Photographing Women

CHAPTER 9

Styling Difficult Features

If you’re a photographer who uses Elle, Vogue, or Vanity Fair for posing and styling inspiration, it’s important to remember that those publications really cater to a limited variety of body types. Photographers who work with different body types, however, are able to use a combination of posing, lighting, and styling techniques to complement every woman’s features, regardless of her shape or size.

Remember that in portrait photography, not every one of your subjects is going to be fit and toned. The average subject can and will range from very thin to very large. In terms of fashion and commercial photography, companies have started hiring “real world” body types, so it’s great to know how to photograph those ...