Responsibilities of a fashion photographer – photography tips

On a fashion shoot you are pretty much responsible for everything. This is part of the business of photography. Whether you are at the beginning stages of photography or the more advanced stages you are responsible for the final outcome of the shoot.

When I first started shooting fashion photography I did a lot of TFP shoots for my fashion portfolio. For those of you who don’t know TFP means trade for prints or more commonly TFCD trade for print images on cd. After a couple years of shooting I still took on TFCD assignments. When I would come home from shooting my wife would ask why are you still shooting for free? Did you get paid today? If you didn’t get paid why are you doing it? Well, unless you can look at your fashion portfolio and say that every image you ever wanted to take is there and in order and everything is perfect it is hard not to take on these assignments in the beginning of your career. Often times you have to purchase wardrobe, hire stylists, makeup artists, models or convince these people to work with you for free. You do all of this hard work because you need the samples in your book that best reflects your style of photography and highlights what you do best. These images aren’t going to magically appear in your book through high paid assignments when you have never had a high paid assignment. If you want to be a photographer for Sports Illustrated Swimwear (who ironically, generally hires fashion photographers) you need to start building up your fashion portfolio and a self produced trip to an exotic island might be in order to start getting the appropriate samples for your book. It’s the same thing if you want to shoot for a bikini company or beauty company or lingerie client or fashion designer. You need to go out an photograph samples of their product and produce amazing results before people will start to hire you for high end jobs.

What if you are a well established photographer who has been in this business for many years and clients regularly hire you? Your responsibilities increase! You are responsible for managing everyone on the set. The final picture is your vision.

There may be a few people on set and there may be many people on the set. What are you going to do if your makeup artist doesn’t show up? How would you handle that? Where are the clothes? Are they steamed? Does the model fit into them? Where is the fashion model? Is she really on her way or is she at home still asleep from a big party the night before? It may rain on the day of your shoot when you are supposed to be shooting outside. The client insists that the shoot still take place outside on location. What do you do? Is it overcast that day? Is there heavy wind?

O.k., let’s assume you got the images and it is for a beauty client. Who is retouching them? When will they be done? How much is it going to cost? Or perhaps you are traveling with 100,000 worth of couture gowns in a foreign country and you stylist forgot the clothing on a train. This stuff really happens!

I flew to New York once for an assignment and brought some expensive equipment with me. My luggage was lost and did not show up for two weeks. The shoot was over and I was already back in Los Angeles when they found my bags.

And don’t forget the dreaded hard drive crash. Hard drives are electronic backup devices that you buy in camera and computer stores for a couple hundred dollars. These things fail! Back your work up! What exactly do you say to the model, agency, client when you can’t find their photographs.

Photography insurance. I don’t want to sound like I am exaggerating because I am not. Yesterday I was at a beach photo shoot. I was shooting with a model when I heard what sounded like a loud explosion. I turned around and our cars were totaled by a military transport vehicle. All of my cameras and equipment (except what I had in my hands at the time) were in the vehicle. Thank God my computer wasn’t. My clients computer was. We lost a lot yesterday. Do you have photography insurance?

O.k., I don’t want to scare you but these are some of the realities that you encounter over the years as a fashion photographer. So, if you are faint of heart or shy from responsibility it is time to be brave, get organized and start shooting.

Yes, i said that didn’t I? Start shooting. Rinse. Repeat. Subscribe to this blog via my main page.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Location Scouting – photography tips.

Lets get down to photography basics. Fashion photographers have an idea of what they want to shoot. Ideas come from everywhere. Perhaps you saw Mad Max last night and you want to recreate a scene of a male model in the desert. Or maybe you read a book as a child which has inspired you to shoot an idea based on that book. Great! You have an idea or inspired by something to go out and shoot. Your next step is to scout a location.

Location scouting is extremely important. The best way of doing this is to scout the location in advance if possible before the shoot date. Bring a camera. Look at the landscape around you and check out different angles and lighting at different times of the day.

