Photography Business: Glamour Photography
Glamour photography is dominated by women. This kind of photography business is commercial and artistic at the same time, as it portrays the subjects in a sexually attractive or romantic postures. In blunt terms we could call glamour photography a form of softcore pornography, because the subjects are nude or semi-nude. Professional models, film stars or celebrities in the music industry regularly pose for glamour photography. The photos are used for men’s magazines, pinups, calendars and many of other publications.
The early forms of glamour photography appeared in France at the beginning of the 20th century. Street vendors sold postcards with pictures of scantily dressed women. Marlyn Monroe and Betty Grable are some of the most popular and best known models of glamour photography ever. The attractive financial perspective convinces lots of women to take this kind of modeling. And magazines now rely on glamour photography to actually sell their issues.
Besides Playboy and FHM, there are tabloids, health magazines, Maxim magazines and lots of others that depend on glamour photography. They show less nudity, while they emphasize glamour. Topless pictures for instance are made softer by the so-called handbra technique with the woman partly covering her breasts. The list of examples can continue, but it is pretty relevant for anyone reading the press once in a while that sex sells, and glamour photography shows that better than anything else.
There is something artistic in glamour photography and here we don’t refer only to the beauty of nudity, but to the special effects that are used to enhance it. Brushing and cosmetic conditioning are usually done on the photos prior to the publication, but the pictures’ quality is generally quite high. Plus, the tiny imperfections are also removed during the process. Makeup, clothes, hairstyle, a combination of light and shadows, all contribute to the success of glamour photography, and any professional photographer knows that.
This is why whole teams of experts prepare the shooting scene as well as the model. In this kind of photography business, the sessions is thus backed by makeup artists, hair stylists, designers and finally photographers. From the many photos shot per session, only a few are chosen for publication. Photo selection then becomes the next stage in the photography business plan before publication. And the editor has the final call when it comes to deciding for one material or another.