A Comprehensive Research on Fashion Photography
Nowadays, you will rarely find anyone who is incurious about fashion. With the continuous evolution of fashion, people, especially fashion-nerds always update themselves with the trend. Without even an iota of doubt, photography has a massive influence on fashion items and accessories. Whether it is economically or aesthetically, fashion photographs are conducive for the fashion items dealers. They not only reflect enticing views of the products but also enable the businessmen to make a substantial profit.
If you want to create a sensation with your fashion products, supreme fashion photography is as crucial as the products. Hiring a fashion photographer can be posh but by adopting proper techniques, you can hire quality fashion shutterbug. For that, you have to look for recommendations, go through reviews, and make a steadfast attempt to find your desired fashion photographer.
How Important is Fashion Photography
Fashion and photography go hand in hand. In fact, if you want to represent fashion in front of your targeted audience, fashion photography is unavoidable, rather inevitable. Presently, fashion brand owners spend a flurry of time in designing and spicing up their fashion items. They invest millions of dollars to revamp the fashion products. After spending bounty of bucks, if the presentation of the products is poor or mediocre, the whole investment will go in vain. If you fluff to allure your potential buyers to snap up your products, you will end up incurring a massive loss. Imagine a situation, a model is wearing an outfit, maybe a suit, and looking extremely elegant and if you wish to wear the same dress so that you look exactly like him, it implies top-notch fashion photography. Likewise, for a lady, if she finds a female model wearing a gorgeous gown and imagines herself in the model’s situation wearing the gown, it indicates that the model photography is excellent. The presentation of the products through photography has been a crack and so it has lured the buyers.
Role of a Fashion Photographer
A quality fashion photographer is not merely a professional who can take decent shots. In fact, he has to have adequate knowledge of the photography process. He should be able to employ creativity prior to taking shots and set up the studio accordingly. A crack photographer is the one who can take over the entire photography process and fashion companies always look for such kind of photographer.
Showing Innovation: A supreme fashion photographer always aspires his photography to be remembered. Applying creativity is one of the utmost requirements for a fashion photographer. Along with capturing fashion items with or without models, he has to create a vision. He has to project himself as an outstanding photographer with his masterpiece.
A Fashion Photographer has to be Brand-oriented: While shooting products for a brand, a fashion photographer must be loyal to the particular brand. He must fathom a brand’s identity as well as the images that a brand uses and take shots accordingly. He should create a vision taking into account the retailers the products are capturing for. On top of that, both fashion brands and retailers seek photographers who can snap focusing not only on the brand identity but also put the idea into action.
A Linker between Fashion and Culture: Fashion is one of the components that complements a particular culture. In fashion photography, it is very key to connect fashion with culture. The onus is on the fashion photographer to comprehend the culture and connect it with his photography. He has to know the status quo of the world, the ongoing fashion in different cultures and link it to the apparel. Thus, he can ace his fashion photography project.
Allotting Everyone his or her Job: Fashion photography cannot be carried out singly rather it’s a teamwork. The crew has a particular role and they should be conversant about that. A fashion photographer, along with, taking photoshoot, also has to communicate with the crew and convey their roles. A crew consists of members such as stylists, make-up artists, hairstylists, personal assistants, etc. who also have to carry out their job responsibly to let the photographer thrive in fashion photography.
Direction is Crucial: A professional fashion photographer always guides his model, instructs the model on how to pose and utilize the props. At the same time, he allows his model full freedom so that he/she can choose his/her personal style and intuition. The main goal to direct the model is to extract the best out of the model. A fashion photographer can direct the model about proper poses, perfect body language, and giving full concentration.
Take Advantage of Location: Normally, a fashion shutterbug prior to shooting, makes up his mind how to avail the location. But instant thinking is something that will always arise in the mind of the photographer. So, as a fashion photographer, you should utilize this reflection let it be related to angle, lighting, or anything else. One of the salient factors while shooting outside is the impact of natural light as it beautifies fashion photography.
Post-processing: Once the photos are snapped, the most pivotal job after that is photo retouching. This can be executed by the photographer himself or by the assistance of professional photo editing companies. To be considered as an on-demand fashion photographer, it is highly recommended that a fashion photographer possesses technical skills. He should be able to touch up the photos splendidly. After all the hard-work, when he finds the final product as his desire, he feels like in heaven.
Finally, Some Tweaking for Social Media: A professional fashion photographer should know the usage of his captured images let it be in print media, electronic media, or digital media. There are many fashion brands that carry out their marketing through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Hence, a fashion photographer should be well versed with all the image manipulation techniques to fit the images in various platforms. For example, Instagram differs in image display from other platforms like Facebook.
