Exquisite Curves

The contours of the female body are a masterpiece of nature and were the inspiration for the title of this book. The photographer's role is to create work that is appealing, fitting, and meaningful. This book takes a two-pronged approach: by teaching the academic and by encouraging hands-on creativity. The book is not intended to be all-encompassing or universal in it's approach; it describes the author's individual style and methods. This guide presents five main chapters:...
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The contours of the female body are a masterpiece of nature and were the inspiration for the title of this book. The photographer's role is to create work that is appealing, fitting, and meaningful. This book takes a two-pronged approach: by teaching the academic and by encouraging hands-on creativity. The book is not intended to be all-encompassing or universal in it's approach; it describes the author's individual style and methods. This guide presents five main chapters: Composition, Technique, Posing, Self-Expression (Style), and Shooting Assignments.The instruction is intended to be accessible to any novice with a serious interest in the composition and posing of female nudes. You do not need to be an artist or a photographer to understand the material but a basic understanding of camera operation is assumed. It is written for the uninitiated and those who have no more than a modest experience.It begins with a discussion of visual literacy. Next are abstract elements of composition, such as lines, colors, value, mass, depth, illusion, time, motion. A section on design principles instructs in the assembly of these elements. Visual pathways, including cyclical, triangular, and others, are explained. Methods of design such as the rule of thirds, the golden mean, diagonal method, armatures, and forty-five degrees are described and illustrated. The design instruction is rounded out with commonalties/pitfalls in design methods. Camera techniques include controlling framing, focus, and lighting. There is information about high-key, low-key, and minor-key lighting. The section on post-processing mentions the importance of vignettes, contrast, monochrome (black and white), color mapping. The section on style addresses why we make a photograph and what constitutes an artistic body of work. There is a discussion of how your choice of genre, whether it is pinup, glamour, or fine art, figure study, or commercial design, influences your composition. The examination of style would not be complete without addressing how to analyze your work and sources of inspiration. The shooting assignments are real-world exercises that provide an opportunity to put what you have learned into practice. The book is rounded out with a glossary, index, and bibliography.