The Impact of Photography on the Fashion Industry

The main goal of fashion photographers and photography enthusiasts is to create a non-existent ideology, impose values ​​on the viewer and draw attention to the world of fashion. Without photography, the very concept of fashion would not exist; it is based on frames, pictures, and staged photographs. Even fashion shows are attended by a few, while the rest learn about trends and new collections from the pages of magazines or on websites. To be more successful in your photography career, you can create your online portfolio website. You can display your works and even find customers with the help of your art portfolio website. This is a great solution for both beginners and experienced photographers.

When the conversation turns to fashion photography, pictures from fashion magazines pop up in head, where models are in strange poses and clothes, with bold and bright makeup. This will be the essence of this direction of advertising and attracting attention. In the fashion industry, this type of photography is used to increase customer loyalty to the brand, increase sales of clothing, cosmetics, or accessories lines, and inform customers about fashion news.
Many photography enthusiasts strive to get into the elite of fashion photography for magazines and brands, but only a few succeed. One of the reasons is the genre's complexity; newbies cannot cope here. It takes years of training, millions of bad shots, and the talent to see deeper and further than the lens and clothing to shoot such shots. Fashion photography should have a deep history, inner meaning, confirmed by details, clearly worked out little things, and much more.

Interesting facts about the history of fashion industry

Fashion photography has a rich and eventful life, filled with the spirit and work of various masters. Each milestone of the era made adjustments to the ideology of photography itself, and all its directions, the development of the technical capabilities of the camera and illuminators made it possible to create more and more provocative images. And with the advent of graphic editors and digital format, image shooting received completely unlimited freedom of flight of imagination. The general liberation of minds, a decrease in censorship, and criticism of the fashion industry were reflected in modern models' images.

• The movement began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with a book by Adolph Brown. He posted photographs of the Italian Duchess Virginia Oldoni in the fashionable outfits of the time. So she became the first model in the history of photography, and Brown became the founder of fashion photography. It was in the middle of the 19th century, in 1856.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, the first glossy magazines appeared, and the first fashion photography was placed in La mode practice. In 1909, Vogue magazine picked up the baton, and in 1911 Art et Decoration magazine published a series of photographs by Edward Steichen, which depicted the dresses of the Parisian couturier Paul Poiret.
• Before World War II, several major magazines and dozens of photography enthusiasts were heavily involved with fashion shots. In the 50s, in the difficult post-war period, the activity of photographers and couturiers has noticeably decreased.

Famous fashion photographers of 20th and 21st centuries 

The list of famous photographers includes people who made a revolution in photography of their time or created images of an era.

• Annie Leibovitz was born after the war and grew up during the difficult post-war period, which became the basis for her growth as a fashion photographer. The most famous photograph of her is the photo of John Lennon and his wife for the cover of the magazine in 1981.
• Patrick Demarchelier has been shooting for over 60 years; during his life, he has collaborated with almost all major publications in the fashion industry, deservedly considered one of the famous fashion photographers globally. The most famous portrait of Princess Diana, taken in 1992.
• Peter Lindbergh has been in the industry for over 30 years, has shot many famous models, actresses and collaborates with several well-known brands. He is considered the father of many top models globally; it is thanks to Peter that most of them gained worldwide fame.
• Mario Testino has Peruvian roots and has been working worldwide for more than 40 years, filming for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines, on account of his thousands of photo sessions with models, singers, and actresses of the world.
• Nick Knight is an avant-garde artist and fashion photography experimenter from the UK. She often works with extraordinary models, prefers to go against beauty standards. He has been working in fashion and style for over 35 years, during which time he has received many awards and titles and has released several photo books.

In the world of fashion photography for almost a century and a half, hundreds of photographers have appeared and all of them have contributed to the appearance of this direction.

