In 1995 my dad was gifted with a bunch of fashion photography prints. He was entirely uninterested but I took a shine to them and 23 years later they are still with me, covering the walls of my room. I have always loved fashion photography, how it’s gone from a simple commercial need used to display clothing collections to a boundary pushing creative galaxy in its own right. Whether for editorials or advertisements, fashion photography is one of the most desirable genres but also one of the toughest to infiltrate.
A brief history
The use of Fashion photography first became popular in the early 20th Century in line with advancements in printing and when magazines such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar became more widely available. During this period, surrealism had a big impact on fashion photography and people began to experiment with the perception of reality.
The fifties saw the rise of street fashion photography and the sixties and seventies saw the rise of feminism. More entered the scene to offer a fresh perspective and the boundaries of sexuality and provocation were explored. is a name most will recognise as his overtly sexual and erotic images from this time are iconic.
Moving into more recent times, fashion photography aimed at both women and men emerged, offering an alternative and a more realistic beauty people could relate to in contrast to the airbrushed perfection that is Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.
Today, fashion photography is a combination of all forms, surrealism is still extremely prevalent with weird, wonderful and whimsical images offering an escape from reality into the glamorous world of high-fashion.
Current fashion trends
A seemingly obvious point but an important one, if you want to break into fashion photography you need to know about fashion. Fashion changes like the wind and can do a 180 at any moment. I never expected vinyl (the material not records) to make a comeback but here we are, and according to , plastic in varying shades will be everywhere in 12 months’ time. Anyone else having Britney Spears flashbacks?
Bold colours and pastels both featured highly for SS18 so raid the Pantone colour chart for primary colours like and and delicate hues like .
has been revived from its festival days and is everywhere at the moment. Don’t think boho-hippy, think sophisticated and sensual.
A personal favourite of mine is sequins. Not only can they inject a bit of glamour into your wardrobe, they can also add sparkle and opulence to your photography. Sparkling jackets, sparkling trousers sparkling underwear. Unnecessary yet magical.
There are of course so many more but I won’t go on, all of these can be used to inspire the outfits your models wear but also the photography itself. Go and grab a copy of Vogue, Harpers Bazar, Muse or GQ for fashion and photography inspiration. I have a floor to ceiling stack of Vogues in my house which I cherish. You can also take yourself back to your school days and create a mood board of styles and traits that you love and want to explore in your own photography.
Stock photography
Currently we have a gap for strong, high-end, current fashion imagery in the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏcollection. This doesn’t mean you need a massive budget, a celebrity model, and a crazy set. Take inspiration from current stock photography trends and incorporate fashion into it such as fantasy, minimalism, redefined masculinity and the colour trends I mentioned earlier. We’re also in need of fashion and beauty shots of older models so glam up your grandma and get shooting.
Fashion photography is so exciting because it’s always changing and can take on so many different forms. Fashion and fine art photographer has put together some great tips you can follow and I also recommend the book, which tells a completely new story of the history of fashion photography.