1) Get In Close – it’s the faces your interested in, not the shoes.   Fill the frame with the face or faces.  
2) Keep it natural – don’t over-pose pictures – natural pictures are often the best ones.  Keep your camera ready and take peoples pictures when they’ are not looking.  This is especially true for children.
3) Get down with the kids:  while your children are playing with the Christmas presents you want to be down on your knees or tummy photographing from their height.
4) If you are posing to …

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In this shot we skim across the torso both seeing the overall form and shape, but also the fine details of the texture of the skin and the downy hairs.

Lighting Diagram
In the first two examples the light is into the back wall of the cove, so all the light on the figure is just reflected light and very diffuse. In the third image the light is now shining directly across the body from behind.

There are many decisions to make with this kind of abstract form, not least where do …

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These images and diagram show you how you can re-create the sense of natural light even when you are locked in your studio.

Lighting Diagram
In our photographs we have used a Lastolite box, which is normally used to provide a high-key background.

The reason that window light looks so lovely is in essence because it is a very large, very diffuse light source. To achieve the same thing naturally
then you must also create a large, diffused source.

In this case the Lastolite box is 8 feet by 7 feet. So …

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The intent behind these first two images is to layer the cloth or clothes over the nude image, to give a controlled sense of translucency to the materials.

In the top image with the golden drapes I’m very pleased with this effect, it is as I pre-visualised it.

In the second image the technique does not really work as the form of the dress does not really match the style I was looking to achieve.

In this final image, I am using a much more convential montage, a digital version of the split-screen …

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A girl all hot and sweaty from her hard work, who just happens to be wearing a bikini – what could be more natural than that?

Lighting Diagram
The set is a simple mix of scaffold, metal poles, cables and assorted stuff. The light from behind are two gelled strobes – one blue, one red, shining through cardboard goboes.
Smoke is used at the back of the set to catch depth and create paths of light.

You could do this set as a “girly doesn’t know what to do” look, but …

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