Some locations are occur the studio

Some locations are occur the studio room using specialized backgrounds or

elaborate set design. Rather than building sets or keeping plain

backgrounds, I often prefer to venture beyond the studio room to find an interesting

location. Adding compelling locations to your symbol and wedding sets

is a great (and relatively simple) way to add interest to your photography. In

fashion photography, shooting beyond the studio room is called shooting on

location, and it’s used for a specific purpose. Sometimes locations help to further

a tale, sometimes they match a particular theme, sometimes they are peculiar,

and sometimes they simply complement the clothing on the model.

By taking photos subjects in an interesting, extravagant, or even peculiar

environment, you help them feel that they are living the fantasy of fashion

photography. As stated before, fashion photography is often about fantasy and

surrealism. When you take clients out of their usual surroundings and place

them somewhere more exciting, you are creating a fantasy world achieved

through your images.

Figure 2. 1 certainly creates an air of fantasy and surrealism. I could get

permission to photograph inside a botanical garden to get this striking setting.

2

Shoot on Location

23 Fashion Sparkle for Symbol and Wedding Photography

Interaction

Some of the best locations are those that your subject can interact with. Because

you are dealing with clients who aren’t models, it is much easier for them to

pose if you provide them some sort of environment to interact with. Whether

it’s a rock to take a seat on or a entry to lean in, if there is a natural path for clients

to interact with the surroundings, they will feel tranquil and cooler.

Consider checking other shooter

Consider checking other shooter and artist sites to find great work. If you

search a certain keyword on Flickr or Google Image, you might find an image

to help you complete your concept or give you a grab linen to communicate

with your creative team. You might search Getty Images (a stock photo agency)

or try an artist social networking site like DeviantArt. When searching such

general sites, you're sure to come across a lot of visual noise, but once in a while

you will find exactly what you are looking for.

14 Fashion Sparkle for Symbol and Wedding Photography

See Your Concepts

Once you’ve found your source of inspiration, you need to put together a

cohesive concept.

For example, you’ve decided to go with the 1950’s customer as a location for an

proposal session. What hair would look best for this shoot? What type of

clothing should the couple be wearing?

If you have a creative team, they will be able to come to you with ideas for hair,

makeup, and clothing. If not, now's time for more research. Go online to find

the appropriate design necessary. How do you want the bride-to-be to style her

hair? What should the groom-to-be wear?

In fashion photography, the shooter is often telling a tale. The story

doesn’t have to be logical in the traditional sense but should provide a way to

bring the person into the image and explore the story within.

A creative team refers to the individuals

A creative team refers to the individuals you work with during a fashion shoot.

They add the hair stylist, makeup artist, wardrobe stylist, prop stylist, and

any other people who take part in making your concept a reality. If you choose

to work with hair stylists, makeup artists, or wardrobe stylists, chances are they

are brimming with ideas for sets. 

They are artists as you and have their own

ideas and visual goals. Many will keep their own bunch of grab sheets for

inspiration. If you are short on ideas or just buying a different perspective,

turning to your creative team can be a great way to come up with something

unusual.

In Figure 1. 3, for example, I had a college fashion major approach me and have

me to photograph her work. From there I recently needed to find a client or

model who would be befitting the design she provided. She created the

clothes and the headpiece and even helped direct the hair and makeup.

Fashion photography involves a great deal

Fashion photography involves a great deal of preparation. It’s what stands between

basic portraits from fashion or conceptual portraiture.

For a typical symbol session, you show up, fulfill the subject, and take pictures.

There is often little discussion of location, hair, clothing, props, and lighting.

There is hardly ever a concept behind the symbol except to create a complementing image

of the subject.

Fashion photography often produces striking images because of all the preparation

involved, most of which occurs before the actual day of the shoot.

It involves organizing a spot, determining the shoot concept, selecting the

model, choosing the wardrobe, and communicating the concept to the hair and

makeup team. A high-end, single-day shoot may involve weeks of preparation.

To give your portraiture a distinct fashion sparkle, you must set out to consider

some of the actions you can take to make your images stand out. Ask yourself

what elements will contribute to a strong image.

For example, Figure 1. 1 has a distinct fashion sparkle primarily from the pose and

post processing. It was part of a boudoir shoot to be given as a wedding gift.

Rather than doing a glamour shoot, we made the shoot high fashion by using

rich colors, purposefully selected makeup, and a fashion pose. This did not take

a great deal of time or preparation, but the client and Used to do discuss beforehand

the final look we were trying to achieve.

A graduate of Syracuse University’s

A graduate of Syracuse University’s S. I. Newhouse School of Public Com --

munica tions, She has received dozens of awards, scholarship grants, and recognizes

for her work.

She published her first book, The Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online

Marketing and Social media, this season.

She loves teaching photography, and each year she shares her knowledge

with thousands of professional photographers through workshops, her blog, and as a

platform speaker at many of photography’s biggest meetings.

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Fashion photography is all about fantasy. It is about creating an alternate

reality, even if that the reality is just a enhanced version of what already exists.

Fashion photography can be what you may are interested to be:

■ It can be Zen-like and peaceful, or it can be rebellious and in your face.

■ It can be delicate and refined, or it can be tough and gritty.

■ It can be quiet and moderate, or it can be bold and colorful.

Fashion is about fantasy-whatever fantasy you envision. As a shooter,

this freedom is really rewarding.

The ability to create fantasy attracts many clients. Most people don’t want

to just look like themselves in a symbol; they want to look like the “perfected”

version of themselves, or also the version of themselves they see in their

mind. People usually don’t desire the truth; they desire the fantasy. They can

have the reality any day, but they come to you to create what they wish they

could be or experience what they wish they could have.