"I think the quality of sexiness comes from within. It is something that is in you or it isn't and it really doesn't have much to do with breasts or thighs or the pout of your lips." - Sophia Loren

There is an assumption that in order to make a photo sexier, you need to show more skin.

This is not true. I mean, there's nothing wrong with showing skin, but more skin does not immediately equate to more sexy. There are many things that contribute to how sexy an image is perceived to be, and the amount of skin is only one of them.

Indeed, mystery can be sexy. Not showing everything can be sexy. In a photograph, the shadows are just as—if not more—important than the parts that are well lit.

It's a bit like a horror movie; when you don't know what's in the dark, it elicits a reaction; when the creature is finally revealed, we see it's nothing more than just bad CGI or (in the old days) some guy in a rubber mask. Not seeing everything creates a sense of mystery, of possibility, and that anticipation can create a visceral reaction. this can be conveyed by shadows, by clothing or by bokeh—the out of focus-ness that something gets the farther away it is from the point of focus.

But there are other things that can sell sexy in an image other than skin. For instance, science tells us that most people find humour sexy. This is not just telling a good joke, but also reacting to something funny. This doesn't mean you have to wear a clown nose or bring a rubber chicken to your shoot (though if you want to...). It can mean just reacting to something funny, say, the photographer saying something dumb.

There is nothing sexier than a smile unless it's a laugh, and there's nothing sexier than a laugh…. while this is not completely true, I love making people laugh and smile at their sessions. Not only does it make the person I am working with more relaxed, when you capture that perfect moment, it is magical.

In addition to humour, confidence is sexy. Confidence is like a magnet. It says “I accept myself and love myself,” and invites other to do the same. Confidence is carrying yourself with poise and elegance. Confidence is not arrogance. Indeed, arrogance is the confidence’s evil twin, but confidence, melded with compassion is a heady mix.

Personality is sexy. Who you are. How you carry yourself. You wear it like a halo. It surrounds you and makes you glow.

And while we might think this outfit is sexier than that outfit, the truth is it’s not merely the outfit, but how you wear it that is sexy. A plain white tee-shirt, coupled with the right attitude, is far more powerful than the slinkiest lingerie.

Finally, vulnerability is sexy, too. To wear your heart on your sleeve is sometimes considered a bad trait, but to be emotionally exposed, to show your heart? That is something that is truly beautiful. It might seem the polar opposite of confidence, but it is not. One must be confident to reveal who they truly are, inside. Vulnerability isn’t necessarily showing your weaknesses—this is not a counselling session to deal with childhood trauma—but about showing true emotions: real smiles, real laugh, real passion real…you.

Are you willing to be fully exposed? To capture character, motion emotion in your image? Then contact us for a no-obligation consultation.