Best Fashion Photography Tips To Improve Your Photos

In the digital era, visuals play a vital role, and no one knows this better than fashion bloggers. Stepping up your fashion photography game is essential if you want to stay on top of ever-changing trends and elevate your visual content. Below, some of the best fashion photography tips every shutterbug out there can use to improve their photos tremendously.

Secure the perfect location and background

Where you decide to shoot your photos will largely determine the end result of your fashion photoshoot. Sometimes, the client will already have a place in mind. If they don’t, you’ll need to come up with some ideas on your own that are in line with their expectations and preferences.

Talk to your client to get a general idea of what they expect from the photoshoot. Will it take place indoors or outdoors? Do they need their photos done in natural light or not? What do they imagine the location to look like? Other than the location, you should also consider the background. Think about the surrounding elements and how they affect the overall composition. Strive for balance, rely on curves and lines to put the focus on the model, and make sure that the background doesn’t look similar to the pattern or colors of the clothing you’re photographing.

Master all the technical elements of photography

As a fashion photographer, it’s important that you know how to adapt your camera and equipment to work in different locations and surroundings. Shooting on the street is very different from shooting in a studio, and you need to master all the technical elements of photography so you can get a perfect shot every single time.

Being comfortable with your equipment, camera, and lighting is key to ensuring professional results, and this is where specialized courses can be of tremendous help. According to Australia-based photographer and in-demand visual storyteller Thom Davidson, being adept at working both on location and in-studio is key to success in this industry. A lot of the time this will mean browsing through different photography workshops in Sydney until you find something that fits your needs. Courses, workshops, and masterclasses are something all photographers can benefit from regardless of their skill level. Not to mention how they can be amazing sources of inspiration for your future photoshoots.

Put the subject in the center

When it comes to photography composition, there are certain rules to be followed. Some of them can be especially helpful when you’re just getting started and need some guidelines on placing your model. A great example of this would be the rule of thirds which involves dividing the frame into a grid of nine equal squares and then placing the subject at any of the four intersections.

As with all rules, some of them are made to be broken. When it comes to shooting fashion portraits, you can simply forgo the aforementioned rule and put your subject in the center of the frame. Use the background to frame the model and create balance, but pay special attention to poses in order to prevent the photograph from looking static and the subject from looking stiff.

Make use of photo props

Sometimes, the scenes will look plain and the backgrounds will be bland, and they won’t be doing anything to bring focus to the subject. In that case, you may want to consider using props to elevate your photographs, enhance visual interest, and add something extra to the overall composition.

The items you use will depend on the theme and overall vibe of the photoshoot, and they will act as clues to the image context. You can have the model hold the props or interact with them. You can also arrange the objects to point the viewer’s eyes and show them where to look.

Experiment with angles and lighting

Eye-level angles can be great, but they’re not the only way to take pictures of your model. Instead of restricting yourself to this common angle, allow yourself to experiment. Change your perspective by taking pictures from below or above, and maybe even tilt your camera a bit. Low angles work exceptionally well for fashion portraits as they put the outfit worn by the model at focus. Be mindful of the vibe and overall mood of the photograph, and choose your angles accordingly.

Lighting also plays a vital role in the overall composition. It can either make or break a photograph, so you want to make sure to get the lighting right. Start with single-light setups as this will make it easier for you to get a grasp of concepts such as light falloff. Allow yourself to play around with lighting at first and experiment with different ways to manipulate light until you figure out how you can use it to elevate your fashion portraits.

Wrapping up

Being a successful fashion blogger means finding effective ways to communicate your vision clearly and tell a story through your photographs. Stick with the tips above and watch as your images and compositions get better with every click.

Guest Author Bio:

Sophia Smith is Australian-based beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger. She is very passionate about latest fashion trends, DIY projects and natural beauty products. Sophia writes mostly in beauty and fashion related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is regular contributor at High Style Life.

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