How to Become a Fashion Photographer
Fashion photography! It really sounds exciting. This is definitely one of the glamorous professions that are going around the world currently. Professional and deft fashion photographers are highly sought-after by magazine publishers and advertising agencies. While many other photographers get the opportunity to build their career as art photographers and paparazzi. Whatever the niche is, the key for a fashion photographer is to master photography and produce a masterpiece.
Produce your Portfolio: First and foremost thing that you have to do is to set up your portfolio. A portfolio is something that will speak for you. It reflects your works, experience as well as achievement. Nowadays, many fashion photographers show a proactive approach and build their websites either through Wordpress or other frameworks. You have to regularly update your website with your latest fashion photography works. However, if you don’t have any noteworthy achievement, you have to spare some time and go for photoshoots.
Create a Photo Book: In the case of a photographer, people intend to view the collection of photos in a book. Hence, you should pick some of your supreme shots and print them to incorporate them into the book. You have to include those photos in the book that highlight your innovative thinking. If your work was taken into consideration by any magazine or advertising agency, display them the shots that make them interested to you.
Offer Services for Free: This is another way of bolstering your portfolio. Providing complimentary services will entice many models and they will ask you to take their shots for their interests. Even though you will not get paid, this will enable you to connect with various well-known fashion brands, magazines, and advertising agencies. As a result, your chances of getting a job will also get high. Additionally, when you are working complimentarily, you are independent and can make experiments as well. Having said that, you should work for free only when you kick off your career. So, don’t let others exploit you once you enrich your portfolio.
Intern at Photography Studio: Internship is a magnificent way to hone your craft. When you work as an assistant to another professional fashion photographer, it provides you a great opportunity to learn and master fashion photography. Give full dedication and concentration while working with a photographer. Don’t forget to ask queries to the photographer as much as possible to enrich your knowledge. Your goal should be making yourself master before you take up fashion photography.
Finally, Promote yourself: Once you are all set to take up the challenge, start marketing yourself. These days, photographers circulate their works by various platforms including social media. Due to the escalating usage of social media, there is no alternative to utilizing it. You can have a social media presence, especially on Facebook and Linkedin to create your identity. Post your superior photos as much as possible to let people know about your knack and quality. The more you will promote yourself, the higher the chances you will become a professional fashion photographer.
Top 5 Fashion Photographers in the World
Emily Soto: A US-based fashion photographer, Emily Soto is known for shooting creative model photos. She is also an inspiration for many amateur photographers as she assists them in fashion photography through various workshops, not in just America but also outside America. She also owns FashionActions.com which enables her to engage with many people across the globe and scale up her followers. Her masterpieces are available in various magazines like S Moda, Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, Manhattan Weddings, Digital SLR Magazine, PopPhot.com, People.com, MTV.com, OKMagazine.com, DailyMail.co.uk, Eco Brides (Australia), FashionEditorials.com, Thrifty Hunter and more.
Annie Leibovitz: She is also American fashion photography who is blessed with creativity. Her creativity will take you to a different world as she has a splendid knack to click some of the bewitching fashion and model photographs. She started off her career when she was a student working for Rolling Stone magazine followed by Vanity Fair in 1983. She was honored with several awards including the International Center of Photography Lifetime Achievement Award, American Society of Magazine Editor’s first Creative Excellence Award, and many more.
Mario Testino: A Peruvian photographer by nationality, Mario Testino has snapped some of the world’s eminent faces including Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen, and Kate Moss right down to Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Kylie Minogue. He specializes in capturing portrait and fashion photographs for various iconic brands. He has also a reputation to work with celebrities. His works were featured in various top magazines including Vanity Fair and Vogue. He started to garner fame when Princess Diana commissioned him to photograph her for Vanity Fair. In addition, Mario has crafted photography for prominent fashion houses like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Versace, etc.
Todd Anthony Tyler: He is an international well-known fashion and model photographer who made his mark globally, especially in Asia. Apart from being a fashion photographer, he is also an actor, writer, and art director. After he initiated his career as a model, he notched up success behind the camera. He has his personal studio in China which enabled him to become a popular photographer in Asia. Among various magazines where his works were published, Elle China, Vogue China, L’Officiel, and Harper’s Bazaar China are worth mentioning.
