                                                                  
            GLAMOUR HEADSHOT  

The purpose of this lighting technique is to render the
subject's skin tone as pure white. This is a classic look used by
many glamor photographers including George Hurell when he
photographed movie stars of the thirties. To accomplish this, the
film's exposure index must be changed and so must the development.
Many of these changes were made by trial and error and your results
may differ from mine. For this shot I used a Speedotron 812 with
two 210 heads. The main light is located above the photographer at
about seven feet, using a snoot. The second light is used as a hair
light and is placed about six feet behind the subject and also at
about seven feet high, with a snoot. The power is divided so that
the main light has 600 w/s and the hair light has 200 w/s. When the
lights are metered at the subject the hair light is only 1/2 stop
less than the main. My choice for film is TMAX 100 35mm for this
shot. But, as is usually the case, I do not use Kodak's recommended
ASA! When metering for this shot I use ASA 32 and this gives me the
density I want. I've experimented with varying amounts of
overexposure but ASA 32 works the best. I will also develop the
film in TMAX developer for 8 min. at 70 F. to get the contrast I
want. This is also overdevelopment from the recomended time and
temperature. One basic photographic rule is "exposure determines
the density and development controls the contrast". For the shoot
the model is seated on a small sofa so she can lounge and get an
elegant attitude going. I always explain to the model before hand
what I expect from her. This is an elegant shot they should try to
be graceful, feminine and soft. Use the hands gracefully around the
face with the fingers long and slightly curved. The expressions
should be serious, coy, seductive. The background effect is
achieved with the use of a black seamless that is pulled to a 45
degree angle and then covered with another plastic sheet. This
plastic sheet is a type of acetate that I crumpled and then
flattened out. The wrinkles in the plastic reflect the bare bulb
from the main light and this gives the specular highlights, the
shallow depth of field makes the highlights larger. My choice of
camera is the Canon F-1 with a 135mm f2.5 lens. The apature that I
use is f4; enough to make the focusing easy and the fast lens
creates the shallow depth of field. No diffusion is used on the
lens because I want a clean negative- besides, a diffusion filter
would create more grain on the 35mm neg. and I don't want any more
than what I have. But, I do use diffusion when in the darkroom.
When I go to print my glamour shot I use a condenser enlarger. I
use a 3 or 3 1/2 grade paper with a short exposure which will make
the highlights loose detail and the shadows retain detail. For
diffusion I use a piece of clear plastic under the lens for about
15~o of the exposure time. Be careful with diffusing during
printing because the blacks or the clear areas of the negative will
bleed into adjoining white areas, so, you must "dodge" these areas
during exposure. These prints I later selenium tone for a richer
look. Michael DeRosa is a co-owner of the Models Center located in
Costa Mesa Ca. In business for 9 years the Models Center is a State
Accredited Modeling School. Their goal is to provide the client
with a professional approach to meeting their individual needs,
whether it be a modeling or acting career, or personal management
to help arrange a legitimate connection between them and a bonified
Screen Actors Guild Member. They offer guidance in working with
cosmetics and basic movement techniques in front of the camera with
professional models, make-up artists and photographers. Michael
started his photographic schooling at Brooks Institute of
Photography located in Santa Barbara, Ca. and graduated with a 
Bachelor of Arts degree in photography. 
