These glam photoshoot ideas will help professional photographers and beginners to take attention-grabbing photos for mass media, fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. Besides, they will come in handy for women who want to take flattering photos of themselves.
Glamour photography is a popular genre that describes a wide range of images, from stylized portrait photos of high-school students to erotic images printed in men’s magazines. What makes this genre difficult to master is that photographers shouldn’t overly sexualize their models when taking glamour photos, otherwise, they might get overly provocative photos without achieving the desired effect.
If you need to take a glamour portrait photo, there is nothing better than to use hands for framing the face. This is a classic portrait photography idea that can be implemented in different ways. For instance, a model may use one or two hands and assume a pose that will put her face in the center of the frame. Her fingers will emphasize the lines of her cheeks and cheekbones.
The model may also gently cup her face. Alternatively, you can ask her to keep her fingers straight to emphasize lines. Her arms will form angles that will help you structure your frame. To add some asymmetry, ask the model to slightly tilt her head. Pay attention to the shoulders as well since they should not be parallel.
Pro Tip: To achieve a better effect, ask your model to search for reference images on Pinterest before your scheduled photoshoot. It will help her feel more confident during the shooting. You can also use this advice to find new glamour photoshoot ideas for your photos.
If you want to give your photos a creative feel, use Dita-inspired glamorous photo shoot ideas to capture them in a retro style. You can find inspiration if you take a look at photos of the style icon Dita von Teese. To achieve a retro effect, ask your model to wear knee-length socks, heels, evening gloves, or a girdle.
To make your photos even more stylish, try using some retro props, such as a vintage suitcase or bike. Another solution involves taking a photo of a model wearing a girdle and posing in front of a retro car.
Ask your model to hold a beautiful flower. It will give her a feminine look. Keep in mind that most glam photos require advanced post-processing. If you don’t have time or lack professional skills, you can outsource this task to our photo editing service.
Glamour photo post-processing involves blemishes removal, makeup retouching, skin smoothing, and other services. For instance, you can ask our professional retouchers to remove blur, tweak the eye color, or make the teeth whiter.
Most photographers take photos while aiming their cameras straight ahead. Try using a more unique approach and take photos when aiming your camera up or down. Make sure to use a lens that allows you to capture pictures from these angles.
It will enable you to create unique compositions in the most unusual locations. To take photos when aiming your camera down, you will need to use a wide angle lens. If you don’t have it, find an elevated area where you can stand when taking photos.
If you are looking for good photography locations, balconies, windows on the first floor or elevated pathways will help you implement this glam photo shoot idea and take great pics.
Ask your model to lay on the ground or find a higher ground nearby where you could stand when taking bottom-up photos. Stand closer to your subject since it will help you take pictures from unusual angles.
What makes glamour portraits so different from official shots is the use of makeup and different hairstyles. If your client wants to get a photo with a vintage feel, they can experiment with their hair, clothes and makeup. In the meantime, you should think about lighting.
When taking glam photos, you need to use various light sources to emphasize the beauty of your model and hide imperfections. You can take photos with deep shadows or with a barely noticeable transition to the shadow. For instance, many Hollywood photographers in the 1950s used harsh light.
Pro Tip: Make sure to hire a trustworthy hair and makeup artist that will meet your client’s needs. If a model doesn’t like the way she looks in the mirror, it’s unlikely that she will like your photos.
In some cases, it’s important to experiment to get a unique shot. Try adding a prism, magnifying glass, color filters, or textured glass to the frame. When doing prism photography, make sure to select bright accessories for your model that will produce some glare.
Pro Tip: You can put a prism in front of your camera lens. Keep in mind that it should be smaller than your lens and fit into the palm of your hand so that you could quickly put it wherever you want.
Sepia photos have been popular among photographers for years. The main reason for this is the sepia filter that many digital cameras have. Thanks to the sepia palette, you can give your photos a retro look and artificially age them. You can achieve the sepia effect using photographic print toning or digital photography filters. It’s also easy to create it when processing your photos with the help of professional software, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.
Pro Tip: When using Lightroom, select the golden tint for highlights. Set its value to 47 and set its saturation to 52. To adjust shadows, set the tone value to 36 and the saturation value to 23. Using the Brush tool, you can emphasize textures and make your image look more detailed.