Patrick Demarchalier: He is one of the most on-demand fashion photographers with whom every model dreams to work. He hails from France and is one of the best fashion photographers of all time. He has his own magnificent style of taking shots and has captured many celebrities so far. His photos of Christy Turlington for British Vogue (New York, 1992) and Nadja Auermann for Harper’s Bazaar (Paris, 1994 and New York, 1995) are the notable ones. He has a reputation of snapping almost every top model and the covers of every renowned magazine. One of his biggest achievements is to become the official photographer of Princess Diana of Wales in 1989- the first non-Briton ever to do so.
How Much a Model Earns
As stated earlier, modeling is a striking and tantalizing profession, especially for the girls. Many models are featured in newspapers, magazines, billboards, and commercials by various companies to advertise their products. Generally, they work with photographers, fashion designers, make-up artists, etc. A model can represent a variety of products such as apparel, foods, cosmetics, electronics, etc. Models always appear as flamboyant as their prime goal is to catch the attention of the people. They work in studios, runways, as well as locations and so traveling is a part of their job. When it comes to making money, they earn mammoth bucks but for that, they also work hard considerably. As per ZipRecruiter, till May 26, 2019, the average annual income of a model in the USA was estimated at $132,835. The salary of the majority of the models ranges between $52000 to $128000 across the USA.
Top 5 Highest-Paid Models
Kendall Jenner: She kicked off her modeling career during the age of 14 with the support of her family. Her first appearance as a model was on the cover of Teen Vogue and since then she became one of the sought-after models in the world. She has worked for the world’s many top brands including Adidas, Fendi, and La Perla. She has 92.1 million followers on her Instagram page which justifies why she is the world’s richest model.
Annual Earnings: $22.5 million
Karlie Kloss: She has been walking the runways for many world’s giant designers after she was discovered in 2005. Due to weight-gain, she lost bookings with many designers and now she is focusing solely on her project Kode with Klossy which is intended to empower girls between the age of 13 to 18. What is commendable in her work is that she offers services complimentarily which renders many girls to revolutionize their lives. Her philanthropic was acknowledged by “Times magazine” as she was featured in 100 most influential people’s list in 2016.
Annual Earnings: $13 million
Chrissy Tejgen: She commenced her career as sports illustrated cover girl and since then she appeared in the cover of Glamour, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. She is well-known for her ravishing Instagram posts and the television series Lip Sync Battle where she hosts the program with LL Cool J. She appears in umpteen advertisements including Smirnoff and Vita Coca. She has 2 published cookbooks namely Cravings: Recipes for all the Food You Want to Eat and its sequel Cravings: Hungry for More.
Annual Earnings: $11.5 million
Rosey Huntington Whiteley: She has been in the industry for over 15 years and still she is attracting ample attraction. She is constructing her own empire with her new beauty site. She continues to dominate catwalk in her time-off. She is well-known for her lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret and her work with Mark and Spencer. In addition, she stars in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Aside from being a model, she is also an actress, designer as well as a businesswoman.
Annual Earnings: $11.5 million
Gisele Bundchen: She is currently the face of Carolina Herrera’s 212 VIP Rosé fragrance, as well as shoe company Arezzo and Brazilian jeweler Vivara. She was on the top of the list of Victoria’s Secret show for 15 years and left the show recently. She is also a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme. Even though she has retired, she makes huge bucks through campaigns with some of her favorite brands.
Annual Earnings: $10 million
How to Become a Model
Modeling is a sought-after profession due to its charm. People, especially, womenfolk aspire for this profession to present themselves glamorously. Apparently, it is an easy job but in reality failure in this industry is exorbitant. Even though the profession is lucrative, the beginners must know the requirements to flourish in this profession. In this competitive age, before one steps into modeling, he/she must work hard, hone skills, and know about the demanding market.
Decide the Type of Model you Wish to Be: Various areas of modeling are available for you but you have to make up your mind which one is the best for you. Depending on your height, look, and other factors, you can choose a type out of a variety of types. Runway model, A plus-sized model, print model, fitness model, glamor model, etc. are some of the areas you can go for. Some agencies look for models that do not meet the industry standards of height, weight, and beauty as well.
Garner Knowledge about the Industry: Researching and enriching knowledge about modeling are essential to polish your skill. You can read books, magazines, articles, blogs, and quality guides to comprehend better about various aspects of modeling. Apart from that, you can also research various prominent agencies that hire high-profile models for popular fashion shows.
Make Yourself Healthy: Fitness is a prerequisite for one to become a model. A sound body portrays your best appearance and this is what you can achieve by having a healthy diet and doing regular exercise. Consult with a trainer and let him know about your goal so that he can advise you on a customized diet regimen. Eat a healthy diet including vegetables, fruits, healthy fats as well as proteins. On top of that, drink plenty of water but avoid consuming alcohol and sodas.
