When your girl's posed like...
When your girl's posed like this with her arms behind her, watch out forseveral things. Her arms are too far behind her, they're too far apart,and one arm is hidden. You don't see Kara's left arm in this shot. Itjust doesn't look right.
General Tips
So you found a great spot to shoot the car, now what? Before you takeany pictures, there are a few things to remember.
1. Always stay relaxed: If your babe is tense or not having a good time, itwill show in the photos. Keeping the fun factor high will go a long waytoward making your pictures better.
2. Wardrobe is important: The outfit your girl wears is important forseveral reasons. First, no thongs for Babe of the Month. Sorry, guys!Unfortunately, 5.0&SF has to deal with its own panel of censors, andthey like to bounce photos like this in a heartbeat. Beyond that, thewardrobe is wide open. Second, your girl shouldn't wear anything shedoesn't feel comfortable in. If a model is wearing something she doesn'tfeel good in, it will negatively affect the photos. This ties into thetension thing mentioned above. When shooting for Babe of the Month,take pictures of your girl in two or three different outfits. We like tosee variety in the submissions, and multiple outfits make your chanceseven better for getting some BOTM-worthy shots.
When choosing outfits, tell your babe to pick out what she feels bestin. Try to have her dress in something that complements the color ofyour car. Complementary colors work like this: red and blue, yellow andgreen, orange and purple. If you're not sure what best matches yourcar's paint, ask her to dress in white, black, or neutral colors that gowith anything. Ask her to take off her jewelry, which can be distractingin photos or can scratch the paint.
3. Clean your car: Beyond giving the car a good wash, detail it for brakedust on the wheels, bugs on the grille and hood, tire stains, rubberpieces behind the rear wheels, and such. Dirt and grime you can't seewith the naked eye have a nasty habit of showing up in photos.
Here, the "arms behind" shot...
Here, the "arms behind" shot looks right. With the lovely Rachel posingnext to the car, her arms are spaced just right, you can see both ofthem, and she looks comfortable and graceful in the photo.
Getting Started
So your girl's dressed and ready to go. The car's clean, the light isjust right, and she's standing there wondering what to do. Keep thesethings in mind when shooting.
Avoid awkward or uncomfortable poses. Chances are, if your girl feelsuncomfortable or awkward in a certain pose, it'll look that way in thepicture. Start out by using simple, comfortable poses, the type you seeall the time. As you get into shooting, try some different stuff, andyour girl will probably get into the spirit of things and come up withsome ideas of her own. Try to avoid overtly provocative shots (front orrear) because the censors will bounce them.
 Here are a couple of shots...  Here are a couple of shots that show good hand poses... |  ...In both photos,notice how...  ...In both photos,notice how Jenn has her hands and arms naturally placed, accenting hershape with no awkward bends or funny angles. |
 Here's a shot that doesn't...  Here's a shot that doesn't show good hand/arm posing. Notice how most ofJenn's right arm is hidden, the angle on her left arm looks a bitawkward, and you can't see her left hand. A general rule of thumb is, ifa pose just doesn't look right, try something different. | |
Shoot from a variety of angles. You can't submit too many photos forBabe of the Month, and the better the variety, the better your chancesare for seeing your girl and car compete for BOTM honors. Try shootingfrom low angles, high angles, to the left of the car, to the right, anda few at eye level.
 Here's another good hand/arm...  Here's another good hand/arm pic. Even though Jenn's arms are crossed,it still looks natural and comfortable. Also note the position of herhips and legs. This pose has a nice S shape to it, accenting Jen'scurves and making for an overall great photo. Also notice Jenn's hair.Long hair can be tricky to shoot, with a good chance of a strand beingout of place and sticking out like a sore thumb. Don't worry, you won'tlose your man card watching out for stuff like this, and your girl willappreciate it. |  Perspective can make an ordinary...  Perspective can make an ordinary photo look great. Here we shot Jennfrom just below eye level... |
 ...and here we shot her from...  ...and here we shot her from a higher angle. You can see the differencein the photos, where the lower angle accents the legs and makes themappear longer, and the higher angle makes them appear shorter. | |
Have fun. This is important. Having fun helps keep the relaxedatmosphere you need for great photos, and you're taking pictures of ahot woman with a hot car, you should be having fun anyway.
 Here's an example of a bad...  Here's an example of a bad shot. In this picture, Rachel's stance isuncomfortable and awkward. Rachel has long legs, and this pose doesn'taccent them. |  These shots not only look...  These shots not only look better, but they also accent Rachel's height... |
 ...In this photo, notice how...  ...In this photo, notice how her stance is just right, and the angletoward the camera accents her body more. | |