Fashion Photography Tips For Success

We see them all over the place; in television advertisements, in magazines, and on the runway. They are the beautiful men and women who strut their stuff while showing off the latest styles from the hottest fashion designers. These are the fashion models of today and tomorrow, and the subject of high fashion photography. It is through photography that these models and fashionable clothing are brought to the public. Therefore, these photographs must be taken with a certain level of precision and a special attention to color, style, and lighting composition. Learning a few key fashion photography tips will help to make this possible.

High fashion photographers such as Mario Testino and Eva Mueller may not be as famous as the models they shoot, but they are actually sought out more than their model counterparts by fashion magazines and designers. While the dream of huge paychecks and hobnobbing with the rich and famous might appeal to the aspiring fashion photographer, it is not easy to become successful in fashion and model photography. For every one talented young photographer who makes it big, there are hundreds are left dreaming about the moment their photo will be chosen.

Here are a few fashion photography tips for anyone interested in getting started in the field of fashion photography. The first thing you must do is study your subject. As with any field, you can never learn enough. Read as many fashion magazines you can possibly get your hands on. There are a number of fantastic books on the subjects of fashion and model photography available. They can be purchased cheaply online at sites like Amazon.com or even cheaper if you get them used on eBay. You will also need a good camera, a tripod, and a lighting system. One of the more often overlooked fashion photography tips, is to ensure that you always have plenty of film and extra batteries available.

One of the most important fashion photography tips to focus on is having a portfolio. You need to start assembling a portfolio of your work and you need to keep this portfolio handy at all times. You never know when you will have the opportunity to show your work off to someone in the fashion world. Sharp, vibrant images on a 4 x 5" transparency will best show off your work, so focus on them when putting your fashion photography portfolio together. If any of your work has already been published regardless of whether it was a local magazine, newspaper or contest, add a tear sheet (literally a sheet you torn out of the magazine) is a great addition to a portfolio. You should have a minimum of 20 photographs in your portfolio and showcasing different styles.

In this day of the internet, it is wise to display your fashion photography talent online as well. Setup a simple website displaying your work and submit your digital photos to online contests. Also, submit them to online fashion gallery websites. This will help tremendously with getting your work seen and showcasing your talent around the world. Probably the most important of all the fashion photography tips is to get your photographs seen by as many people as possible. There is no better way of doing this than by putting them online.

Remember that most fashion magazine editors are looking for your personality in the photographs that you take. Each fashion photographer will captures the essence of a fashion design and model differently. Most importantly, if this is your dream, do not give up, ever! Keep learning the latest high fashion photography tips and keep working to get your photographs on the cover of my next hot fashion magazine.

Fashion Photography Tips For Success

Macro Photography Techniques

Fashion Photography Tips For Success

Fashion Photography Tips For Success
Fashion Photography Tips For Success

Macro Photography Techniques

Macro Photography - How To Use Aperture To get Better Photographs

The word aperture means small hole or gap. In terms of photography the aperture is an adjustable opening used to control how much light gets in to the camera. Light enters the camera through the lens which uses a calibrated scale to determine the maximum and minimum aperture. This scale is written in f/numbers which are sometimes called stops. Sometimes beginners struggle to understand aperture fully. This is because a small aperture is denoted by a big number (such as f32) and a large aperture is denoted by a small number (such as f1.4).

Aperture is very important in macro photography as it is used to control the depth of field. The depth of field is the area in the picture that is in sharp focus. There is always going to be a small depth of field in macro photography due to the high magnification involved and the short working distance between the camera and the subject. Using a large aperture makes the depth of field smaller but will allow a faster shutter speed to be used. This reduces the chance of the picture being ruined by camera shake. Using a small aperture means using a slower shutter speed and increases the risk of camera shake. A sturdy tripod and a remote switch make it easier to get consistently sharp shots. Outdoor macro photography is even more of a challenge as you have the weather to contend with as well.

The main problem to overcome with macro photography is lighting. At high magnification and short working distance not much light is available. TTL flash is the only reasonable work-around. In-built camera flash is not very helpful in macro photography because it is set too far away from the subject. Special flash systems can be acquired which attach to the end of the camera lens. The most popular ones are called ring flash and usually contain one or two controllable fluorescent tubes. There are many other flash systems that you can use for macro photography. Twin flash is another popular system that contains two small flash units that attach to the camera lens. Some photographers attach a standard flash unit to an adjustable bracket or arm. This directs light directly above the subject. Flash allows the photographer to work with faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures and reduces the risks of camera shake. At high magnification the slightest movement of camera or subject will blur the image and ruin the shot. Flash photography can have its own problems, often making the images look unnatural. Sometimes too much light will reflect from the subject causing over exposure. To overcome this flash units have to be adjusted to provide the correct amount of light. This can be achieved by adding a special cover called a diffuser which lowers the power of the flash making it less harsh. There are several disadvantages of adding a flash unit. The added weight can make the camera more cumbersome and more difficult to hold. More time is required to set up the flash for each shot. If you are serious about macro photography a flash unit and a tripod are required to get consistently sharp images with good exposure. A remote switch is a small device that operates the camera from distance. Most macro photographers use a remote a switch to reduce camera shake. Remote switches are either remote controlled or have a short cable to the camera.

I hope this has been a useful introductory tutorial about the use of aperture in macro photography. Most of all put your camera into aperture priority mode and have some fun with macro. In aperture priority mode the camera will select the best shutter speed to match the aperture you have entered manually. This gives the photographer control over the depth of field and therefore control over the resulting image. Confident and credible images are the outcome of knowing how to adjust the aperture. Once established you will soon be taking great macro shots like a professional photographer. Good luck and happy shooting.

Macro Photography - How To Use Aperture To get Better Photographs

Macro Photography Techniques

Macro Photography - How To Use Aperture To get Better Photographs

Macro Photography - How To Use Aperture To get Better Photographs
Macro Photography - How To Use Aperture To get Better Photographs

Macro Photography Techniques