How to Photograph Girls - The Professional Way -- Part 1

[Paul Markham]

This is an old article I wrote about 6 years ago and since then digital has changed some of the points I made, and prices, will update it soon. Still some good points raised.

Learn How To Shoot Porn.

How to Photograph Girls - The Professional Way -- Part 1

You've started your adult website and now discovering the images you want are not available, too expensive or just not quite right. So what are you going to do? And in a flash it comes to you "I'll take the pictures myself". And without thinking further you're off to the cupboard to find your old camera and ask one of the local girls if they would like to do some nude modelling. So after dealing with some very irate boyfriends, shunned by the neighbours and had your photos shown to the authorities, you're thinking, "Not the greatest idea I ever had" You should have first asked yourself. Do I want to take pictures to make money, get in front and close up to as many naked girls as I can or to prove to the world that my fetish sells?

Reason one keep reading.

Reason two, go to the local lap-dancing club for the night, it will be cheaper. Of course a lot of people do go there to recruit models and
wonder why she looks tired, bored and costs so much. I shall tell you how to find models later.

Answer three, this is why you cannot find pictures of girls masturbating and bursting their zits at the same time!! Be careful an Internet site can survive with a small membership and be fun. But how many share your fantasy?

After more than 20 years as a photographer I know, shooting can be fun and profitable, if you follow a few simple and basic rules. Video, digital or film.

First thing to decide is; am I going to sell these pictures to magazines or just use them on the Internet. If the answer is Internet only, go buy a good digital camera. An excellent one for the beginner is the Nikon D70 or if you have the money the D20. To be honest, as a pornographer I know little about photography and cameras. For some one starting to shoot, digital is fine for the Internet.

You will need a camera with a "Hotshoe" or sync lead socket for the lights sync lead. The most important thing with any kind of nude work is colors and skin tone.

Take a couple of days learning to calibrate the color by photographing someone. If it's only them in a loose top to get the skin tones right. Find the best colour setting on the camera to suit your tastes. You must have a zoom lens. Models get put off if you keep moving in and out to take those, so necessary but intimate, close ups.

Now you have to decide, shoot indoors or out? Unless you live in the desert or tropics, consider buying studio flashlights and a light meter, for indoor work. Not expensive two heads, stands, soft boxes/umbrellas and light meter, should see some change out of $1500. Unless shooting in a barn don't go for anything too expensive or powerful, there's no need. You could shoot with a camera-mounted flashgun, but the best flashguns will not give the quality a studio flashlight will. Of course if the "Amateur" style pics a flashgun will do the trick very nicely ($500). But be careful it takes a lot of practise to master shooting porn with a flashgun.

Now spend a few days experimenting and getting to know the camera. Do not suddenly discover a button is not working, as it should, in front of a model. Credibility is everything with the models. Seen the pictures where the girl is looking at you as if she thinks you're a loser? That's what she thought of the photographer who took those pictures. Or even worse bored, that's because she has been waiting twenty minutes for him to figure out how the camera works. Get very comfortable with the equipment even if it's only shooting the cat. If you can get your wife or girlfriend to pose even better. Getting them posing together would be ideal!! But for now nude is not what it's about; it's about learning to use the camera and lights. This is a good time to get down to your local bookstore and but a couple of books.


Budgeting to spend around $2,500 for the camera and lights should be about right. It can be done cheaper, but this is about doing it right. If you are going to improve you will not do so by cutting costs. Our cameras cost a minimum $3000 and we shoot with a minimum of 4 lights. So when thinking about saving money think, do I want good pictures or pictures. Read the books and manuals that came with the equipment. Then practise using the equipment. Lighting is crucial and you can only learn this by trial and error and a good book on lighting. There are many excellent ones, they have examples of what effects you can achieve and then show how to achieve it. With a digital camera it's possible to check the results immediately after taking the shots.

So that's it for now. Sorry I have not got you in front of a brand new, drop dead gorgeous blonde, performing your every wish or at least posing as if she wants to. That's for the next one.

As I said some of it is not totally relevant for todays digital world, still I hope you can get something from it.

Lots more here. Learn How To Shoot Porn.

[Paul Markham]

I'm changing some of the articles as I go and would welcome any constructive comments.

Leave them on the site or here.

[V_RocKs]

I wish everyone read this...

If I had a nickel for every program that doesn't shoot in the right lighting or the model looks like she is bored out of her mind...

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

I wish everyone read this...

If I had a nickel for every program that doesn't shoot in the right lighting or the model looks like she is bored out of her mind...

Traffic is king.

Because these sites need more to sell the same number as a site that gets the porn right.

Problem is knowing what is good or bad porn. One of the industries leading professional traffic guys told me of a crap set that sold well and proof my argument was flawed. When I looked at the set is was bad photography of a girl with red pubic hair posing I would imagine for her boyfriend and looking totally fuckable.

He just saw the photography I saw the pornography.

That is what I will try to do in those articles. Any fool can point a camera at a naked girl. It takes skill to make her look like she wants to fuck someone.

[lalika]

a good photografer can make a girl 10x more beautiful, than she is normally

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by lalika

a good photografer can make a girl 10x more beautiful, than she is normally

A good pornographer can make her look ten time more fuckable than she is.

That's tougher than shooting a good photograph.

[JFK]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

I'm changing some of the articles as I go and would welcome any constructive comments.

Leave them on the site or here.

The basics are still the same,the pricing will always be slightly out of whack

[Nodtveidt]

Paul, you write some excellent articles. Things have certainly changed since I was an adult photographer; looks like I gotta get back into the swing of things if I want to get back into this, and your writings are going to help a lot. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by JFK

The basics are still the same,the pricing will always be slightly out of whack

The basics have not changed in 30 years.

[Hinc]

You forgot to include pics....
Uhm no, nevermind

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Hinc

You forgot to include pics....
Uhm no, nevermind

You can always buy some.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

I wish everyone read this...

If I had a nickel for every program that doesn't shoot in the right lighting or the model looks like she is bored out of her mind...

I wish I had a nickel for every time markham spams the board

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Wanton

I wish I had a nickel for every time markham spams the board

I do have a nickel for everytime I spam a board. LOL

Sorry Brian it was a cheap shot but could not resist it and I'm sure you have a nickel or two.

[jonesy]

waiting for the onslaught.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Nodtveidt

Paul, you write some excellent articles. Things have certainly changed since I was an adult photographer; looks like I gotta get back into the swing of things if I want to get back into this, and your writings are going to help a lot. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

You're welcome. I used to think nothing changed much in porn, except the hair styles. But recently I find the models are easier to find and tougher to work with.

Too many of them and too much work for them.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

I do have a nickel for everytime I spam a board. LOL

Sorry Brian it was a cheap shot but could not resist it and I'm sure you have a nickel or two.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by jonesy

waiting for the onslaught.

It never appeared so I have to keep bouncing the thread myself.

I see the $5 site one was bounced again last night though. Thanks for the traffic guys.