Glamoursoft is one of the oldest websites you’ll find on the web. It got started as a single web page way back in 1994 and moved to its own domain in early 1996.  This is the fourth major design update since we launched.

Glamoursoft Version 1.0

The website’s first design didn’t really last very long, just a few months.  It was essentially a simple transfer of the three pages that had been hosted on Compuserve’s Ourworld site (one of the first setups where an online service would give their users a chance to create their own webpages).

Glamoursoft Version 2.0

The second design change occured in 1996 when I arranged the images into categories and added the “Glamoursoft Model Directory”, which simply took the pictures that were already elsewhere on the website and displayed them together by model, rather than by category.  This version also saw the addition of the links section.

In the early years, one of the most popular parts of Glamoursoft was its link section. I wanted to have a means to keep track of new websites for other photographers, models, camera clubs, and so forth. The various search engines like Yahoo and Google either didn’t exist yet or were still relatively new, and weren’t always a reliable method of finding something. So I decided to maintain my own links page. As a result, for many users, Glamoursoft was a popular portal to many other websites for models and photographers involved in Glamour Photography.

This revision also marked the creation of the customized typeface that I’ve used for the Glamoursoft logo ever since.

Glamoursoft Version 3.0

The third major design change took place in 2006.  The basic structure of the website didn’t really change, but all the graphics got an overhaul.  I also did a complete remodel of the links section, moving everything over to a MySQL database and creating an Ajax-enabled link browser.

Glamoursoft Version 4.0

And now, we have the current version, the fourth major design change for the website since it was originally launched in 1996.  While it shares some graphics elements with previous versions, the structure behind the new design is brand new.  One of the biggest problems that I always had with earlier versions of the site was that I’d never created any sort of content management system.  If I wanted to add some new pictures or a page for a new model, it had to be done manually.  This was enough of a pain that I got into the habit of simply not doing it.

I knew the system was broken, but wasn’t sure how to fix it.  I had looked at various content management setups and none seemed like it would get the job done the way I wanted.  Then a few months ago, I started working with WordPress for another website.  As I became more proficient at creating my own custom themes and creating a few custom plugins, I decided that this was the way to go for overhauling Glamoursoft.

First I created a test server so that I could experiment without having to take down the existing site.  I knew it was going to take a bit of playing around to make things work the way I wanted.  WordPress is known as blogging software, and while I did like some aspects of that idea, I didn’t want Glamoursoft to look like just another blog site.  So I started off with a basic, minimal WordPress setup and went from there.  The first step was to create a custom Glamoursoft theme that would provide the basic look of the site and provide a skeletal framework for everything else.  I was able to use some of the existing artwork, but also created some new variations on the old stuff.

Next was to create a customized image gallery plugin.  This was perhaps the most important part of the whole project.  I needed a system where it would be easy to create new galleries and upload new pictures, but it also had to integrate into the rest of the system and complement the custom theme.  It took a bit of trial and error, but eventually I had a system that seemed to do what I wanted.  I am not sure I can call it “finished” as I will probably be making tweaks and making little additions forever, but for now it seems to be getting the job done.

Some things from the old setup got dropped along the way.  I used to have a section with product reviews for things like books, but that’s gone for now.  However, doing something like a book review is now trivial with the site wrapped around Wordpress, so it may see some sort of revival after I get caught up on other things.

The links section is also gone.  This may not be permanent, but I figured that in order to do things right, it was going to take another custom plugin and I simply didn’t have time to create that just now.  The other consideration is that the need for the links section has largely disappeared as search engines have improved and as websites like Model Mayhem and One Model Place have become everyday parts of the glamour photography scene.

Any way, the new site should make it much easier for me to post new images and other content, which is the whole idea.  I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it all together!

– Mike

Enjoy!

Pix From The 80's

Click image to see full-sized version

By the way, if you happen to be someone who modeled for me back in those days, especially if you’re not one of those in the pictures above, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message!

Fantasy Nudes by Jim Zuckerman

“Fantasy Nudes: Digital Techniques In Photography” by Jim Zuckerman is definitely worth taking a look at if you have ever done any sort of digital imaging.