Focus on your appearance: What you wear, how you look, are very crucial factors in facilitating your way of becoming a model. Make sure you look elegant and gorgeous. You should always appear well-dressed and natty. Don’t forget to wash your face to portray a glowing skin. Exfoliate once a week. Keep your hair clean, glossy, and soothing.
Consider Occasional Modeling: If you think you are not fitting for the above-mentioned modeling, you can choose occasional modeling. There are many companies that hire models for special programs to promote their products. These companies want their clientele to interact directly with the models having great personalities to promote their products. These models are visible in grocery stores, clubs, events to publicize products like foods, drinks, and other new products. Other companies hire trade show models to market their products in tents and booths.
Present yourself Confidently: To execute any task, confidence is a prerequisite. Modeling is a task in which you have to showcase yourself; you have to publicize yourself and substantiate your skills. Being bashful and showing a suppressive approach will not serve the purpose. Hence, you have to produce your personality in such a manner so that it appeals to fashion brands and agencies.
Build your Modeling Portfolio: Take some shots with the assistance of a professional photographer. You should have these shots in natural light without too much make-up. Ask the photographer to take shots from different angles and directions. Don’t forget to consider headshots and body shots as well. Even though professional photography is a bit pricey, it is a worthwhile investment to build your career. After having all the shots, cherrypick your images and incorporate them in your portfolio.
Measure yourself: Knowing your own measurement is an additional advantage. When an agency calls you for an interview, they can ask you about your basic measurements and other relevant information. So know your height and weight precisely. Also take measurements of your attire such as dress size, waist, hip, and chest. Other relevant information includes hair color, skin tone, eye color, etc.
Show Professionalism and Humility: Being professional for a model is inevitable. When you work with other people, you have to be at your very best. Treat them nicely and gently so that you can build a strong rapport with them. You never know, any of them can assist you in your utmost need. Apart from that, you have to also form a strong relationship with your photographer so that he appreciates you. Always try to be punctual and never let anyone to complain against you. Never belittle anyone thinking that you are superior. Last but not least, organize yourself as modeling is such a profession that you can be called by agencies anytime.
Consider it Like a Job: Modeling is not a piece of cake rather it is an uphill task. If you want to build your career in modeling, you have to take it seriously. Apparently, it is a flashy and glamorous act but it requires tremendous hard-work to become a successful model. If you give even a short break from modeling, you may not even get the chance to return due to high rivalry. Once you become an eminent model, you will be sought-after by many agencies and brands.
How to Pick the Right Camera for Fashion Photography?
Fashion photography is in massive demand at present. Fashion brands are spending millions of dollars to promote their products like apparel, jewelry, cosmetics, etc. They hire models offering considerable and plummy remuneration to market their products. Photography has a huge impact on drawing the attention of the people. All these expenses will go in vain if the main tool of marketing their products, that is photography sucks. The first and foremost piece of equipment that is instrumental to carry out top-notch fashion photography is the camera. Even though fashion photography is also reliant on various other factors such as lighting, atmosphere, clothing, make-up, etc. There are umpteen top-grade cameras in the market and as time progresses, it is getting difficult to choose and buy the perfect camera. Let’s share some of the key factors prior to purchasing a camera.
Price: Camera cost is a huge factor before buying any camera. It is very crucial to set the budget before buying a camera. Before you make up your mind to snap up your camera, you have to plan early on. You must include the cost of lenses, batteries, the camera bag, filters, the memory card, etc. in your budget. Normally, people think the higher the price, the better is the product. This is actually a myth as with a moderate budget, it is highly possible to buy a top-class camera.
Size: For professional photographers, camera size matters a lot. As a professional fashion photographer, you have to travel between places to fulfill your clients’ requirements. Sometimes, you will be in a position to take indoor shots while other times outdoor shots. If you think you can tote weighty camera smoothly and it will not disconcert you, you have the prerogative. On the contrary, if weight is a concerning factor for you, go for a light and compact camera.
Resolution: Resolution is one of the utmost requirements in all types of photography which some people brush aside. In fact, the low-resolution camera fails to output high-quality images. You may be highly deft and seasoned in photo shooting but due to low-resolution, chances are high that you would end up capturing low-quality shots. For example, if you intend to shoot a model for a billboard that requires a voluminous image, your shot will pan out a shoddy one due to low-resolution.
