Young Beautiful Amateur Fashion Lingerie Model Photography

Black and white photos have such a profound visual appeal that fortunately none of the latest technological advances could replace what they offer on an emotional level.

Elegant, classy, refined, dramatic, real, powerful, are some of the words that can describe black and white images. I love black and white photography so much that when I designed this website I (quite possibly subconsciously) automatically excluded almost all color.

The following images have all that I love about photography and the process of taking photos: beauty, youth, intelligence, personality, improvisation and originality.

These black and white fashion, lingerie modeling and portrait photos were taken with an amateur, first time Belgian model during a European photography trip in 2005.
Alexandra was a muse at first sight, confident and beautiful:

As always the wardrobe was provided by the model. The Russian fur hat was a key piece which perfectly matched not only the rest of the model’s clothes but the our location as well: Antwerp harbor, Belgium.
Only the most beautiful faces can “pull off” wearing hats. I really like this portrait, it is natural, beautiful and engaging. It was taken inside an empty wagon of a freight train.

The Russian fur hat, the dark UGG boots and the train tracks, warehouses provided not only a lot of privacy where we could shoot in peace but also great atmosphere and a variety of backgrounds.

Industrial locations provide a chance to experiment with compositions, backgrounds and geometry. The same setup can provide a lot of different outcomes just by making slight adjustments.
The only drawback is that the editing process can be difficult if there are too many favorites.

The intelligence and personality of the model is key as well as the chemistry between model and photographer in order to come up with these subtle variations while still looking natural and not too posy.

Two steps to the right and the whole scene changes. Only one of the images would be chosen from a given batch but I am including several photos with slight variations here just to demonstrate how diverse the results can be by making only minor changes.

One of my favorite photos from this photoshoot. There is so much to look at, at least for me; as I love to study photos for “longer than usual”. The model appearing to be a Nastassja Kinski look-alike, the classic 3/4 portrait beautifully accentuates her jaw line which is my favorite feature and most of my models posses.

The Russian fur hat creates playful floppy ears which provide an additional visual element to the photo perhaps not a common one when it comes to beauty shots.
Her beauty is natural (no pencil drawn eyebrows in my photos) coupled with a confident, intimate eye contact which is very rare and special with first time, amateur models or non-models.

The next segment of the photoshoot consisted of fashion / lingerie model photography.
It is a good approach to start out the photoshoot slowly with first time models or non-models.
If there is lingerie or swimsuit theme involved shooting portraits or fully clothed fashion themes first puts the model’s mind at ease and helps build chemistry and trust for the later more revealing concepts.

It is a blessing to have such a multifaceted model like Alexandra, even a minimalistic setup / concept comes alive and made interesting by her personality and confidence.
The dark sunglasses and the white winter coat not only nicely contrast but also are hiding something so there is definitely mystery and intrigue to this photo.

The elegant pose of the young beautiful model and the appropriate accessories (black lingerie, white pearls, white scarf and white winter coat) really are in balance and harmony for this black and white photo.

Time to get a bit fierce and show some attitude, as the photoshoot progresses and the comfort level rises this is the time to get more creative while still staying within the model’s comfort level.
The soft diffused light courtesy the cloudy sky created the perfect mood. Finding open shade is always a solution but I love those days when I don’t have to.
On this day I did not have to do anything to avoid those unattractive shadows on the face that are the result of strong midday sunlight. The soft light was also perfect to bring out the beauty of the white pearl necklace.

I hardly ever tell models how to pose, the feel of the photos becomes a lot more intimate and natural if I only capture their mood and personality.
I like a lot about this photo as well, besides the beautiful model and the elegant styling I also appreciate the choice of background. It adds to the story without being too busy or obstructive. Diagonal lines add drama and dynamic feel to compositions, here they are also elongating the body of the model.

Same background but now further away and out of focus. In focus is a model with girl next door look, a simple casual stand with a thumb in her pocket.
Having suffered through some uncomfortable photoshoots with amateur or non-models it is every photographer’s dream to find someone with Alexandra’s level of confidence and beauty.
This pose / look may seem overly simple therefore easy to pull off but the eyes don’t lie .. my photoshoot with Alexandra exceeded all my expectations.

The cardigan slipping off of the model’s shoulder revealing the white wife beater was Alexandra’s idea and so was the hair in front of her eyes.
I really appreciate and welcome all creativity and ideas that models bring to the photoshoots, making the process true team work.

Youth and beauty have been the themes of this photoshoot, here amazingly Alexandra transforms into a Natalie Portman look-alike.
Details I remember being conscious of when I was taking this photo: simple composition focusing the attention on the model, keeping the background blurred but interesting enough so it contributes to the story of the image. Keeping the background black behind the nicely lit hair for maximal contrast.