Today, fashion photography has ceased to belong to glossy magazines. Many girls want to try on the role of a model in order to get beautiful pictures for their personal archive. This article will try to explain how to organize a fashionable photoshoot, even if you are among beginners.

Main Fashion Photography Tips:

  • Capture the atmosphere
  • Discover angles and contrast locations
  • Take it easy and comfortable, when posing
  • Create photo reports from fashion shows
  • Experiment with makeup and street chic
  • Be patient, waiting for an ideal shot
  • Highlight pictures with brave accessories, facial features and outfit

In a complex process of making amazing photos, stylists, decorators, makeup artists, assistants and cameras are usually involved. Together they create that stylish image that will later be able to attract the viewer's eye. However, you can do it yourself. Long before the perfect day, think over the concepts, pick up several options for clothes and makeup. Do not be afraid to experiment with colors and shapes. You can find inspiration for creating a necessary image in films.

1. Frame high fashion photography atmosphere

Location in a studio or outdoors always plays a very important role. It is the place and its atmosphere that gives a graphic touch. For example, you can wear an evening or ball gown and choose an abandoned building — this will highlight the beauty of your image. If you decide to choose a studio, dress in vintage style, add charm and turn on the smoke machine to get a blur effect. Flying scarves and dresses will help you with dynamics: throw them up in the air, spin, experiment. Lubricated lines in makeup, like bright lipstick, smeared on the cheeks or dripping mascara will attract attention and create a mood of chaos and confusion. If you place accents correctly, you can create the spirit of rebellion.

2. Learn to catch the best angle for fashion photos

If your face is not perfect or you have minor imperfections, the bright light will make them even more noticeable. The only solution to make is to adjust lighting in a soft mode to create an airy and easy portrait. Try searching for interesting ideas in everyday life, see how light falls, where its source is located. In addition, it can be used to add some artistry to pics. For example, it is possible to create rays that pass and create striped shadows. And if you choose a street option, then shooting against the sun will result in a soft fairy-tale warm picture. Popularization of a healthy lifestyle can be a great choice. Playing muscles, sports equipment in the frame attract modern young people. As a location it is good to choose an old stadium, school gym, playground in the yard. These places will favorably set off the gloss and well-groomed model.

3. Be simple in fashion poses

The task of each male or female model is to relax. Waiting for the shutter button does not need to be accompanied by freezing and holding breath. Basic posing should be natural and as comfortable as possible to create a unique feeling that models were accidentally captured. There is no need to completely change position every few seconds; only one element change is enough. It can be a head movement or hip turn. Everyone is used to seeing models standing up. That is why lounging in a chair creates a unique atmosphere, like a challenge to society. The girl draws attention, promoting independence from public opinion.

4. Prepare fashion shoot tricks to use

When you look through a camera lens, your main task is to transfer the energy and mood of a model to the picture. You can chat before taking pictures and discuss options to demonstrate: sadness, laughter, anger, mystery, or something else. Every photographer needs to discover his own way to shoot successful angles of each person. Sometimes a small suggestion of how to correct the situation with hands or head turn may become crucial for a fashion pose.

5. Start with history

Fashion photography has a rich life. Each milestone had contributed to ideology and trends. Development of technical camera options and lights made it possible to create more and more provocative pictures.

The launch was noted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the book of photos of Italian Duchess Virginia Foldoni. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first glossy magazines appeared and the first high fashion models were published. Nowadays ideas and outfits vary, depending on the target use of this or that image.

6. Feel yourself at a designer’s show

This type of work requires a large number of pictures, capturing every detail of the outfit. Professional equipment and necessary light play an important role, together with the best position and fast reaction. This work does not require any artistic view, but only a report to be provided to a stylist for post-analysis. However practice and skills are of great value for a gallery of high quality. Such catalog will help to decide on new trends and tendencies of the season. The effect of “just out of shower” has not lost its popularity for many years, and is actively used. Wet items of clothing emphasize the shape and hair with flowing water create a mood of protest against the canons of beauty. De-emphasizing classic appearance standards you get an ideal plot and story to tell.

7. Accept commercial approach

Online stores and shops absolutely need a new mode of selling goods and services. Presentation and sales have to be advertised in a most specific way to attract the right consumers. The main task is to demonstrate clothes, shoes or accessories in a most advantageous way and make clients buy as many things as possible. It is important to sell the item, not a certain lifestyle and dream. Technical issues are crucial for a successful result. A help of a professional stylist can be needed to reach the target audience of each specific brand. Professional presentation of a total look of a model will increase the profit. Models, painted like dolls, with toy clothes are more interesting to watch. Such an image is created, in order to show the importance of things and individual personalities.

8. Catch your time with street fashion photography

Among popular trends, this is the cheap one which is easy to realize. Everything you need is a trendy look of the season and right location or street, emphasizing the outfit. Such an image is widely used in personal blogs or Instagram by influencers. Still, a great snapshot can be also done with a regular smartphone without any additional options and tools. Variety of applications and specialized software is at your disposal for a small retouch. If you want to try a new profession of a cool look hunter, then it is probably the right chance to predict cloth trends for several years ahead. Scenery of streets, abandoned buildings, garbage and urban landscape with a properly selected image and facial expression of the model will create a poetic mood of hopelessness. In contrast to glossy and glamorous pictures, such a photo will surely be remembered.

9. Add character and accessories

Model business is known for its exhibition of personality and inner world. Masks cover faces, creating a protest of personalization. They may partially hide eyes or completely cover all the head, emphasizing their importance. The excess of colors in glossy magazines often creates a color cacophony that is perfectly used by professionals. Minimum make-up, calm background and discreet clothes — this image already attracts the eye. Distinctive features of models can help to concentrate attention. All the collection can base on such a feature to stand out of the crowd. It is not necessary to tell a beautiful story, because you can be reinforced by imperfections.

10. Find inspiration

There is no universal rule or only way to make great shots. Every expert has its own personality and working mode. Watch TV programs, follow outstanding public figures and social network groups. This will definitely help you to be updated with the latest trends and ideas. Sometimes only time and experience can teach you to become professional in modern photo art. But there are always some exceptions and you may be one of them.

Learn key distinctive features to capture fashion’s secrets:

  1. A good shot may take up to several days of preparation and 10-15 hours of continuous shooting. Hard work should not scare anyone, but a perfect frame should become a diamond.
  2. Every little thing has its own meaning and is carefully worked out before the shooting. Extra shadow, dirty spots, makeup errors are not permitted.
  3. Setting the model, clothing and details, you can understand the deep meaning and inner message of the photo. Advertising pictures, done by professionals, urge you to buy the product in such a way that you cannot always notice and identify it.
  4. Clothing, makeup and posture must highlight the picture.
  5. Total look and makeup ideas are very different from everyday ones. Most often they create not a beauty, but a bright memorable picture.
  6. Light plays one of the main roles. Only practice and skills can give understanding of composition, light sources and color.

Summing up

Despite the popularity of digital devices and amazing technologies, film shots do not give up. Such shots have a unique and incomparable atmosphere, pleasant shade and right mood.

If you are a newbie in this industry, you can copy famous masters, trying to recreate the masterpiece. Staged shots help to develop taste and creative vision of the picture. Do not be afraid to experiment and click the shutter button as soon as the frame is perfect. Practicing and improving every time you watch through the lens, you can get closer to fashion photographers and perhaps make your own contribution to this art.