From Sexy Singles to Jenner, a glamour shot is within reach

No one should be completely surprised at how gorgeous Caitlyn  (formerly Bruce) Jenner looks on the July cover of Vanity Fair.

If there's  one thing the Kardashian clan - of which  Jenner was once a member -  knows well,  it's how to be fierce for a camera. Besides, she had everything - no doubt an army of beauty and style experts.

"She had Annie Leibovitz," pointed out Yolanda Keels-Walker, owner of Suite Expressions beauty salon in Germantown. "She's not going to make you look bad ever."

Leibovitz, who has photographed the likes of a pregnant and naked Demi Moore and John Lennon with wife Yoko Ono, really  lived up to her legendary status  with this latest challenge. The lighting for what's sure to be seen as an iconic cover photo  is beyond perfect. The arms that helped earn  Jenner title of "the world's greatest athlete back in the 1970s" are tucked behind, possibly to conceal still mannish-looking hands. The way Jenner's legs are crossed  feminizes her once-powerful quadriceps.

Even with all the tinkering that must have gone into that image, you can still make out the contouring along the sides of her face, no doubt to soften masculine edges. (Jenner underwent facial feminization surgery in March, just before his tell-all  interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer.)  Somehow, though, everything  came together and worked magically. The overall effect is old-school glamour with a hint of modernity thanks to the definition in her arms and chest.

Jenner looks gorgeous.

Sexy even.

But as I pointed out earlier, she spent years learning from  the best in the business - the  Kardashian clan. Say what you want about the female co-stars of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," their selfie game is always on point.

Getting a great photo isn't just about working what you're born with. It's about paying attention to the small details and then looking for that magical moment.

For more than a decade, I've watched many men and women both show up to our annual Sexy Single photo shoot looking exactly like the bus drivers, school teachers, office workers and store clerks that they are. Then, we set to work with makeup artists, hairstylists and  wardrobe consultants.

Afterwards, they get photographed by seasoned Daily News photographers. The results can be dramatic. I point all this out to say, that with the right resources - glamorus photo such as Jenner's is within reach.

"Anyone can look like a million dollars if you have a million dollars behind you," agreed  Carmen Lopez, 27, a Camden native who's transgendered herself.

"You can make anyone look like anything with the power of makeup," pointed out  Lopez, a makeup artist who two months ago moved to Las Vegas.  "At the same time, that doesn't take away from the fact that she looks great."

"As long as she's happy and living her truth, that's all that truly matters," Lopez added about Jenner.

Now, for the next frontier: Jenner has to figure out how to  be convincingly female everyday. Without the benefit of special lighting and Leibovitz's camera filter, that could be the real challenge.