When creating indoor or studio images, you have unparalleled control over lighting and can obviously work regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.
Inside, you are limited only by your imagination. Some ideas on how I take indoor shots and how I exploit the possibilities guaranteed by the available equipment.
Private residences
I often take photographs in private residences and hotels: the subjects feel at ease and are looking for a place where they can express themselves peacefully. Directed spotlights and stroboscopic lights to illuminate the background are essential.
Simplicity
A strobe light and a spotlight are sufficient. Sometimes customer requests are much more convoluted than the results you want to achieve. It happens that male and female models send an email message containing personal ideas, to avoid explicit nude images or to obtain particular results. We advise you to rely on the photographer. We will listen to all your needs, but you should also trust our way of running the game. Positively modest and simple but playful, sensual and effective images. I never back down from small post-production jobs to please the customer and eliminate unwanted defects.
Guests in the shot
When I plan a shoot, whether on location or in the studio, I place no restrictions on which model brings a friend. The only thing I don't like (and strongly discourage) are models who bring their boyfriend or husband with them. It's not that I feel they will get in the way but it will all make me feel less relaxed and less able to create the images I want from the shoot. Of course, this is unless they are images of a couple, in which case it's a completely different matter.
An important factor in my images is the focused artistic relationship between the model and the photographer. With a boyfriend or husband on set, this is lost to some extent as the model may feel judged and look to him for approval of the pose in the shot. With friends present, the same problem seems to occur less often, but sometimes there are problems here too. Ultimately, I prefer a one-to-one shoot, and since most of my models come to me through word of mouth from other models, they generally don't mind arriving on their own.
A highly artistic place
Manuele was interested in creating a modest image. She didn't want to expose her completely to the camera and found the pose very fluid, sensual and artistic shown in image 86. I had her tilt her head back to slightly refine the way she looked in the camera. This image was taken in my office. I draped the black velvet fabric over the platform she is sitting on and extended it to the wall. Manuel was lit with ambient light and a built-in flash. The lighting highlighted the sexy shimmer of her eyeshadow and full, sensual lips.
Makeup
In most of my color images, I prefer a more natural, girl-next-door look. For black and white glamor portraits, however, features are made more prominent with bolder/darker colors. A dark lip complexion makes the well-defined mouth a focal point in the image, and the tone creates a nice contrast with pale skin and light hair. Dark eyes and eyebrows require much less color, but add a little of eyeliner, shadow and mascara to create more definition and balance her strong lip color is not unpleasant on the eyes. While some photographers hire makeup artists for their models' sessions, I don't find the practice necessary. Most models do a very acceptable job of applying their own makeup. There are two big advantages to this: there is a cost saving, and the model has increased control over how it will appear in photographs. Of course, if the make-up artist is required, he will be very available to intervene on set.
We always recommend certain tones, such as a pale, shimmery lip color or a bolder classic red. Not exaggerating with colors is a practice that works well, in principle, but there are also eclectic people who can afford to dare.
Ideas that work
Don't allow yourself to get into a rut, capturing the same images over and over with different models. The magazines are filled with a wide range of enticing portraits, taken by the best photographers. Evaluate a group to find creative and flattering posing ideas, evocative photography concepts, and lighting settings that work. All it takes is a little analysis to understand how to duplicate or modify the shot to get the look you're looking for.
The submissive head pose
Placing a model's head towards the shoulder closest to the viewer creates the "feminine" pose. or "submissive". By flipping his head to the opposite shoulder, he achieves a more assertive pose, and the expression, from the smile to the twinkle in his eyes, takes on a true Hitler look. The black background allows us to focus on expression and sexuality. To create tension, just a few degrees between the limbs of the body.
A classic approach, but not only.
My images are sensual - and yes, sometimes sexy - without being brazen or disgusting. I enjoy showing the softness and beauty in the female form, and my ability to do so has earned me a lot of respect in the industry.
It is also true that, now, I do not disdain the complete expression of my own sensuality. So I like watching and working with extroverted and flamboyant people who want to give their all to the camera.