Accessories: As a fashion photographer, you have to shoot in various lighting conditions. Some locations will provide adequate lighting while others will be lacking sufficient lighting. Hence, it won’t be wise to bank on only one lens. You should have multiple lenses in your arsenal to shoot masterpieces in different locations. So, you have to buy such a camera which supports different types of lenses and at the same time, they are available in the market.
Image Sensors: Gone are the days when photographers took their shots with the reel-based camera. Now, the cameras are designed and equipped with sensors that record the images when exposed to light after you press the shutter. Different cameras have different types of sensors but you have to look for larger image sensors to shoot quality photos. Larger image sensors blur the background, provide high-resolution images, and improve low-light performance.
How to set up a Fashion Photoshoot?
If you are looking to shoot for advertisement purposes, you will get directions from the creative director what they want. But if you shoot for your own lookbook, you have to preplan. You have to know the nitty-gritty of fashion photography. You have to choose the theme, location, as well as the backdrop and this has to be artistic as they will make or break your photography project.
Team: One of the most key aspects of fashion photography set-up is to liaise with the team. Apart from the model, a fashion photography team consists of various other assistants. A makeup artist who can do wonders by adorning the model using cosmetics. A stylist focuses more on the model’s attire and fixes the minute imperfections in the clothing before photo shooting. On top of that, a team also consists of an assistant who can run errands in requirements. Gelling with the team members will not only create a robust bond but also expedite the process.
Place of Shooting: Venue is pivotal in fashion photography. If you choose studio as your shooting site, you can carry out photo shooting as your inclination. You can take your time and prolong the process for photography revamp. On the other hand, if you decide to shoot outside, you have to follow certain rules and regulations. You have to see to it whether it is legitimate to click in that place as it can be a public area where photo shooting is restricted. Certain locations may allow photo shooting but you have to take approval from the concerned people.
Pick your Gadgets: Along with your camera, you have to pick the right lens and compatible lighting source. If you choose to shoot in different locations, only one lens will not serve the purpose rather you should have multiple lenses to shoot sharp and detailed images of the model. Additionally, depending on the shooting site, you have to select the lighting source whether it be studio lighting or natural lighting. Appropriate lighting is essential to highlight and display the model and the products.
Set up your Equipment and Execute: Prior to the arrival of the model, set up your camera, lighting, backdrop and the props in the studio. But if you decide to capture in location, reach there before the model gets there so as to set up the studio. After the model arrives, exchange words with him/her. Make the model comfortable so that he/she can be chill during the photo shooting. This, apart from slashing your labor, will also let you perform impressive photography.
Finally, give credit to the team and acknowledge each and everyone’s contribution. You are definitely the main performer but you could ace your project due to the teamwork. In addition, you can also Photoshop the minor flaws that you made during photo shooting let it be color correction, object removal, or any other digital image retouching to spice up the fashion images.
The demand for fashion or model photography is at its peak. There are hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who aspire to take up modeling as their professions. Gents wish to model for a suit, t-shirt, pants, watch, cellphone, car, bike, etc. while ladies ravish modeling for a skirt, sheath dress, shift dress, scarf, necklace, ring, bracelet, handbag, etc. Eminent companies around the world hire models to publicize their products through TV commercials, fashion shows, and other means, thereby scaling up their revenues. Many of them hire celebrities from different professions such as sports and showbiz with a plummy buck to trounce their rivals. In all these cases, the engagement of top-notch fashion or model photography is indispensable. If the photography pans out substandard or mediocre, the whole objective of the promotion will fail.
If you are a creative agency, magazine publisher, or a fashion photographer, you happen to deal with ample fashion images. Whether the images are intended for promotional purposes or to add in the portfolio, there is no alternative to professional photo manipulation services. We are a graphic design and photo editing company headquartered from Virginia, USA. Our corporate office and production house are located in Sharjah, UAE, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, respectively.
With considerable experience under our belt, we have elevated ourselves on a different level. We boast 250+ deft and experienced professional image editors who are capable of executing all sorts of complicated tasks. We care for every minute details of raw images and leave no stone unturned to perfect your images. We render optimum quality to our clients and owing to that, we have worked with many international brands including Nike, Puma, and Adidas. We have worked with many magazine publishers, advertising agencies, and fashion photographers as well.
We charge at a reasonable price and our price starts from 49¢ per image. Our turnaround time is 24 hours and we are able to deliver 5000 images/day. We have our customer care team active round the clock to let you contact us anytime. Don’t be hesitant to ping us whenever you need us. You can also visit our Facebook page for further information.
