Tips : Shooting Fashion and Glamor Photography

A lot goes into shooting fashion and glamor photography, choosing the right photographic backdrops and getting the photographic lighting just right, but developing a good relationship with your model might be most important. A fashion shoot is truly a collaborative effort between the model and the photographer, and a lot of care and precision needs to go into the process to assure that everyone comes out looking their best.

To begin with, you’ll want to direct your model without dictating exactly what they should do. Some models will need more direction than others, but being open to your model’s ideas and giving them some freedom will help assure that your photos turn out looking natural rather than forced.

While you may want everything perfect in your fashion photo shoot, it’s important to remember to allow yourself to be creative and even bend the rules a little bit. It’s okay if your shoot isn’t as seamless as your seamless backdrop. You might want to change the lighting angle to something less conventional or mix up different body shots and head shots. If your model has a particularly striking feature, feel free to maximize on it. Trial and error is a big part of the process, but it can also be where you have your biggest success.

Photo : Kate Massey

Another part of having great fashion photos is by sheer volume. The law of averages dictates that the more pictures you take the more great photos you will get. You never know what might be going through your model’s mind at a specific moment that will get you the perfect expression, but if you miss it, it’s gone forever. You can always delete any bad shots from your memory cards.

Another thing that is important to remember when shooting fashion photos is that you are always selling something. Whether it is the unique way your model wears her makeup, her skin tone, her clothing or the flower in her hair, taking time to tune into these things will make your photos stand out. Feel free to experiment with a variety of  photography backdrops to take lighter and more dramatic shots. You may discover some nice surprises.

While experimentation and flexibility are both very important when it comes to getting great shots, you also want to maintain your professionalism. Stay calm even when things get stressful. Make sure your model knows you are trying a lot of things in order to have the best final product, and that you know what you’re doing. Even if you are inexperienced, it is important not to show it. Doubt is contagious and is bound to show up in your photos.