an issue. On the rare occasions when I use on-camera flash, it's TTL, so the camera adjusts the exposure as needed

Lighting is one of the most important and creative elements of any photograph. Whether shooting sports photography or glamour photography, without light, there is nothing--correct exposure of an image is based on reflected light. Great photographers know this, and they know how to "feel the light" in their scenes before shooting a single image. Light should be studied carefully. It's good to learn the four basic types of lighting, but mastering lighting comes from hands-on experience, learning from the masters, studying others techniques, and always being aware of the light in your scenes.
Experienced photographers "feel" shadows interacting with highlights in their scenes. Leonardo da Vinci, a famous painter, invented a technique known as "sfumato," which causes the "interaction of shadows with light to blend." The phrase, "expose for the shadows, print for the highlights" didn't originate without a reason--it relies on "blended" light like sfumato
Photographers should look for the blending and feathering of light, in relation to the exposure ability of their film or digital mediums. In addition, photographers should remember good lighting techniques for their subjects. Flat lighting should be used for thin faced, poor complexioned models while more directional lighting should be used for rounded, wider faces and better complexions

Always consider the source of light in a scene. Is it natural, soft, diffused light, or is it hard artificial light? Try to turn every source of light into the more flattering diffused light effect for glamour photography. Don't believe the myth that softer, diffused light is flat--its only flat without sfumato.

]Studio lights are no different, they come equipped with modeling lights to help guide the photographer to see light and shadows interacting when working with artificial light. Even the least expensive sets of studio lights have built in modeling lights--a photographer needs to use them to their advantage. Modeling lights are not meant to judge for a "correctly" exposed image, they are meant to show sfumato and to help achieve a "proper" exposure
A 16-inch soft box on a studio flash head will produce flattering, diffused light that is not flat, while providing directional control in achieving the "butterfly," soft-shadow under a models's nose for depth. Photography is 2-dimensional and the proper use of light can make it appear 3-dimensional, the way we naturally see things. The larger the softbox, and the closer it's placed to your subject, the softer the lights and shadows, and more blending of the darks with the lights, especially when using another artist's technique, Chiaroscuro

A 48-inch or 36-inch soft box on a flash head will give the same effect when placing distance between the light source and the subject while using fill cards and black go-betweens (GOBO's) . These same GOBO's, can also act as "flag" panel to create graduation of light on a background. Photographers can adjust this graduation by either moving their GOBO close to the background for a more abrupt look, or father away for a blended look

If a photographer wants to have more control, they can spend the extra bucks and buy louvers for their soft boxes. This gives a photographer greater control of a light source, and allows a photographer to turn hard, artificial light into a soft, diffused, directional light source

Taking control of the scene and feeling the light in glamour photography is easily achieved by taking time to look for or create sfumato. Glamour photography is not the same as shooting sports. Take time to feel the light, make it work for the scene and subject. Use sfumato. Great glamour photographers will naturally have sfumato in their photographsseparating them from those that take pictures

]More to come if need be

[VFOVkZBj]

bump .

[makemoneyonli]

You should provide a link if you did not write this yourself.

[Sillaycheg]

Can you say "copy and paste"?

Still, half of that is fairly useful to know while the other half is contrived fancy pants art words that no real artist would use or think about unless being interviewed by a posh magazine or something.

[D6Ri5u13]

lol if it helps improve your shooting, GREAT

[Ephedrine]

You want a sticky get some GUM [rofl]