To take your fashion photography a notch higher, you need to emphasize and accentuate more than just the textures and fashion in a photo. You will elevate your fashion photography by bringing out the person’s personality wearing the clothes. That’s why you should first know the subject that you are photographing. It will help bring out the model’s mood and show the viewer what it feels like to wear the clothes and not just how they look.
Fashion is just a piece of the puzzle, and bringing out the person’s soul and style is the cherry on top. Here are the top 5 tips from a professional Fashion Photographer to help you get started today:
1. Use the Proper Lens
Use a longer lens, such as 85mm or 105mm, to create beauty images. Longer telephoto focal lengths are perfect since they blur the background, create a lovely compression effect, and help in bringing more attention to the subject.
A long lens will help you create glamorous, iconic headshots since it makes the model look to scale. The 105mm f/1.4 is a favorite of many professionals since it creates a classic and gorgeous look and doesn’t distort the model’s features.
2. Lighting is Key
Lighting is perhaps the most crucial element to capturing a stunning beauty headshot or fashion photograph. If you are just getting started, play with natural light. Ideally, it would be best to aim for peak times of the day, such as near the golden hours of sunset/near sunrise, since you can shoot direct light and still get fantastic results.
It is also possible to shoot backlit during this time. It is a time when the sun is coming behind the model, and you overexpose it slightly to create wonderful hair light from the sun and balance in a reflector for filling in the face. The technique described here can help you achieve that dreamy fashion lens flare.
However, if you are shooting during mid-day, try finding some shade, which will create an amazing overall glow. You can also create more pop by bouncing in a bit off a reflector on the model.
3. Experiment with Various Angles
Angles are one of the best ways to alter the perspective and produce better results overall in a fashion photoshoot. However, remember that whatever is closest to the lens will appear larger.
If you are shooting headshots using either a 105mm or 85mm lens, you should aim to get a bit above the subject and shoot slightly down to make the eyes pop, which happens since they are closer to the camera. It creates a significant effect and helps establish a connection with the viewer.
If you are shooting full-length, however, you should do the opposite. Getting a slightly lower angle with a 50mm or 35mm lens will allow you to elongate your subject’s legs and capture background scenery for a high-fashion look. You can easily make people more powerful when shooting at a low angle.
4. Play with Poses
When starting your campaign, you should show models you will be working with examples of poses you are seeking, which helps set the style and tone of the photoshoot. Rather than having the models stand straight on, you can ask them to turn their shoulders, which helps to create a slimming effect.
You can also instruct models to stick out their chins to emphasize their jawline slightly. You can also ask them to touch the roof of their mouth with their tongue to help tighten up the facial muscles to achieve a more flattering look.
To capture a beautiful and fierce expression, you can have your model slightly put their head down and gaze towards the camera. You can instruct the models to close their eyes and open them after counting back from 3, which creates a fresh expression that always connects.
A simple but effective technique for full-length shooting is to outfit your model in high heels or have them stand on their tiptoes because it helps elongate the body and enhances posture.
5. Use a Flattery Wardrobe
To have beautiful headshots, you need to keep them simple. Avoid patterns and heavy stripes since they are only likely to draw too much attention from the subject. Layer textures such as denim with cardigans or play with different color schemes or shades of the same color to bring out features.
For example, a straightforward way to accentuate your model’s lovely blue eyes is by outfitting them in different shades of blue. The wardrobe will depend on the concept. For instance, if you want to achieve a clean, traditional look, you should work with neutrals. Alternatively, if you’re going to achieve that high fashion, runway aesthetic, you should not shy away from using crazy colors or vibrant prints.