There a lot of pictures here, and none of them are even remotely close to what the original camera image looked like.  There is definitely a wide range of opinions on the type of images you’ll find on this book.  Some people think they look really cool and interesting, while others simply don’t care for them at all.  I’ve got to admit I fall somewhere in the middle, although I lean towards the “cool” side.

Many of the images concentrate on techniques for compositing multiple images together, very much like one might do in a real darkroom.  Other images show techniques for combining photos with computer generated graphics.  Finally, quite a few of the images demonstrate how to use image manipulation filters and painting tools to alter an original photo and create images which don’t look like photographs at all.

The biggest problem with this book is that it gives you only the barest details about the actual techniques involved.  This might lead some people into thinking that they can run “Adobe Photoshop”, scan their image, then just click on the right button. In a few rare cases, it might be just that easy, but just like anything else worthwhile, it usually takes a lot of skill and talent and patience. Just like automatic cameras didn’t make everybody who used one a professional photographer, software like Adobe Photoshop doesn’t make everybody who has a computer and a scanner an expert digital imager.

Hmm… I just realized that I have never heard of a name to refer to someone who does digital manipulations on photographs.  Simply saying “Photographer” isn’t specific enough.  And just adding “Digital” as a prefix doesn’t necessarily imply image manipulation.  Somebody had better come up with a suitable title for this!

This book is a few years old now.  That means that you might find this book useful even if you haven’t got the latest and greatest version of Photoshop. And it also means you can probably pick it up used for just a few bucks at Amazon.

"Nude Photography: The Art and Technique of Nine Modern Masters" by Peter Lacey

“Nude Photography: The Art and Technique of Nine Modern Masters” by Peter Lacey is a pretty decent read for those interested in a more classical and more abstract approach.  The book covers a wide array of photographic styles, with a variety of color and B&W images by photographers from Europe, the USA, and Japan.

Sadly, this book is “out of print” but I have seen it on the shelves a few times over the last few months.  You might also be able to find it used at Amazon.  Keep an eye out for it.

"Lighting For Glamour Photography"by David Kimber

“Lighting For Glamour Photography” by David Kimber, is one of the better books on Glamour Photography I’ve ever seen.   The approach is practical and hands-on, and doesn’t read like the goal is to make you admire the author.

Unlike a lot of books, this one doesn’t start with the assumption that you’ve only just opened the box containing your first-ever camera and don’t know a shutter speed from a lens cap.  There is a small section about equipment, but even then the emphasis is on how equipment choices may (or should) be influenced by the needs glamour photography.

My favorite parts of the book are the chapters on lighting techniques that inspire the book’s title.  They are clear and easy to understand and cover a wide variety of situations involving both natural and artificial light.  There are numerous example photographs, most with diagrams that show the relative positions of the camera, subject, and light sources.

Despite the title, the book covers the gamut of issues involved in Glamour Photography.    There is a good section on filters and an excellent chapter that covers glamour locations and themes.  There’s also a section on the business side of things that manages to be much more relevant and interesting than usual.

This book was published in 1994, just a few years before digital photography started to hit the big time, but the techniques for the most part are timeless.

"Successful Glamour Photography"By John Kelly

“Successful Glamour Photography” by John Kelly is a book that goes well with David Kimber’s Lighting For Glamour Photography. The focus here is on composition and interaction with the model, and the technical side of things takes a back seat.  That means that this book is well suited to those who are already experienced photographers who have a desire to try glamour photography.

Most of the photos are done on location, not in a studio, and the book shows a wide variety of different locations.  In fact, the impression is that many of the book’s photos were done while the author was on a regular assignment.  A lot of the book’s text is anedocal and written in an informal fashion.

Most of the photos are done with natural light with no modification beyond simple reflectors, if any.  The author makes it look easy.  Maybe too easy.   Natural light isn’t always easy, and the unwary often end up with photos containing washed out highlights and deep shadows.  The subject of dealing with natural light does get a brief mention, but in my opinion, the book should have emphasised exposure considerations more strongly.

Not everything is done with natural light.  Some photos do show the use of fill flash, and a few are done with studio flash equipment, but they are in the minority.

This book was originally published in 1981, so the brief section on equipment is pretty outdated, and it also means that some of the hair and fashion styles you’ll see on the models may not be up to date.  Get over it.  Styles may change, but the basic techniques this book teaches are timeless.

