I'll be honest, when it came to shooting swimwear, I went straight to Pinterest looking for whatever ideas and inspiration I could find. Swimwear is different enough from the other types of shoots that I was typically shooting that I really had no idea where to begin. Granted, my clients weren't clothing line companies, so I wasn't aiming for the more routine, catalog-style shots. Since the people wanting the shots were the models themselves, I wanted to make sure that the end results looked as good as possible and hopefully a bit more stylish.

Depending on where you are at in your photography career and what genre you specialize in, you may not have a lot of experience with models on set. If you are still unsure of how to interact with a model, especially if they are a glamour model, here are some things to keep in mind.

The world likes looking at beautiful photographs of beautiful people and photographers are constantly receiving validation for producing them. However, when does it stop being about photography and start being about a preoccupation with female flesh?

Victoria's Secret has cast Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, an openly transgender woman, for a catalog photo shoot. This announcement marks the first time Victoria's Secret has cast a transgender person for a catalog or brand campaign. Does this mean the lack of diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry is finally changing?

The vast majority of fashion photographers have worked with nude models. A smaller minority work only with nude models. As a fashion photographer, I am often asked if I shoot nude models. While I find the question silly, it’s important to understand that nude photography is absolutely not fashion photography.

Less can definitely be more when you're trying to create mood in glamour photography. I think you'd be surprised what sort of results can be achieved with compact lights and a little know-how.

Some model poses seem to pop up everywhere repeating across different mediums and across decades. Many photographers deride these posing cliches, but these cliches can be useful on fashion and other model shoots, especially when working with new models still learning how to move. They can help create serviceable images when you are stuck for ideas or when you need shoot a series of good looks in a short period of time.

Skin retouching is an art form in itself, and there are thousands of different ways to retouch skin in Photoshop. Skin retouching is such an essential part of creating the final image in the beauty and fashion industry that there is a whole industry of artists who only specialize in skin retouching.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 30 years, allow me to give you a brief introduction to the Commercial, Fashion, and Celebrity Photographer David LaChapelle who just released his latest and final books, "Lost + Found, Part I" and "Good News, Part II." LaChapelle, 54, has photographed some of the most iconic figures of the 90s and 2000s including Tupac, Hillary Clinton, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Muhummad Ali. Pretty much anyone worth their salt has been shot by this guy.

Test shoots are essential for the photographer and really help fill the gaps in a portfolio. On test shoots, everyone contributes for free. The photographer, makeup, hair, wardrobe, and model all work for free. Everyone is building on their portfolios on test shoots and if done correctly, it should fill the creative gaps in a portfolio.

At some time, if you’re shooting glamour photos, you are going to need to perfect the blowing hair technique. This type of shot is inexpensive and fun, but does take a little more talent than merely throwing a fan in front of your model. This excellent video shows you the different fans and techniques that can be used to give your model that windblown look.

As a portrait photographer, you’ve probably considered hiring a professional makeup artist to prep your clients. In this first part of a two-part series, a professional makeup artist tells us everything we need to know about making professional makeup a part of our portrait photography offerings.

If you touch my hair I will hurt you. In life, we take many chances. Like, riding our bike with no hands, getting minimum coverage on our car insurance and petting stingrays. However, for the chosen few who have the superpower of catching our eye with their beautiful hair, there is no chance to be taken. The following is meant only for a lighthearted fable for this Friday.