Male Body and Physique Photography

While the male body never has been, is not, and (let’s face it) never will be anything like as popular a photographic subject as the female body, that doesn’t mean that it’s not worthy of consideration as a target for your lenses.

Male physique photography is all about lighting and poses. Full-body shots are common, and the intention is normally to show the texture and definition of the muscles in the male body. Classic male physique photography has the model tensing their muscles for the shot, much as bodybuilders do when competing on stage. Side lighting is important for bringing out the definition in your model’s body, so set this up with a lighting rig or position your model so that he is side lit by a large window.

It’s not uncommon to photograph in black and white and leave the model’s face entirely in shadow, for an abstract, fine art look. These photos are often about the beauty of the idealized male body in abstract, not about ‘this particular’ man (hence the obscured face).

As for fine art photographs of female bodies, male physique photography does not typically feature props or clothes beyond a simple pair of trunks. Featureless black or white backgrounds are best for this type of photography – use a white wall or tape up a black sheet or blanket.

If you think finding a female model is difficult, finding a male model is even more difficult. There are however websites that bring together photographers and models, and you may have success there, particularly if you are willing to pay for the services of the model (many photographers will only offer prints in exchange for the model’s time) – even $10/hr will set you apart. An alternative is to post a notice on the notice board at your local university or art college.

One interesting feature of male body and physique photography is that if you can pull off a great shot, you’ll get the credit for doing it, while if you take a great shot of a female body, the model usually gets most of the credit for having that body in the first place!