It’s still a bit of a mixed bag, however.

First the good news, if you’re the sort of photographer who looks at a photo taken by someone else and wonders how it was done, any of the books in this series is exactly what you’re looking for.  For each photo, they show an overhead diagram which details the arrangement of the subject, the lights, any reflectors, and the camera.  They ALSO show another view which is sort of over the shoulder of the photographer, except it shows the whole setup, not just what you get in the final photograph.  You get to see the whole setup from two separate viewpoints.   This is an incredibly useful thing, in my opinion, as it fills in the information that is usually missing from a single overhead diagram.

New Glamour

New Glamour

When I said earlier that this series was a a mixed bag, this book is a good example of what I mean.  The photographs are all very well done and demonstrate a wide range of lighting techniques and situations.   However, they aren’t what you’d expect to find after looking at other Glamour Photography books.  You won’t find anything that is pin-up or centerfold style here. 

I don’t think it’s a bad book, but I do think they’ve missed a segment of the market.  I think that many photographers would like to see a Pro Lighting book featuring photos a bit more along the lines of what you’d see in Playboy or Penthouse, or the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, or perhaps something like the celebrity profiles you see in magazines like Details, For Him, or Maxim.   Let’s hope they put out a Pro Lighting Series “Pin-Up & Centerfold” book some day.

Beauty Shots

Beauty Shots

Generally, the photographs lean towards an artistic fashion magazine aesthetic.  In the magazines Vogue, Elle, and so forth, the photos would be more like something you’d see in an advertisement inside, rather than the head shot like you’d see on the front cover.

As with the other Pro Lighting Series books, there is a wide variety of photographs demonstrating many techniques and situations. 
 

Glamour Shots

Glamour Shots

For those who are looking for something more in the style of a pin-up or centerfold, this book, along with Lingerie Shots, are the ones in the Pro Lighting Series you’d probably like best.

The photos still lean more towards a editorial layout or advertisement in a fashion magazine than a pin-up shot or men’s magazine centerfold, but there is a wider range than with other books in the series like New Glamour.

Lingerie Shots

Lingerie Shots

For those who are looking for something more in the style of a pin-up or centerfold, this book, along with Glamour Shots, are the ones in the Pro Lighting Series you’d probably like best.

I have to wonder if the authors, or perhaps the editors, are afraid they’ll look unprofessional if the photos have any significant erotic content.  As with the other books listed here, the photos are still closer in style to something you’d see in an editorial layout or advertisement in a fashion magazine. Nevertheless, they should still demonstrate useful techniques and situations for those more interested in pin-up or centerfold style.

Nudes

Nudes

Think “Artistic” or “Classical”, instead of “pin-up” or “Centerfold”, and you’ve got the general idea.  There are a few exceptions, but not too many.

As with the other Pro Lighting Series books, there is a wide variety of photographs demonstrating many techniques and situations.

Erotica

Erotica

Paradoxically, this book is both more interesting and less useful than the other volumes in this series.  More interesting, in that many of the photographs exhibit a more accessible style.  But less useful in that the lighting setups shown are generally less elaborate.

The book is divided into several chapters, each of which has a unique theme, such as “Erotic Fantasy”, “Fetish Appeal”, and “The Romantic Look”.

Glamour Through Your Lens

Freytag uses only Larson Enterprises brand lighting equipment in this video. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it might have been produced as a promotional video for the lighting equipment sold by Larson Enterprises. At the very least, they co-sponsored it. However, they managed to avoid the hard sell or “you can’t do this with any other product” mentality that you would typically find in such productions.

The techniques demonstrated here are centered around manipulating natural light by using reflectors and diffusion. No electronic flash is used at any point. Despite the fact that Playboy has a reputation for elaborate lighting setups, most of the setups here in the video are relatively modest and could be easily duplicated by a photographer and perhaps one assistant.

Sadly, the video doesn’t seem to have ever made its way onto the DVD format, and is apparently no longer produced on VHS either. Used copies are selling at collector’s prices, so if you happen to run across a new copy collecting dust on the back shelf at your local camera shop, you should check it out, even if you just end up watching it once before selling it on eBay.