There are many people as well as photographers who might find any difference between glamour or fashion photography. Although they are similar in certain aspects, but glamour photography is about photographing a model to bring out certain key aspects of the subject and is not for endorsement purposes. The standards of this area of photography have changed over the time and today it reflects changes in social morals. In the early 1920s, photographers from the US like Ruth Harriet Louise took pictures of celebrities to add glamour to their stature. During the World War II, glamour took another form and was displayed in the form of pin-ups of scantily clad movie stars. This was extremely among US soldiers.

The most important change came through Playboy, which was the first magazine instrumental in giving a new name to glamour photography. This was the first magazine to focus on nude models and its target was the mainstream consumer. Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy in December 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Nude photos of Monroe were printed in the inside, which enhanced her image and also subdued the public outcry. Off late several popular glamour magazines have started to reverse the trend by focusing more on glamour and less on nudity. Some of these magazines include Maxim, and FHM.

Photography of models has been through transition over the years and as a photographer you need to possess the knowledge of these transitions before you can step into the professional world. As a glamour photographer, there are certain key aspects that you need to master and understand. You need to understand that the sharpness of your models eyes is very critical. As a beginner with auto-focus cameras, most budding glamour photographers tend to focus on the nose, chin or shoulder. The important lesson here is learning how to focus on the subject or models eyes while shooting. This is an emerging problem with photographers using auto-focus cameras. The auto focus camera focuses on the center of the image by default.

Focusing starts first with finding your subjects eyes in the frame. Once this is done, you should ideally depress the shutter-release button slightly, hold the focus steady, compose the subject in the frame and push the shutter-release button to take the photo. This technique can be quite slow in the beginning but once you develop an understanding and a feel for it, you’ll always find subject’s eyes in focus.

One of the second most important elements of glamour photography is the background. It is the second most important visual element after the subject. If you don’t have the right background then no amount of make-up and clothes can get you a good picture. As a glamour photographer, you should not ignore these elements as they are very crucial for getting the right image. You need to be aware of the background and should be able to foresee how it will look or appear in the final photograph. Some of the best backgrounds to shoot in include natural surroundings, your back and front yard, a bathtub, studio, beach and even inside the home. You can always start by experimenting to find the right combination of elements.