Glamour photography focuses the photograph on the model and not a specific product. These types of photos, usually involving female photography, are sensual and sexy. There are a number of elements that go into creating the best glamour photograph. For instance composition, lighting and background are essential. Here I will focus on the importance of background.

Choosing the right background can basically make or break your photo. In glamor photography, as with all photography, you should always be conscious of the background’s importance to your photo. You must remember that you want your eye to be drawn to the model and not the background. The primary goal is to keep the model as the center of interest in the picture. You don’t want the model to be washed out by the background or be lost into it.

Often photographers, especially in the field of female photography, will use the background to contrast and bring the best color to the model. This is often achieved by using various solid colors as a backdrop. These colors will vary depending on the lighting that is used and the clothes (or possibly the lack of clothes) the model is wearing. Using the solid colors has the effect of removing anything distracting so the sole focus is on the model.

Glamour photography doesn’t have to mean a solid background. A background with a little more personality can improve the photo and add to the overall effect. For instance, a pin-up model posing next to a nice car gives a different impression than one posing in front of a solid background. Both can be interesting and well taken photographs. But changing the background can help to bring out the personality of your subject. Fun backgrounds can bring out their humor, or sober ones their calmness and tranquility. It is up to the photographer to bring out these important traits in your subject.

When people think of intimate or boudoir photography they conjure up images of photographs with scantily clad women posing in bedrooms. While this is common and can make for a quality shot, boudoir photography by no means has to take place in the bedroom. This typical setting is rapidly moving to other locations such as outdoors, off-site locations or in an obvious studio setting. Boudoir models are moving out of the bedroom and shooting in locations with natural surroundings like your back or front yard, the beach, or even inside your home like the bathtub. The best way to find the perfect location and background is to experiment until you find the right combination of elements that will fit your photograph.

These other settings help to enhance the models personality and create a fun, sexy picture. It is important to choose the right background for the intended picture though. If you choose a background with a lot happening, it can overpower your photo. A too busy background or the wrong type of background can be distracting and you will lose your audience’s interest. It may also have the effect of confusing your audience. For example, you wouldn’t want a fitness model posing in front of a corporate office; it would be confusing and leave your audience wondering why you took this picture.

The background you choose should depend greatly on the type of photograph you are taking. Intimate photography needs a background that will enhance the models and show off their best features, whether it is solid or on location somewhere. You need to always be conscious of the background and should be able to visualize how it will look in the final photograph.

By: Tony Mandarich

glamour photography