Fashion glamours

Photography is everywhere you look.  It is displayed on billboards, print media and even on the internet.   Photography has been around since the 1820’s and when you think about it, photographs really shape our culture and even our beliefs.  There are a number of photography genres but perhaps the most well known is fashion photography.  After all, for most of us fashion is truly part of our everyday life.

Magazines like Vogue have been around for decades and have helped to shape the fashion photography industry.  Today fashion photography can be seen in the fashion magazines, but is also used in print ads for other print media, in catalogs and more.

History of Fashion Photography:  Fashion photography, believe it or not, began back in the 1850’s.  Over the years is has certainly gone through some changes.  Of course the photographs themselves have changed from black and white to color and have now entered the digital era.  When fashion photography first came to light, generally well known society ladies and theatre screen actresses were the models.  Today of course, being a fashion model is a career all on its own.  Finally, if you look at the back drops of fashion photography, while it has always been creative, over the years the trend has moved to using exotic backgrounds, a variety of props and other medium.

Career in Fashion Photography:  If you are looking to build a career in fashion photography there are some things you should consider.  While a career in fashion photography can be very exciting, the field is competitive and hours can be long. If you are passionate about becoming a fashion photographer you should not let this deter you.  In order to be competitive you should strongly consider getting a degree in fashion photography.  You will also need to gain experience and build a career portfolio.  Purchasing your own equipment and becoming adept to photograph technology will also be vital.  Once you have all of this in place, there are a variety of ways to start your career in fashion photography.  Commonly, a great number of fashion photographers look to freelance.  However, you may also look for positions with catalogs, magazines, websites and fashion houses.  A first option for many fashion photographers is to gain an assistant position.  While this may not be completely ideal, for many it is a great way to start.

In order to make it in the fashion photography business there are some skills that are critical for you to possess.  They include:

• Artistic Talent.  Your creativity, attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of the mood in photo shoots will enhance your ability to land jobs and to build a solid career in fashion photography.

• Understanding and being able to use lighting correctly.  Lighting is critical to great quality photographs and it simply is a skill you need to work very hard at.

• Knowledge of cameras and the current technologies used in photography.  With technology changing every day this is especially important.  If you have the knack for understanding and staying abreast of the digital world, you will have an edge over other photographers.

• Having a business mindset.  To land jobs you will need to be organized, focused and be able to promote and network yourself.

• Self Motivations. Many fashion photographers are freelancers.  While this is great in the sense that you can pick and choose what you want to do, you also need to have the determination and desire to go after the jobs.

• Ability to work with a variety of personalities.  It will be essential for you to be a team player.  You will be dealing with business associates as well as models and stylists.  If you have the personality that allows you to get along with everyone, you will have an advantage.

You may want to pursue this further so I’ve included my free report or posing guide which is not new. I produced it some time back but it does hold some great tips. You can apply these posing principles to fashion photography.

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