When traveling to foreign countries it is great to scout a few days in advance before shooting. If you don’t have time because you are on a budget try and use the internet to get some ideas or use social networking sites to talk to people about the best places to shoot. If you are on a larger shoot a location scout will help you with this. I can spend up to three days with an assistant driving around and finding ideal spots to shoot in. Its a major part of my job.

If you are shooting a beach shoot in an exotic locale this is a good time to let the models tan if they aren’t and you need them to be. Obviously it is better if they come with a tan or if you have a makeup artist with airbrush equipment. Let the crew settle in and relax before the shoot.

If it is a shoot on a much smaller scale and you are only in the location for a few hours take time while the makeup artist and hair stylist is prepping the model to look around and familiarize yourself with your surroundings.

Remember, the location comes before the picture. It was there before the picture and will be there after the picture. Its your job to find it and use it to its fullest potential.

I hope these fashion photography tips aid you in the business of photography.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

Know your camera – photography tips.

Knowing your camera takes practice. Usually a photographer sticks with one brand of camera. When i first started out my wife purchased a Nikon film camera and it came with a kit lens. When I started digital photography I stuck with Nikon and over the years I began to acquire many lenses. Now, it would be difficult for me to make a quick jump to Canon (which is an amazing brand as well) because I am so heavily invested in Nikon lenses.

As you learn and grow the most silly things can happen to mess up an image so it is important to shoot as much as you can to understand how your camera works. I was working on a model test when i started to notice little lens flares in the picture. At first i thought there was light coming in through a window strking the lens and causing these lens flares. I took about 30 minutes going up to the windows on a ladder trying to block out the sun. Afterwards, the flares were still there. So, i tried cleaning the sensor. The flares were still there. I kept shooting as the model was waiting so long thinking that the lens flare could be an artistic choice. Later on I glanced at the lens and noticed that there were a couple of water droplets on it. I had wasted an hours time because I didn’t think to look at the lens! Funny. I know of photographers who have shot dozens of pictures to finally realize there was no memory card in the camera. I have also known fashion photographers who forgot to change the ISO from a previous shoot and the images come out super grainy or exposed improperly.

Know your camera. I am a self taught photographer but going a few semesters to a photography school can be extrememly advantageous to someone who has no idea of what they are doing. Read books on fashion photography. Most importantly, practice and improve your photography technique.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

How I work with fashion models – Fashion photography tips.

Fashion photography tips:

I often get asked the question what is your technique while working with models and where do you find them?

Models come from many different sources. Sometimes I see a girl on the street (which is rare) and I may approach her. I am usually pretty disarming because I immediately let her know I am married and have a little boy (he is 5) and I think she has a great look and ask if I can take her pic. I carry cards with me so she can have a look at my work and I leave it at that. Keep it simple.

I use social networking sites. I used to find contacts in myspace quite a bit and now, stalkerbook. I mean facebook. Sorry. Because I show some of my work on these sites I have a lot of professionals approach me asking to shoot. I love that because the model has a sense of what I do and it’s a nice compliment when someone respects your work. Also it beats the heck out of pursing a girl that does not like it. I usually set up a meeting to make sure the she hasn’t changed too much since her pictures (code for gained way too much weight) and to learn about her and tell her about myself and how I work.

Models hire me. Have camera will travel.

Modeling agencies send girls to me. I explore the world and work with modeling agencies all over. In Los Angeles I like to work with Elite (Jackie), Next and at LA models (Philippe) mostly, but there are some really cool bookers at other agencies that I have established a relationship with and who respect my work and trust my vision.

Tips:

1. Find a location and travel together if possible. I like to shoot in remote, quiet locations like the beaches and deserts around LA and sometimes in studio. I usually carpool with the model and makeup artist. This gives us a chance to talk and further get to know each other. It also really sucks if a model gets lost and you have to tell her your about 4 kilometers west of the tumbleweed near the dry river. Stay together! As a photographer it is my job to put a girl at ease. While working I have one agenda: make the model look amazing. A couple weeks after the shoot my images are often on their composite and in their book. It is important to me that the model is relaxed and looks unforgettable. Its our work and we want the best for each other!

