Seamless Beauty (Part One)

The vast majority of photographers are hobbyists. I don't like using the word "amateurs" to describe them because "amateur" has a certain connotation to it--one that describes someone with less-than-professional skills--and this just ain't the case for a whole lot of serious shooters. Because someone pursues an artistic endeavor as an avocation doesn't mean they're not good at it... sometimes really good at it!

Many professional shooters, as well as serious and accomplished hobbyists, often photograph models in front of a seamless background. For pros, this usually takes place in a studio environment. For hobbyists, it often happens in their garage or a room in their house.

In my photographic life, I shoot quite a few models in front of a seamless. I don't simply do this by personal choice because, as some might think, I'm lazy. (Which I am, but that's another story.) I often shoot in front of a seamless because that's what my clients task me to do. Why? Because they're only interested in the image of the model and, later, someone else (usually a graphic designer) is going to "lift" the model's image from the BG (background) and replace the BG with something else for the final artwork.

When shooting on a seamless, photographers (as artists) are truly faced with a blank canvas. If you're shooting at some visually cool location, the canvas is already mostly filled in. As the photographer, you then create or manipulate the lighting and shading and perspective, you toy with things like DOF (Depth of Field) and composition and, once that's figured out and nailed down, you drop the model into it, mess around some more with the lighting, shading, perspective and all that and Voila!

But let's get back to the blank canvas-- the seamless.

When shooting on this blank canvas, you have way less to work with in terms of an already existing environment, one that is visually interesting. This means you have to create visual interest. And, in order to capture a powerful image of a model on a blank canvas, you're going to need to pull some tricks out of your bag.

Here's what you have to work with: A blank canvas, a model (made-up or not, styled or not, experienced or not), and light.

And here's what you have to accomplish: Make a powerful, sexy, provocative, artistic, interesting, glamourous image, i.e., one that contains any or all of the aforementioned, and you need to do this without the help of an environment or setting that might already be any or all of the aforementioned.

Good luck, right?

Wrong. Luck's got nothing to do with it. (Although catching that "lucky" shot can be fortunate but, like me being a bit lazy, that's another story.)

BTW, this whole subject of shooting on a seamless is not something I'm going to finish in one posting. But I think I can bang a first dent in it by writing about the first things you should be doing to prepare to paint a cool picture of an attractive model on a photographic blank canvas.

Decisions, decisions, decisions... First thing you need to do is make some decisions. Decisions like, "Will I shoot this high-key? Low-key? Will I use color on the canvas? (Either by using a colored seamless or gelled lights to color a neutral or colorless seamless.) Will the seamless background (itself) contain elements of interest? For example, will I create shadows or gradation on the seamless?

Next you should be thinking about style and emotion. How do I want the finished image to look? Artsy? Dramatic? Stylized? Glamourized? Pasteurized? (Oops! Sorry, that's milk.) The point is, your image needs to convey something to the viewers. Something other than a simple, captured, everyday reflection of an attractive woman. (Remember, we're talking about glamour here.)

Once you've made these decisions, it's time to proceed. And I'll proceed after I write Part Two of "Seamless Beauty."

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this, the model (on the blank canvas) at the top of this post is Aurora Snow. Aurora's a well-known adult industry performer/model. In addition to her adult work, Aurora is a featured dancer performing at clubs around the country. She works in mainstream as well as adult and, not long ago, she was photographed by NYC's famously-talented photography team, Klinko & Indrani. I captured this image of Aurora a few months back. MUA was Terese Heddon.