Pageant and Glamour Photography Tips

Thomas Christopher has been shooting professionally since about 2006. He found a passion for photography while living in Japan on the JET Program. He would teach English during the week and shoot street photography around Tokyo on weekends. His work has been published several times while living in Japan, in both books and magazines, and most recently, my work has appeared in Sex + Design Magazine.


Q. As a fashion and lifestyle photographer what are some important tips anyone interested in modeling should know?

"I always tell models to practice the look they want to achieve in the mirror. Then, close their eyes and just feel how the facial and other muscles feel, and memorize it so they can create the look they want without having to look in a mirror during the shoot. Also, gathering photos that they'd like to recreate can be a great way to jumpstart creativity."

Picture taken by Thomas earlier this year of me.

Q. What do you look for when choosing a model? What attracts you?

"Personally, I look for youthfulness in the models I most enjoy shooting with. You don't have to be physically young, just have a certain youthfulness about you. I think my ideal is heavily influenced by the fashion I saw in Japan."

Picture taken by Thomas of my sister in one of my fashion designs~ Ostrich feather skirt

Q. What are some tips for anyone interested in photography?

" Just get a decent DSLR and start shooting! I'm completely self-taught, and my skills come from a lot of trial and error. It helps to have a favorite photographer whose style you can try to emulate. From there you can grow and find your own voice and style with your photography."

Q. You recently shot my beauty pageant headshots. What makes for a good glamour style headshot?

"The perfect beauty pageant or glamour shot is one that brings out the true, natural beauty of the person in the photo. i honestly feel that minimal editing is best, as a lot of glamour shots have a bit too much editing, where the person in the photo sometimes doesn't even fully resemble the actual person."