This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Head & Shoulders: Side
Much of beauty advertising and editorial magazine photography is shot from the side. Many fashion magazine covers are shot from this angle as well, because full frontal doesn’t always highlight the most attractive angles of a particular woman’s face. While front-on beauty often flattens the facial structures, side-on beauty brings out more of the angles of the facial structure, such as the nose and jawline.
Taking a head and shoulders shot from a side angle provides ample opportunity for playing with the model’s profile, choosing the outline of her face and emphasizing details such as eyelashes, cheekbones, nose, lips, and hairstyle.
Intellectual beauty
Highly arched eyebrows, swept-back hair, prominent cheekbones, unflinching gaze, and long neck all combine to create an air of sophistication. If you need this kind of look, check that your model can perform at casting stage. (Amy Dunn)
Prominent shoulder
The tilt of the model’s face along with the turn of her shoulder indicate a touch of condescension. The light can be matched by using a direct flash or tungsten head, with a flag or two placed to hold back segments of light from the body and face. (Amy Dunn)
Super coiffe, optical spot
Using a dark gray background, keep the model well away from the paper, and create different shapes of light using a focusing optical spot attachment for flash/strobe lighting. The precision lighting helps portray the elaborate hairstyle beautifully. (Warwick Stein)
Turning away
It’s amazing how much the turn of a head and face can affect a photo. Even though the body remains the same, the pose goes from merely thoughtful to a much more remote sense of emotional detachment. This shot is all about the hair. (Warwick Stein)
Knowing look
This model is shot from a low angle, giving her the visual upper hand. The camera position succeeds in elongating her neck (note the dramatic lighting), and the eyes are looking down at the viewer for that penetrating, all-knowing look. (Nikolai D)
Distinctive class
The combination of flawless haughty face upturned to the side and the model’s gloved hand leaves the viewer with a sense of wealth and timeless elegance. Like the “Knowing look” photo above this one, shooting from below reinforces the superiority of the subject. Note also the strong lines in the background, which draw us in further to the model in the center of everything. (David Leslie Anthony)
Portraiture
The classic styling of this image, along with the beautiful fire-red head of hair on the model and her elegant pose, work together to create an alluring, vintage style of portrait. (Hannah Radley-Bennett)
Over-the-shoulder glance
This pose is given extra impact by the beauty of the extreme side lighting, dramatically illuminating the model and leaving a triangle of light on her shadow-side cheekbone. Her hand grasping her arm adds to the sense of tension created by her direct gaze. (Yulia Gorbachenko)