Monday, March 8, 2010

You don't have to be a size "2" to be sexy.

Glamour Magazine is getting some media attention this month because of a picture that they are running of a near-naked woman. The thing that is causing people to take notice isn't the fact that she's only wearing a thong, it's the fact that she's (gasp!) not perfect.

Newsweek pointed out that the model, 20-year-old Lizzi Miller has a body/mass index that is only two-tenths of a point above "normal."  That's right, she's huge (note sarcasm).

There's a great quote in the article from photographer Madame Athena Chang:

“I shoot nudes, and looking at a roll of film frame by frame, I can literally see the moment when a subject has forgotten about what she considers her problem areas. She’s stopped slouching, rounding her shoulders or even posing. To help her get to that point, I ask what she’s most proud of—her arms, legs, breasts, whatever—and I shoot it. Then we look at those shots together and, more often than not, when she sees them, she comes up with other things she likes."

This has been my experience as well when shooting a Slinky, Sexy, Session.  It typically goes something like this:  The model starts out with trepidation, unsure if she will be able to produce the "sexy" results that she's hoping for.  Bobbi and I will pose and shoot a few different setups, focusing on what the client likes about herself.  Then, I show one of the images to the client on my camera's display screen.



That's when everything changes.

Once they see that image with the great light and angle... the pose that makes them look awesome... suddenly they aren't so shy anymore!  It's such a treat to see a woman become empowered when they see themselves in a way they weren't sure they could pull off.  Suddenly it's, "What else can we do?  Pose me however you want!"  It's very satisfying as a photographer and results in great images that she (and her husband) will enjoy for a long time.

Now, the picture in Glamour is unique because it's not a "sexy" shot.  It's not supposed to be.  But here's the thing: Even though the model isn't posed to hide her "flaws," I guarantee that her boyfriend loves that photo.  See, here's the thing you women never quite understand:  We love to see you with little (or no) clothing, no matter what your body issues are.  Even if I didn't work so hard to make my clients look sexier than they thought possible, their husband/boyfriend would still love the pictures.  So, get over yourself and have some fun!

See my work at http://www.boorayperry.com/