Glamour Photography Lighting
I'm looking for advice on doing a fashion photography project?
I'm taking a high school advanced photography class, and our next assignment is to do a fashion photography shoot. We shoot black and white film, primarily 35mm SLR, although we can use medium and large formats if we wish. We have a full photography studio, so we can use studio lighting and backdrops and such.
I've never done anything close to fashion photography and have really no idea how to go about this project. I picked up a couple fashion magazines (Vogue, Bazaar, Elle) and have been looking through them for inspiration, as well as looking for tips from instructional books.
So, if anyone here is involved in glamour or fashion photography, it would be really helpful if you'd give me some advice as to how to prepare, what sort of things are helpful with shooting, anything you think it would be good to know.
Thanks so much!
Hello,
Your best bet will be to visit the library or a bookstore.
There are tons of books on both glamour and fashion photography.
The hard part is going to be the subject.
A professional model is really easy to photograph. It's hard to make them look bad.
Your job is going to be harder, most likely, working with armature models.
You will need to make sure that your model has on her best game face and her best game walk. By making positive reinforcing statements. It's all there in the books.
Being an advanced photography student ... you know the larger the negative the better the print so I would opt for medium format. I do my best work with tools I find comfortable. If you find a twin lens reflex a bit alien after cultivating a relationship with a 35mm ... try to get a hold of a medium format SLR .. like a Pentax 645.
My passion is for natural backdrops. This means taking the models to the streets.
I look for old brick buildings with ancient fire escapes. These are great for fashion shoots!
Because of all the straight lines and hard angles I use a medium format bellows camera with tilt and shrift for parallax correction.
The time of day is important to make the most of natural light. I fill with reflectors and strobes. The reflectors are handheld so I need at least two assistants.
Bus terminals, train stations, cafeterias, construction sites are all fair game.
Here's an idea ... find a very busy location with people in motion. Take a time exposure so that the crowd is a blur but your model is as sharp as a tack.
Photography Tips : Glamour Photography Lighting Techniques