Your First Steps into Fashion Photography

Fashion photography has experienced a number of ground-shifting changes in the past years. It has changed from something that was simple and formula-based, and it has attracted surplus energy and creativity.

As a result, there are few limits on what people can do in fashion photography these days. If you just flip through the current fashion magazines, you will indeed know that things are no longer the same.

 

Tips to Getting Started in Fashion Photography

1) Understand Your Objectives

First and foremost, understand the primary objectives of fashion photography. It’s advisable to ensure that you know the basics of what you want to achieve with your photography.

On objectives, you should:
 

• Ensure sure that you show off the clothes you have on the display.

• Avoid dull pictures that do not show the glaring resplendence of the attire. Again, the images should be compelling enough to the point of eliciting the reactions of the viewer.

Otherwise, you will not succeed in selling the clothing until you convince the audience that the clothes are to their taste. Ensure that the models have the right mood and personality that complements with the clothes. This way, you will come up with spots that editors will want to publish.

2) Plan for the Shoot

Another fundamental step is planning for the shoot. There are many developments going on in the fashion photography shooting world. Do adequate shooting preparations to bolster your chances of coming up with the best shots.
 

• Visualise some of the images you want to have in the end at this point. This also helps you get more ingenious as you continue with your shots. Remember that you should have brilliant ideas as you start in order to allow room for creativity as you continue.

• Have the poses in mind way before you start the shooting process. Planning the poses is crucial because it will determine the outcome of the whole project. You should have some visual guidelines to help you from the start. As mentioned earlier, let ingenuity and creativity come in as you proceed with your project but have a clear mental picture of you want to achieve at the end of the day.

• To get enough inspiration for the pose, you should browse fashion magazines for tips. The internet makes it easier to sleuth websites like a gumshoe as you scout for posing ideas from people who have succeeded before in this regard. For instance, the Vogue magazine will prove very helpful as you shop around for inspiring pose ideas.

• Ensure that the lighting is well prepared. It’s undeniably the most crucial step in fashion photography, and it is pointless to overemphasise its importance. Choose the right type of lighting in order to come up with the most brilliant shots. Do a calculation and determine how many lights you need for the most appealing effect.

Decide whether you need a shooting assistant or you can do it by yourself. However, you will mostly need assistance throughout the process. Assistants will mean that you should have enough money to pay them. You are advised not to hire assistants unless you are doing a mega commercial shooting. If you are experimenting with your fashion photography, you should do it alone. You may, however, hire the assistants if your budget allows.

3) Select the Location

Shooting will involve a lot of outdoor photography, and there are some areas that do not allow photography. Always seek permission in time to avoid last minute disappointments. In the same vein, you should make sure that there are no people who might interrupt the shooting process. You may, for instance, liaise with the relevant authorities to have notices posted to ward off any possible interruptions.
Other considerations to bear in mind regarding the fashion shoot location:
 

• If you opt to shoot in a studio, you can easily fine-tune the light slowly until you have achieved the most desired effect. You may also gradually introduce the props you want to the process.

• If you decide to shoot outdoors without having to hire the services of a studio, you only will need to improvise. You just need to get a room at your house that lets in enough light and use it for this purpose. Hang some white sheet over the light in order to soften the light.

• Bear in mind that shooting indoors may not have the advantages of outdoor shooting. Outdoor shooting is a great way of bringing in the personality, atmosphere, and energy into the whole affair. Opt for a location which enables you to capture and convey the character of the models and the style of the clothes they are wearing.

• As you do your shooting outdoors, you should ensure that you do not lose the clothes as your centrepiece. Basically, the whole idea was to showcase your fashion. You will have achieved little if you do not succeed in bringing the best aspects of your clothes to the foreground.

 

In summary, the above tips are supposed to act as a guide for those entering the fashion photography industry. Remember that you ingenuity and originality should play a bigger role in ensuring that you achieve exactly what you want. Good luck!
 

Related Articles

• Fashion Photography, the Art, its History and Evolution
• Basic Fashion Photo Shoot Tips: Find a Home in Fashion
• Need to Shoot a Fashion Show, We’ve Got You Covered
• Fashion Locations: Our Top Fashion Photography Locations of the Season
• Fashion Photo Shoots, Hints, Tips and Tricks