9 Fascinating ideas to take your fashion photography
to the next level
Haven’t
you heard the phrase “even that girl on the glossy magazine cover does not look
like the girl on the glossy magazine cover”. That’s
actually true, there’s so much room to play in fashion photography, and it is a
lot of fun for those who like that creative challenge.
The
world of glitz
and glamor
is indeed enticing and if you are passionate about fashion photography or aim
to take it up as a full time profession, here’s how you can get ahead of the
curve:
Understand fashion
You
have to have a good understanding of the industry in general. If you cannot
differentiate an oxford from a loafer or a kimono from a cape, there’s a
problem. Be in tune with the industry, the latest trends, the requirements, the perception, get a general picture of all-things fashion.
Your skills with the camera might be mind-blowing but unless you know fashion
you wouldn’t ace fashion
photography.
No,
you don’t need to have a degree in fashion, although that would help immensely.
There’s a vast gamut of knowledge on the web that you can scour through. Read
up on the changing fashion scenes, the basics, the different leading brands and
how they do fashion. The best technique by far is to assist a fashion
photographer, that way you don’t just get to learn from an expert but you
automatically induct yourself in the industry where you can both actively and
passively learn more about it.
Own
the floor
This
could be applicable to all branches of photography but mainly in fashion photography. A fashion photographer is a choreographer, a
visionary, a director, and a skilled photographer all rolled in. You have to
wear different hats and therefore you cannot afford to let control slip even
for a moment.
You
envision the shot to be a certain way, like all photographers do, but unlike a
landscape photography or a portrait, a fashion photography is trickier. You are
working with people and with an objective in mine. Is this for a magazine cover?
For a portfolio image? Or for a commercial requirement? You aren’t just
creating art, you are creating art with a purpose in mind. And for which you
have to be utterly sure of how to go about it.
Know
what it to be done and own every step of it. That, however, does not mean that
you should not be ready to adapt and fine tune or completely revamp tings as
per the need of the hour.
Bring out the best in the
model
Duh!
Why is this even on the list? The reason is in fashion photography you don’t
just show the beauty of a person, you show their authority. You show them as
someone who knows what they are doing, you show them as an authority. The reason why models in fashion-centric
shows look so authoritative is because the idea is to get the masses to think
of them as someone who understands fashion and someone they would like to
emulate.
The
one thing that should show through in your fashion photographs is confidence.
Strong eye contact, chin tilted a little high, confident posture, and an
overall sense of conviction radiating through.
Clothes and accessories are
more important than the model
Some
say they are equally important but honestly, your clothes and accessories are
more important. Clothes they say maketh a man, and
they definitely do maketh a man engaged in the
fashion industry for sure. Most fashion shoots are for brands and to highlight
the clothes or accessories donned on by the model.
You
have to give these the center stage too. Choose how the setup and backdrop
would bring it out better. Decide upon the hairstyle and makeup look keeping
the clothes and accessories in mind, and it should be such that it complements
and adds on to it. A caveat however is the contrasting effect that a lot of
photographers go for. They try to create a striking contrast between the object
to be highlighted and the overall look, this brings it out in a more contrasted
way and is a great technique to grab attention.
Harness the power of a good
pose
In
fashion photography you don’t have your model looking straight in the camera
smiling with unkempt everyday hair. We’re not saying you can’t have that
portrait feel to it but the idea is different from the idea behind portrait
photography.
And which is why how to get your models to pose is challenging and comes with
tons of different options.
Should
you make them sit cross-legged looking seductively down at the camera while you
shoot from the floor up. Or should you do an eye-level
shot with their hands firmly at their
side and neck titled authoritatively while they stare straight at the camera in
a no-nonsense way? A lot would also depend upon the clothes they are wearing,
the objective of the shoot, and how you envision the shot to be.
Learn fashion lighting
Lighting
in general plays an important role in photography but when it comes to fashion,
it’s a whole different ball game. You need to have the perfect flawless click
and for that you need to know your way with lighting.
A
lot of expert fashion photographers are of the opinion that fashion-related
photography is best done indoors in a studio because you have access to and
control over the lighting. Obviously, this isn’t always possible because the
need of the shoot might call for an on the beach click or somewhere outdoors.
However, if given a choice always go for the studio option.
As
a photographer you are probably already aware of the lighting modifiers used in
general. Some of the must-have accessories a fashion photographer should invest
in are giant umbrellas, octabanks, and scrims. There
are a lot more too but these are the basic ones that you must have. Also, you
need to learn how to manipulate lighting to your advantage, should it fall from
the front illuminating the model or should you create a silhouette look with
the light blazing in from the back. Also, what type of light to be used, too
much of the wrong light can highlight the flaws instead of beautifying it, so be careful
with that as well.
You
would learn a lot about lighting by reading up on what expert fashion
photographers have to say and you’d both learn a lot and intuitively take
decisions if you assist one. It always makes sense to learn from the expert
before you go on the floor, even if you are fairly good at your job.
Shoot underwater
Shooting
fashion-centric images under the water can be tricky. On one hand you have the
hair and makeup that can go completely kaput if you shoot underwater, plus the
clothes might not come out as you wish it to be, plus it can completely go
wrong with the camera conking off (if you don’t have the right gear). Oh, and
there’s the case of the model catching a cold and delayed shoots.
So,
yes a lot can go wrong, which is why this is unchartered territory, which is
why you should look into it because the idea is to be different right. Can it
be done? Yes! Is this challenging? Very! Should you do it? Absolutely.
Underwater
shoots won’t work for every fashion project but it works remarkably well for
swimwear brands, but is not limited to it. Think about flowy
gowns and how magically intriguing an underwater shot would be for one such
look. Props are again very important in this kind of fashion
photography,
you can change the look and feel of your clicks just by adding the correct
props. Understand the tricks to go about shooting underwater and you would fall
in love with your own creation. And P.S. do not forget to factor in oxygen
cylinders and other such requirements, think about your models’ and team
member’s comfort too.
Master retouching
Retouching
is the word synonymous with fashion photography. Like in the case of the girl
on the magazine cover not looking like the girl on the magazine cover, it’s
retouching that creates that difference. Every image (okay most images, some
photographers end up creating a masterpiece only with their cameras) needs a
substantial amount of post-processing to be done. Whether you use Photoshop
Actions
to create a quick change based on pre-recorded steps or use Lightroom
presets,
which also essentially is the same thing, the idea is to enhance the picture
for the better.
Practice a lot
You
are not going to get it right the first time, or the second, or the thirtieth
but you will get it right. Keep practicing as much as you can, especially if
you are just starting out. Shoot friends and family, work on those pictures,
and better yourself. You might take some time to get there but constant
practicing and learning you will be there in no time.
Fashion
photography is a fun profession and one you would completely love to be a part
of. We’d love to hear what you think about these tips and if you have any more
tips to add!
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