What is a fashion photographer?
Putting it simply, a fashion photographer is one who takes pictures of models wearing designer clothes. The clothes and the effect they have on the model and the beholder of the image are the primary means of showcasing the latest fashions in magazines, as evidenced by the myriad beautiful, fun, cute, and sexy outfits being showcased in these magazines.
Fashion photography, however, is not just blandly taking pictures of people modeling clothes. It requires an appreciation of the interaction between model and clothing, the effects of angles, lighting, color, editing, and the overall artistic flair that a picture possesses.
The model
The model is one of the most important considerations that a fashion photographer has to keep in mind. They are what add a human element to the photograph and will serve as the primary means for a photo shoot to successfully get people interested in a particular set of clothing and accessories. This makes the very person of the model paramount to a photo's success. A fashion photographer has to learn to read a person, capture their essence on camera, and transmit that essence in a manner that will captivate the audience who sees the pictures. Even the sexiest woman or hottest man alive will not be a good model if the photographer does not know how to read their persona and imprint into a picture.
The clothes
Wedding gowns, bathing suits, and casual wear are just some of the clothing lines that a fashion photographer will handle. As such, fashion photography is all about highlighting the effect of these clothes on the viewers and should always be the focus of the picture. Humans are by nature very similar to one another, with physical features being the only external sign of differentiation in the species. The clothes that one wears, therefore, serve as the one thing that makes people stand out and be unique from one another. This is especially so in the dense and highly concentrated communities of today, where people need some way to blend in while standing out a little bit.
The combination
Fashion photography can work in one of two ways: the clothes will enhance the model or the model will enhance the clothes. A fashion photographer's job is to make sure one or the other is taken into effect. The latest and greatest celebrity can be made even more popular by his or her choice of clothing, while the latest and greatest styles can be made well known when a fitting model shows what it can do. It may be argued that both the model and the clothing can be highlighted in a photo, and they certainly can, but that is only possible when the photographer has the good grace of shooting a famous model and a clothing line that is equally famous and well known.
Once a photographer understands the basic concepts of combining the model and the clothes together, that photographer must also know how to reach that end. This is where the technical skills of photography must be engrained into the aspiring fashion photographer.
Angles, lighting, color, and editing
Learning how to utilize angle, lighting, and color to bring out the best in fashion is the first step in fashion photography and should be mastered by an aspiring photographer even before venturing into the world of fashion photography. That is because selecting the right angle, properly manipulating the lighting, looking into the effects of color combinations into the overall picture, and retouching those photos for publication will dictate if a photo succeeds or fails in complementing the clothing and the model being pictured. These basic skills are usually engrained while studying to be a fashion photographer and are honed by extensive internship in the fashion industry. These skills are not so easily obtained and can take years of dedicated practice in the field in order to reach a level of professional capability that is worthy of being hired and paid for one's work.
Artistic flair
If there is an X-factor that differentiates potential celebrities from the regular Joes of the world, then there is an artistic flair that differentiates a true fashion photographer from an amateur one. The X-factor of people gathers people around them and affects them one way or another, and the artistic flair of a photographer can turn a standard photo shoot into one that captivates and enthralls viewers. While the X-factor is something that occurs naturally in people, the artistic flair can be both innate in a person as well as learned in fashion school. Although the latter is something that is a little more difficult than the former, it is still a possible solution to enhance an aspiring photographer's touch. So there you have it, fashion photography in a nutshell. It is a difficult but star-studded path, and will prove to be a rewarding challenge to anyone who is willing to engage in the fiercely competitive world of fashion photography.
