A lot of the world’s greatest pieces of art have depicted females; Whistler’s Mother, the Venus De Milo and the Mona Lisa.  The same is true for photography, females are a very poplar subject with or without their clothes on.

When you are first starting out with this complex subject, use anyone you can find, friends, cousins, sister, daughter or even your grandma.  All of them might not  be open to bare all for photos, but fortunately a woman is such a complex subject and there are many other beautiful facets to concentrate on.

T o ensure great results make sure your models are willing to pose and know you will be photographing them.  You also have to make sure you explain to them that it might take an hour or so as you need time to be creative and learn and snapshots just won’t cut it.

Find a good location where you have some privacy but also where your subject and yourself will comfortable and safe.  This could be a photographic studio or near some foliage, or on the beach, just about anywhere really.  Lighting in studio is easier to control but you will be severely limited in your backgrounds which means your posing will have to be more eye catching and powerful.

Lighting should be soft light and preferably come more from the one side which will help to bring out much needed details in the face.  When light comes straight from the front it usually makes your subject look flat and lifeless.

Try using a longer lens and standing back rather being ‘in your subject’s face’ the whole time which might make them nervous and uncomfortable.  Take as many pictures as you can and get your subject to move or change their facial expression (always remember your subject will feel much more comfortable when they know exactly what your looking for and igf you show them the expression your looking for)  Also constantly change the angle your shooting from, try finding a higher vantage point to shoot from, or get down on your bum and have the subject looking down at you (to avoid only seeing nostrils).

Remember the more different kinds of angles and poses you photograph them in, the better your chance is of getting that perfect picture.

Riani