When shooting glam photos, it’s better to use a solid-color background. There is no need to use only backdrops of pastel colors. Feel free to experiment with bright colors as well as it will help you to give a dynamic feel to your photos.
Pro Tip: Set the background at 90 degrees. This angle will allow you to create an unusual lighting setup and lit your subject from one side. If half of your model’s face will remain unlit, it will create the Rembrandt lighting effect, also known as low-key portrait lighting. You can also find some glamour photoshoot ideas in the works of Steven Klein who often uses low-key lighting when taking photos.
When using a solid-color pastel background, make sure to add additional props that will help you give a unique feel to your photos. For instance, you can use a massive vintage armchair with unusual carvings. Ask your model to sit in the chair and look to the side while slightly lifting her chin. Thanks to it, she will look like a real queen.
Pro Tip: If you don’t know what to do with your hands, you can put one of them on the back of the chair. You can also hold something in your hands, such as a hat, book, scarf, or flowers. Alternatively, you can just touch your clothes.
When doing glamour photography, it’s important to think everything through and create a well-balanced composition with a nice color scheme. Besides, you can use interesting props. An old TV will become a perfect addition to your photo and help you to create a vintage feel. Remember that you need to think about what colors you are going to use.
For instance, in the photo above, the black-and-white TV is a perfect addition to the white tiled wall. Thanks to it, a model in a black bodysuit and a wide-brimmed hat looks beautiful and glamorous.
Another great glam photo shoot idea involves using pets. It will help you take a unique glamour photo and give it a dynamic feel. You can also ask the model to imitate walking. When the model takes the first step, you can capture this moment to take an eye-catching shot.
Another great solution would be to ask the model to sit on a chair with her pet. Then, you can take several shots in the fashion photography style.
Pro Tip: Ask your model to bring the favorite toys of her pet to the set. You can also try capturing the pet’s attention by calling it by its name or giving it treats to focus its attention on you.
Using flashy clothes, you can create an exclusive look. When practicing studio photography, you can select a unique background, such as crumpled tinfoil or glittering film, to make your photos more expressive.
Pro Tip: Pay attention to the lighting. For instance, you can use a DIY photo backdrop made of tinfoil since it is perfect for reflecting light. However, you need to be extremely careful with such materials and avoid pointing too many studio lights in the direction of the background. To capture a model against a tinfoil backdrop, use soft natural light.
Ask the model to extend one of her legs and put it on any object, be it a chair or a TV. If she wears heels, it will make her legs look longer and allow you to take a more exquisite shot. To emphasize this pose, ask the model to wear a sexy bodysuit or assume this pose while laying on the back. She could prop herself on her elbows and slightly curve her back while moving her breasts forward. It will help you capture a sexy pic.
Have you ever thought about taking a glamour photo in a goth style? It’s one of the easiest-to-implement glamour photoshoot ideas, if you have dark or flowy clothes, coats, props and accessories.
To create a goth look, you may need to hire a professional stylist and makeup artist who will emphasize the unique features of your model and hide imperfections. You can complement a goth makeup, hair, and outfit with shiny jewelry pieces.
Try using a monochrome color palette to create a simple and eye-catching concept for your fashion photoshoot and experiment with abstract shapes and colors. To learn more about this style of photography, take a look at the works of the famous American photographer Steven Meisel. His fashion photos look glamorous and delicate at the same time. The photos that he took for Vogue are considered to be one of the most iconic images in the fashion industry.
Rent a beautiful car with a leather interior, book a nice room in a good hotel, rent a white luxury yacht or just use a phone booth of bright color to implement this creative photo idea. If you are looking for a source of inspiration, you can always take a look at other photographers’ portfolios to find some ideas that you might use. Make sure to learn more about the works of such glamour photographers as Helmut Newton, George Hurrell, and Sam Shaw.
To take such photos, you need to pay attention to hair and makeup. You can take a great photo in the studio, outside or in the interior and use additional props. Many photographers also use the glam photoshoot ideas mentioned in the book by Joe Farace's «Glamour Photography», where the author shows how to take glamour photos in different lighting conditions using only the essential photography equipment.
A bright backdrop made of tinsel and an eye-catching payette dress will help you capture a stunning photo in a disco style. You can use this glam photo shoot idea to take photos of birthday and bachelorette parties as well as capture other events.
