Getting started in fashion photography.

[Abigail97]

Hello,

I hoping somebody can offer me some advice please. I am wanting to pursue fashion photography without university and am wondering where the best place to start is? I am prepared to work hard and do whatever it takes to do this without a degree.
I am not an absolute beginner but currently only have basic knowledge of studio shooting.
I don’t have a portfolio so can’t really approach models to build one as I have nothing relevant to show. How can I rectify this?
If anybody can offer me any advice that would be highly appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[petersmart]

Fashion photography is very difficult and you certainly need a good grounding in photographic techniques, and the ability to produce high quality work all the time.

To start with get as many fashion magazines you can, and online mags, and study the photos and see how they were taken.

Notice especially that there is detail everywhere with no burnt out highlights and the deepest shadows still have detail.

To build a portfolio find out if there is college near you with courses in fashion and approach the students and explain what you want to do - they would probably be happy to pose for you if they were certain you could produce reasonable quality work.

Or simply use some friends to start with.

Not having a studio shouldn't be a fail point since most fashion photos are normally taken to show off the clothes so a location with a grey wall etc could do to begin with.

Or an outdoor location could be used - but here you would definitely need to watch the White Balance and set it correctly with a white or grey card.

But before you do any of that, as I have said, make sure that your photographic techniques can produce good photos - that is the firm foundation that all your other work will be done.

 

[FruitFlakes]

What kind of fashion photography are you into? What magazines do you usually pick up? Favourite photographers (can be fashion or from other genres)?

The basic answer would be to assist photographers to learn the ropes + network with stylists who'll take a chance with you on a shoot. From there, keep producing editorials and test shoots that showcase your vision which will build your portfolio, which you can show to magazines which will hopefully translate to commercial work.

You don't really need a degree to do fashion photography, just a keen eye for aesthetics and the ability to produce a unique vision within a fashion framework. Technical ability is useful but not actually essential.

 

[petersmart]

Technical ability is useful but not actually essential.

Really?

In almost any commercial photo field technical ability is one of the things any editor etc will be looking for - if the OP cannot produce technically excellent photos she will simply not be hired - after all there are many excellent photographers in the commercial field who can produce the quality any editor will want.

 

[FruitFlakes]

Really?

In almost any commercial photo field technical ability is one of the things any editor etc will be looking for - if the OP cannot produce technically excellent photos she will simply not be hired - after all there are many excellent photographers in the commercial field who can produce the quality any editor will want.

I work in the industry and technical knowledge is behind having an actual vision and direction to your work. On a commercial job you can always hire a lighting director to help you get the lighting you want, and things like white balance are handled by the digi tech. That’s not to say having no technical knowledge at all is fine since you’ll want to communicate effectively on set, but it isn’t as important as you make it out to be - there are a few working fashion photographers who aren’t very technical at all who get booked for jobs all the time since they can produce a unique look.

Some disciplines are inherently more technical of course (still life for one) but most work with models is more about direction and the ability to sell a certain aesthetic.

 

[Deleted member 89874]

I think any area of photography is incredibly hard to get into these days, where 'everybody' is a photographer. But, if you're determined that's a big help.

I'd Google 'Rossella Vanon' as she is London's top fashion photographer at the moment and she does training courses/days in London and she has a brilliant book available on lighting.

Check out her website, her images are first rate. Her site is: http://www.rvanonphotography.com

She's done some YouTube videos, but they are generally adverts for her day courses. To be honest, you'd get most of what you want to know from her book. But if you went on a day course I'm sure you could get some tips and tricks and 'trade' secrets from her if you asked nicely.

I'd go on one of her courses myself, but I think she's married