Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography
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Rolando Gomez’s GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY Professional Techniques and Images Amherst Media® PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS About the Author Rolando Gomez is a former combat photojournalist who, in 1994, was Glamour.com (now www.Glamour1.com)—visited by over 500,000 peo- selected by the Department of Defense as one of the top-five military ple each month. His success in this field has made him a popular instruc- photographers in the world. During his career with the U.S. military, he tor. He has conducted over 120 glamour photography workshops and served as the personal photographer for General George A. Joulwan for seminars in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. He has also four years, working both in Europe and Latin America. Later, he became been featured as a guest speaker at the PhotoImaging & Design Expos and Chief of Multimedia for the Air Force News Agency, where he oversaw Photo Plus Expos, where he drew standing-room-only crowds. In addi- the “photo desk” and streaming media for Internet television and radio tion, he has discovered a Penthouse Pet (Jana Adams; October 1986), a programs on the multimillion-dollar-a-year website of the United States Playboy Playmate (Holley Dorrough; April, 2006), and six Playboy Special Air Force, www.af.mil. Editions models. Over the course of his career, Gomez has traveled to thirty-nine His work has appeared in Playboy Special Editions products, Studio countries to cover feature stories including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Photography (where he is a contributing editor and writer), People, Stars & Olympics, the 1996 Presidential Inauguration, Desert Storm, the signing of Stripes, and The New York Times. In addition, he is the author of Garage the Peace Accords in El Salvador, Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Northern Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple (Amherst Watch in Turkey, and the 1994 Rwandan refugee crisis in Africa. In 1993, Media, 2006). as a “buck sergeant,” he was awarded the Department of Defense’s Gomez is a Lexar Media Elite Photographer and a guest instructor at Meritorious Service Medal for documenting the drug war in Central and The Palm Beach Photographic Center, Samy’s Cameras, and FotoFusion. South America, a project he undertook for twenty-six months. For more information on Rolando Gomez, please visit www.Rolando In 1999, Gomez turned to the lucrative field of glamour photography Gomez.com or www.Glamour1.com. to supplement his income and founded the popular website www.Garage Copyright © 2007 by Rolando Gomez. All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt Editorial Assistance: Artie Vanderpool ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-210-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2006937287 Printed in Korea. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. Table of Contents Preface ...................................5 Working with Big Egos . .43 Calm, Cool, and Collected . .44 Introduction ................................7 Your Own Mood . .45 The Effect of the Internet . .7 The Bottom Line . .45 Changing Opinions . .9 Glamour Today . .10 4.The Figure ...............................47 Glamour is in Fashion . .12 A Sensitive Topic . .47 Private Glamour . .13 Thin Subjects . .48 The Bottom Line . .15 Camera Angle . .48 Clothing . .48 1.All Models Are Subjects, Lighting . .49 But Not All Subjects Are Models . .16 Pose . .49 Models . .16 Heavy Subjects . .50 Private Glamour Subjects . .16 Lens Selection . .50 The Perfect Subject . .18 Camera Angle . .51 Age . .19 Shadow . .51 The Bottom Line . .20 Clothing Selection . .51 Conceal Trouble Areas . .51 2. Building Rapport with Your Subject . .21 Breasts . .51 Rapport Starts with Your First Communication . .21 Uneven . .51 What to Say (And What Not to Say) . .25 Natural . .52 Be Observant and React to What You Learn . .27 Augmented . .52 On the Phone or Via E-mail . .29 Cleavage . .56 Helpful Details . .29 The Bottom Line . .57 Vague Communications . .34 The Bottom Line . .36 5.The Limbs ...............................58 Legs and Feet . .58 3. Managing the Shoot . .38 Legs . .58 Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open . .38 Feet . .63 Take Her Mind Off Her Problems . .38 Upper Thighs . .63 Boost Her Self-Confidence . .43 Hips . .64 Table of Contents 3 Toenails . .67 8. Being A Professional . .108 Arms and Hands . .67 Your Staff . .108 Arms . .67 Assistants . .108 Hands . .68 Others on the Shoot . .108 Fingernails . .70 How Your Treat Your Staff . .109 Keeping up Appearances . .110 6.The Skin ................................72 Correspondence and Phone Skills . .110 How Much to Show . .72 Grooming . .110 Skin Tone . .75 Portfolio . .110 Exposure . .75 Studio . .110 Color . .76 Camera Room . .110 White Balance . .76 Dressing Room . .112 Using Gels . .78 On Location . .112 On Location . .81 Know Your Stuff and Be Prepared . .112 Household Fluorescent Lighting . .83 Equipment . .113 Tan Lines . .83 The Shoot . .113 Makeup . .84 Show Respect . .113 Blemishes . .85 Explain What You’re Doing . .114 Stretch Marks . .85 Touching the Subject . .114 Adding Some Shine . .85 Delivering Images . .115 Soft Lighting for Smoother Skin . .88 The Bottom Line . .115 The Bottom Line . .90 9.The Business of Private Glamour . .117 7.The Face and Hair . .94 Location and Demographics . .117 Lighting the Face . .94 Culture . .117 Paramount Lighting . .94 Median Income . .118 Loop Lighting . .94 Finding Clients . .118 Split Lighting . .94 Word of Mouth . .118 Rembrandt Lighting . .94 Internet . .119 Eyes and Eyebrows . .97 Parties . .120 Uneven Sizes . .97 Pricing . .121 Eyebrows . .97 Fluorescent Lighting . .97 Conclusion . ..