This is one of the most popular poses used by photographers. Ask the model to stand in a half turn and move one leg back so that her weight will be on the leg that is farther away from the photographer. Then, the model can hold her balance by raising her front leg on the tiptoe. Thanks to it, her legs will look longer and her body will look fit.
The model can also turn both knees in the direction of the camera and move them slightly aside. Ask her to curve her back and straighten their shoulders. It will help your model look good in a photo.
This simple pose will help you emphasize the feminine curves of a model. You can use it when working with a bright background. It will help you to capture a silhouette if you get closer to the ground. This pose is especially suitable for black-and-white photos.
The model should sit without spreading her legs and curve her back. Then, she needs to slightly lift her elbows. It will allow you to focus a viewer’s attention on the eyes of the model and give your photos a unique look.
If you need to take a photo of a sitting model, she needs to straighten her back or slightly curve it. The model should pay attention to her legs. It’s better to pull them up. Besides, the model should not point her knees towards the camera when taking this female pose. It’s better to turn her legs to the side or cross one leg over the other.
This classic model pose will help you convey a sense of confidence and show the inner strength of your model. To implement such glamour photoshoot ideas, make sure to give your model some tips on what she should do with her arms and legs. Otherwise, you might get a clumsy and unbalanced photo. You can also use the Posing Time app to select one of the 100 pose ideas for your future shots.
By using jewelry pieces and accessories, you can make your photos more unique. For instance, you can use an unusual angle to take an eye-catching portrait photo with a solid-color background. To give your model a glamorous look, you can use rings, tiaras, bracelets, and necklaces.
When it comes to glamour photoshooting, it’s important to use professional equipment to capture the beauty of your model. It’s better to use a professional camera for photography that supports high resolution and allows you to capture all the details in the frame. For instance, you can use the Canon 6D Mark II to get high-quality shots. It supports quick AF and data processing.
If you find it more convenient to use one camera lens, try taking photos with zoom lenses. The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L is suitable for different types of shootings, including for taking glamour photos in the studio or on the street. To take close-up portraits, take a look at the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM camera lens.
Make sure to use additional photography equipment if you want to take bright photos with perfectly saturated colors. In most cases, it’s not recommended to use camera flashes. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, you can use a ring flash to smoothen the skin texture, make the lighting more even and create catchlights in the eyes.
By using a tripod, you can create a well-balanced composition and avoid camera shake. To select the right tripod, look for models that can stabilize your camera properly. You can also use reflectors and extra light sources when it’s necessary.
To make your photo session successful, you need to select the right location. When making your choice, take into account the theme that you want to use, the purpose of your photoshooting and the style that you like.
You can select a simple location, such as a light and empty room, or take photos in the studio. If you are looking for a more creative solution, go to unusual locations, such as a warehouse or desolate industrial building.
Interior photo sessions require a serious approach. It won’t suffice just to use studio decorations. You can use a variety of locations. Remember that you can take photos in the bedroom without making your images look like the examples of boudoir photography. To avoid it, you just need to select the right wardrobe and pay attention to facial expressions.
If you choose the wrong colors, it can destroy the glamorous look. This is why you need to select colors that complement the color of the skin and eyes of a model. If they don’t look appealing or distract from the face of the model, you won’t be able to capture a good shot.
Pro Tip: Learn more about the importance of complementary colors in photography. Complementary colors are situated at the opposite parts of the color wheel. For instance, you can use blue and orange, red and green colors to create a nice contrast in the frame. You can use one of them as the background and another one to emphasize a specific part of your photo.
Don’t be afraid of using Photoshop, Lightroom or other photo editing software for editing your images. With them, you can retouch your photos to remove various defects or edit the background. However, make sure not to overdo it, otherwise, your photos might get an artificial look.
If you don’t have enough experience for high-end retouching or don’t want to spend a lot of time on post-processing, you can use these Lightroom presets or/and Photoshop actions to enhance your images.
Pro Tip: By using Photoshop during post-processing, you can edit the skin of your model, remove flyaway hair, fix the skin tone and colors. One of the most useful glam photoshoot ideas involves using the Spot Healing Brush and Smooth Skin tools when editing images in Photoshop. It will help you give the skin an immaculate look. You can also adjust tones and saturation in Photoshop to make the teeth of your model look whiter.
Use this collection of presets if you can’t order professional retouching services and need to tweak colors and adjust contrast in your photos. Learn how to add presets to Lightroom and start processing your images to give them a unique and stylish look.
