Fashion Photography: Beginners Guide to Fashion Photography

There are different types of photography. We have wildlife photography, landscape, and portrait. Others are travel, sports, architectural, fine art and fashion photography. Fashion photography's aim is to showcase cloths, models, accessories in a beautiful way. We have 4 styles mainly street, catalog, editorial and high fashion.

There are different genre of fashion photography to consider. Popular categories are street fashion, high fashion, catalog and editorial photography.

1. wildlife photography
2. landscape
3. portrait
4. travel
5. sports
6. architectural
7. fine art
8. fashion

   
   

Fashion brands dominate high fashion section and invest heavily in productions. The productions are strictly commercial in nature for public awareness or sales. They hire top models, celebrates including sports personalities. Every aspect of the shoot from makeup, hair, wardrobe lighting are exaggerated to confer the photographers concept and ideas.

Street photography focuses on daily trends of ordinary people and fashionable personalities. The shoot is mostly spontaneous and in the moment. Photographers in this area of specialization attend gala nights, popular events to photograph guests.

Catalog photography is used to represent products or brands. They are basically studio productions used to compliment a product. Aim of the information image is to market a product in the most appealing way.

Fashion magazine style of photography is editorial fashion photography. There is some theme play, story statement or enactment in this gender.

Types of Fashion Photography

• Catalog
• Street
• Editorial
• High fashion

Tools of the trade involves equipment like lighting, camera, and backdrop. Others include makeup, accessories, and clothes. Camera choice depends on the application and vision of the photographer. You have those that are full frame or crop sensor, different lens specification.

• Lighting
• Camera
• Backdrop
• Makeup
• Accessories
• Clothes
• different lens specification

There are basic steps to organize a fashion shoot. You need to plan the shoot, gather equipment like camera, lenses, backdrop, and lighting. Next select a team of competent professionals then find the model.

The fashion consultant will select the appropriate outfit, organize the makeup and hair. Search for a suitable location, setup the shoot and edit photograph.

Steps to Organize Fashion Shoot

1. Plan the shoot
2. Gather the equipment
3. Select the team
4. Find a model
5. Choose the outfit
6. Makeup
7. Hair and Stylist
8. Find a location
9. Setup the shoot

10. Edit photographs

Planning a fashion shoot is fun, moderately challenging. The first thing to do is to outline aspects of the shoot and purpose. Considerations include type of lighting, models make-up, hair styling and outfit.

Others are lighting, mood, aesthetics and choice of location. Prepare a brief or descriptive outline then build a portfolio of work.

A professional shoot consists of a model or models. Depending on the theme or job, approach amateur or professional models. Model choice include top professionals, new entrants in the business, amateurs, celebrity and self-portraits. Decide on the physical appearance, gender and subject to fit the subject.

A fashion magazine might have specific outfits already chosen. Sometimes the cloths are sourced from a fashion line or product.

Make-up, Hair Stylist

Make-up and hair are an important part of the outcome of the fashion shoot. Find experienced hair and make-up stylists in the industry. To achieve good synergy make sure the cloths, hair style and make-up work seamlessly.

Create the Mood

Mood boards are an essential aspect visual presentation. Select images that confer clear ideas to achieve a visual summary or goal. It confers on the team the concept and direction of a photo shoot.

Select the Team

Fashion photography is a collaborative effort between professionals. There are people in-charge of lighting, backdrop, makeup and outfit. Others are camera man, editing, professional models and stylist.

Find a location

Set or production is done in a studio or a selected location. Make sure to confirm location then select appropriate backdrop. Location fits brief, has amenities then obtain necessary permits. On shoot day use a call sheet organize shoot, review photographs and backup the work.