How can I prevent or minimize bra strap marks before a boudoir or nude shoot?
Asked 4/6/2016
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2 answers
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I sometimes photograph first-time models for boudoir sessions, and despite giving prep instructions, some arrive wearing tight bras or shapewear that leave visible compression marks on the skin. These marks are difficult to retouch later. Is there any reliable way to remove or reduce bra strap marks during the shoot, or is prevention the only practical solution?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
18
Tell them to come back at the next available appointment time when they have followed the instructions you gave them.
Seriously. The only way to deal with this during production is to ensure it is dealt with prior to production. Make sure the client/model acknowledges at least a day in advance that they understand the need to wear loose fitting, non-binding clothing and underwear for several hours prior to the shoot so as to avoid compression marks on their body. To the best of my knowledge there is no quick fix way to make those marks go away any faster than they naturally do. Some body types will recover faster than others based on the relative amounts of fat or muscle tissue directly under the skin, but all of them still require time for the marks to go away.
If you have made this clear to them in advance, they have positively acknowledged the instructions, but yet show up anyway with binding underwear on it might mean they are consciously or otherwise communicating to you that they are not comfortable posing without these undergarments and hope that showing up for the session with underwear on that has created impressions on the skin means you won't ask them to remove that underwear during the session.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t a reliable on-set fix for compression marks from tight bras or underwear. In general, you have to wait for them to fade naturally; rubbing lotion or similar quick remedies usually won’t remove them fast enough for a shoot.
The practical solution is prevention:
- clearly instruct clients to wear loose, non-binding clothing and underwear for several hours before the session
- remind them again a day or two before the shoot by call, text, or email, since many people skim prep sheets
- make sure they understand this is especially important for boudoir or nude work
If marks are already present, your options are limited:
- wait and adjust the shooting schedule if possible
- use a makeup artist to reduce their appearance before shooting
- plan on some retouching in post
- if the session depends on mark-free skin, consider rescheduling
So the honest answer is: prevention and client communication are the real fixes; once the marks are there, there’s no fast guaranteed way to erase them during production.
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