Fashion photography concepts and styles

Over the years, fashion photography has developed features and rules that distinguish it from other genres. In the end, a good shot can take up to several days of preparation and 10-15 hours of continuous shooting. You shouldn't be intimidated by this, the frame should become a diamond, and for this, you need to work for a long time.
The main features can be distinguished by:

• Every little thing in the picture has its meaning and is carefully worked out before filming begins. Fashion photography will never have an extra shadow, a dirty stain on clothes, a makeup artist accidentally caught in the frame, and so on. And if it is there, then it is originally intended.
• By staging the model, clothing, and details, one can understand the meaning and inner message of the photo in the fashion industry. Advertising footage urges you to buy a product in such a way that you may not always be able to notice and identify it. Information photography will give you a complete picture of what is happening.
• The clothes, makeup, and posture of the model are chosen in such a way as to make the picture stand out from the crowd. Therefore, they are unreal, cocky, and pretentious.
• There is even a category of clothes only for image shoots and a type of makeup for a photoshoot. They are very different from everyday ones; they often do not create beauty but a vivid, memorable picture.    
• Light plays one of the main roles in image shooting; with its help, the intrigue of photography, the dialogue between the photographer and the viewer are built. Therefore, it will be difficult for beginners in this industry without the theoretical foundations of composition, the placement of light sources, and knowledge of color.
• The filming should be attended by masters of their craft and highly specialized. The photographer should not be in charge of the makeup, and the illuminator should not charge the costumes. A clear division of labor, where everyone knows the area of ​​work and responsibility.
• Fashion photography is a definite milestone of the era; it should carry the mood of the crowd, determine the direction of development of culture and society, embody the ideal of the time and capture the unique atmosphere and hidden desires.

Fancy photos are impossible without graphic editors. Today, all gloss is created in this way; Photoshop is the bible of our time, a tool, a source of inspiration, and the main participant in photography.
These points can be continued for a long time; this genre of photography has many features and unique features. They took years to develop and polished for almost a century and a half to reach us in their modern form.

Tips for fashion photography enthusiasts

Fashion photography is a highly exclusive and competitive industry. Getting started requires dedication, commitment, hard work, and often enough luck and time. This is not a great mystery, and it is not an easy way; this is a difficult journey, and you need to be prepared for difficult trials.

Learn to understand fashion. Just as a photographer needs to understand how to work with a camera, a fashion photographer needs to have a basic knowledge of fashion. A good understanding of the subject will serve as a long-term help in your career, therefore, I recommend that you study the following aspects:

1. Fashion history.
2. Fashion from different periods and eras.
3. Designers, iconic figures and image makers.
4. Terminology from the field of fashion.
5. Different styles of hairstyles and makeup.
6. Feature films and documentaries about fashion.
7. Actual news of the fashion industry.

Many photographers try to do fashion photography, having no idea what the fashion and fashion industry is. Don't let the need to read some information get in the way of your best performance. Most of the materials on this topic are already ready and available on the Internet, so you are left with no excuses.

Read magazines, find out who is who. Reading magazines is a great way to find inspirational photos and ideas for photography enthusiasts.

• Take the time to research the styles and works. Identify the traits you like in your photos and discover opportunities to bring them to your photos. 
• Save the names of people whose style of work is close to you so that one day you can take a step towards working with them. Also, keep in mind that publications have different aesthetics and demographics. Understanding who wants to say what can be very helpful in preparing a proper portfolio for the types of magazines you want to shoot for in the future.

Learn fashion retouching. Many photographers retouch their own shots, but many send them to retouchers to get their work done. Regardless of which method you choose. You must learn to retouch. You need to be able to bring personality to the images, not just imagine the result of another retoucher's work.

You can create your portfolio website to reach the heights in fashion photography, you must work hard and give all your time to your passion. 

FAQ

What is fashion photography?

Fashion photography as a genre of photographic art appeared at the beginning of the last century. Today, fashion photography is shooting collections of clothes and accessories of fashion houses, shooting fashion shows, events in the style of glamor, and much more.

What are the four types of fashion photography?

There are 4 main directions in this style of photography; these are:

1. High fashion.
2. Photo of catalogs.
3. Editorial fashion.
4. Street fashion photography.

Is it necessary to study fashion photography?

Of course, yes. This is one of the most difficult types of photography. To build a career in this area, you need to learn and educate yourself daily.

How to become a fashion photographer?

You need to invest a lot of time and effort in self-education. You need to know everything about the fashion industry and the main representatives of modern fashion photography. After you buy the equipment and learn as much as possible, try to get a job as an assistant photographer and learn from his experience. Try to get as much practice in this area as possible.