2. Keep it simple. Sometimes the fashion models I shoot have very little on. People ask why? Modeling agencies aren’t selling fashion. They are selling the girl. They know what I shoot. As long as it is tasteful and beautiful the agents are happy. Sometimes I do work with amazing designers and clients who provide beautiful styling. The important thing is keeping them in a safe working environment which means a place where they feel comfortable to play and express themselves.

3. Give direction. On set I give direction to models. I like to give her a role to play. “The girlfriend” role is generally something that a woman can easily connect with. I will then set up the circumstances and shoot. She plays. If a model moves too quickly I may slow her down so I can capture that decisive moment. I can be particular with the direction, especially if the model is new, as I like my images to have nice lines and shape to them. I have been guilty of overshooting a particular image or look, so it is best to keep things flowing. I am usually a pretty fast shooter and models are surprised when I say “Ok, wer’e done. I got it.”

4. Be nice. I am very easy to work with. I never understood photographers yelling at models and making them feel insecure. That’s not my approach to getting good results.

5. Don’t act creepy. C’mon photographers! Models are real people. I hear so many horror stories of fashion photographers following models into bathrooms, grabbing them, calling them in the middle of the night, etc. You’ve only known the girl for a few hours. You can’t be obsessed already! If you have never had a girlfriend or have never been in the prescence of a woman at least pretend like you have. Leave them alone when they are changing outfits. Go far away. Scout around. Check your gear. Be modest. This is a professional endeavour and not a place for you to practice your pick-up-lines. I find the less you put out a sexual vibe and the more respect you give the girl the more respect you’ll receive. You get better pics that way no matter what she is wearing.

6. Be real. Don’t make her promises you can’t keep. Do your best work. Have fun.

7. Brush your teeth.

8. For male models (whom I shoot) strike rule 5 altogether (it ain’t happenin’), change the “she’s” to “he’s” and the “girlfriend” rule does not apply. Please try not to touch me. Please. That really scares me.

Thea

Olga Syzmanska

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog

The “WOW!” factor and great photographs.

What makes a great photograph? For some people it is as the French say, “Je ne sais quoi.” She has a certain something.

There are some other factors in fashion photography that go into it though. Personally, I like pictures that have a “wow” factor in them. Something that really attracts and draws in the viewer to take a closer look. The picture should make the viewer ask questions such as, “How did they do that?” Or, “What is she thinking?” “Why?” Like a great magic act a photograph should contain a little mystery.

Here are a few more factors:

1. A photographer that knows what he/she is doing.
2. A model comfortable in his/her own skin. Confidence is beautiful and it helps to trust the photographer. Keep in mind if the photographer is amateur you may be super confident and still come out with bad results. It’s best to work with a confident photographer too.
3. Great retouching. I know, your thinking photoshop is a trick and it kills a picture right? I don’t know about that. Look at a beauty advertisement in Vogue and tell me that there isn’t any retouching going on there…
4. Chemistry between the model and photographer. I am not suggesting the two of you start dating (although if you do more power to you if your single) but the point is it helps if the photographer and model like each other and can communicate well with each other. Don’t walk into a photoshoot uptight or with an attitude. Relax. You get out of a shoot what you put into it. The photographer and model should be on equal playing ground. When you play magic happens. Ask any great actor or model.
5. A model that is in great shape. If you are a fashion model then you should be in fashion model shape. If you are a bikini model then you should be in bikini model shape and if you are a plus size model then you should be in a great shape for plus size modeling. Eat well. Drink lots of water. Take care of your body. It really shows in photographs. I have had models come to me in their thirties and they have been in better shape than some girls in their early twenties. Age isn’t a factor here. If you are serious about modeling start taking care of your health now.

Posted by: Fashion Photography Blog