Fashion photography is among the niches that do not any such strict definition. In fact, for the most part, it is free from any creative restriction. Fashion photographers get to shoot whatever they want, as long as they are telling a story. Clothes, accessories, and makeup do form an important part of the story, but ultimately, the photographer shall be providing a glimpse into an imagined world through their distinctive perspective. Translating a story visually is among the most important aspects of fashion editorial photography. Photographers planning to make a career in this field must know how to apply their creative style to a certain idea. Bruce Weber Photographer and other industry professionals have their own, unique style and approach towards fashion photography.
Bruce Weber Photographer talks about how to plan for a fashion editorial photo shoot
The key aim of an editorial shoot is to display ideas and stories through rich visuals. Editorial fashion images are generally put in online publications or magazines along with text or an overarching theme to inspire or educate the readers. When planning for such a shoot, one needs to think of the narrative they want the finished fashion photos to express. The planning stage provides the photographer with the freedom to imagine and explore a variety of situations and ideas. They create an initial brief, and jot down whatever pops in their head.
Great photo shoots always starts with a great idea. Once the photographer has some type of a concept in mind, they should try expressing how their theme can come to life in varied ways. After writing down a few descriptions of their ideas, the photographer needs to find common threads that run between them. These threads can subsequently be woven into short snippets that summarize the story the photographer wants to tell. Defining a storing story or concept and brainstorming is important in the planning process to create consistency and cohesion in all aspects of the photo shoot. Having a well-defined concept will help in finding visual references for the mood board, especially in regards to styling, hair, makeup, and models. During the planning stage, a photographer should prioritize describing the following aspects of their shoot properly:
- Subject Matter
- Styling
- Location
- Hair
- Make-Up
- Aesthetic
- Mood
- Lighting
- Any references for theme, if applicable
Photographers should keep their brief simple, but also descriptive enough to orderly communicate their idea to the people they shall be collaborating with. No one becomes an expert fashion editorial photographer in one day, nor do they learn how to plan a photo shoot right from their first job. They take time to find exactly the type of stories they like to shoot, develop favorite lighting scenarios, and so on. Over time, the images captured by professional fashion editorial photographers do start to take on a life of their own. One can easily explore such stunning and powerful images by going through the works of Bruce Weber Photographer, and similar industry professionals.
