Fashion Shots

An Exception · 25 Oct 2010 at 14:03

On the last set...

Some are pretty good as candid's, but I wouldn't class any of them as 'fashion' shots personally.

Below is what I would call 'fashion' shot's.

DVD Link

1) Very nice candid

2) Nice candid, I like how the natural light is giving a nice rim light, however the distracting green car reinforces the 'candid feel' of the image.

3) Would be really nice if the subject was wearing a different outfit. Subject could do with more separation from the background via lighting or DOF. Also crop is too close to feet. You may wish to consider a close crop above the knee.

4) Kinda looks closer to Voyeurism than fashion!

5) This one's not a keeper...

I had a look at your blog, and some shots on there are very impressive (I remember seeing a couple posted on POTN), but IMO you need to begin learning how to light a subject in order pull off 'fashion' shot's instead of candid's.

You also need to work at which backgrounds you place the subject in front of, You don't need nice backgrounds per se, but you need know how to make them look good.
Look around for some interesting colours or shapes that would look nicely abstract with a shallow DOF.

Stuff · 25 Oct 2010 at 14:32

Appriciate the input Ejizz. Regarding the photos in a fashion sense: I've never done or looked into fashion photography before this shoot. I was just asked by a friend if I wanted to take some photos for them, and didn't find out until the day what they actually wanted. Sure, the lighting could be better on some of them, but I'm currently only working with my onboard flash and don't have anything external from the camera so was just doing my best to work with the natural light really. I see what you mean about backgrounds; the area we were working in really wasn't ideal, and I'd never been there before.

Regarding #4, they had a magazine photo that was similar to it and wanted to reproduce the pose. I did a couple of full-body shots, but didn't really like how they came out; the pose was too awkward. Hopefully it doesn't look too pervy

Anyway, thanks for all the input and the link, I'll take a look!

An Exception · 25 Oct 2010 at 19:26

^^^
When your friend asked you to takes photo's of them, that was the point you should probably of asked what the images were to be used for.
If you knew you were going to be relying on natural light, then maybe consider taking a reflector with you as they are very inexpensive (£5-£15), would have been a good idea.
If there wasn't enough time to order one then some cardboard + Foil + Glue or Tape would have sufficed and allowed you to bounce some light into the eyes, and also add some direction to the light so the subject didn't look flat, this would have worked well in No.2 or 3 (5 is bin-able tbh but could have been improved also).

Also, now that I think of it, No.1 looks about a 1/3 of a stop over exposed, and looks like it could benefit some slight adjustment in Photoshop, but that's going to add an additional layer of JPG artefacts.

As for the link, it's pretty educational, but I wouldn't recommend it until you have a few speedlights to practice with.
The Onelight DVD by Zach Arias is a good place to start.

Adrianr · 25 Oct 2010 at 20:03

Ejizz said:
On the last set...

Some are pretty good as candid's, but I wouldn't class any of them as 'fashion' shots personally.

Below is what I would call 'fashion' shot's.

DVD Link

1) Very nice candid

2) Nice candid, I like how the natural light is giving a nice rim light, however the distracting green car reinforces the 'candid feel' of the image.

3) Would be really nice if the subject was wearing a different outfit. Subject could do with more separation from the background via lighting or DOF. Also crop is too close to feet. You may wish to consider a close crop above the knee.

4) Kinda looks closer to Voyeurism than fashion!

5) This one's not a keeper...

I had a look at your blog, and some shots on there are very impressive (I remember seeing a couple posted on POTN), but IMO you need to begin learning how to light a subject in order pull off 'fashion' shot's instead of candid's.

You also need to work at which backgrounds you place the subject in front of, You don't need nice backgrounds per se, but you need know how to make them look good.
Look around for some interesting colours or shapes that would look nicely abstract with a shallow DOF.

It's really funny you should mention him and that DVD, I happen to think they're some of the most contrived unfashionable images! Still, we all have an opinion

Fashion photography is almost anything you want it to be, sometimes there isn't even a direct or indirect focus on a product. It can be super slick like the above or gritty, obscure, conceptual. You can do all sorts. I was actually going to say I really quite like the 4th and 5th images from your second set, if for nothing more than they're such a breath of fresh air seeing them here. I don't see every photo that passes through this section but I've certainly never seen work like that here. They're not technically perfect, but they have feeling, and that really counts for so much. Funnily enough that style is also far more likely to appear in one of the UK's bazillion fashion publications than the work Ejizz posted.

Also number 4 on your first set. That's a really nice genuine shot. I mean compare that with the first from your second set.. That's the shot a book on how to shoot portraits would tell you to do, nice catchlight, sharp, well exposed, background out of focus to bring attention to the subject, etc etc! Shot 4 is SO much more appealing, there's an atmosphere there. It feels like you get a genuine emotion from the model, not this super smiley fake ****.

Things like the cigarette and ladder (as someone previous pointed out being big "no no's" - absolute rubbish) can be really great additions. They make them feel more real. Which if you're going for that is perfect. Obviously some fashion imagery is surreal, some falls in-between and some at every point along the scale. Point is there are no hard and fast rules. If you capture a picture that makes someone else take notice of it, job done mate

An Exception · 25 Oct 2010 at 20:31

^^^
Man, you crack me up

Adrianr · 25 Oct 2010 at 20:43

Ejizz said:
^^^
Man, you crack me up

Why, because we don't agree?

Stuff · 25 Oct 2010 at 21:33

Ejizz said:
^^^
When your friend asked you to takes photo's of them, that was the point you should probably of asked what the images were to be used for.
If you knew you were going to be relying on natural light, then maybe consider taking a reflector with you as they are very inexpensive (£5-£15), would have been a good idea.
If there wasn't enough time to order one then some cardboard + Foil + Glue or Tape would have sufficed and allowed you to bounce some light into the eyes, and also add some direction to the light so the subject didn't look flat, this would have worked well in No.2 or 3 (5 is bin-able tbh but could have been improved also).

Also, now that I think of it, No.1 looks about a 1/3 of a stop over exposed, and looks like it could benefit some slight adjustment in Photoshop, but that's going to add an additional layer of JPG artefacts.

As for the link, it's pretty educational, but I wouldn't recommend it until you have a few speedlights to practice with.
The Onelight DVD by Zach Arias is a good place to start.

A reflector is the next thing on my list, and I'm definitely gunna get one

I'm also looking at getting a flash with wireless transmitter/receiver, but that'll be when funds allow

Adrianr said:
It's really funny you should mention him and that DVD, I happen to think they're some of the most contrived unfashionable images! Still, we all have an opinion

Fashion photography is almost anything you want it to be, sometimes there isn't even a direct or indirect focus on a product. It can be super slick like the above or gritty, obscure, conceptual. You can do all sorts. I was actually going to say I really quite like the 4th and 5th images from your second set, if for nothing more than they're such a breath of fresh air seeing them here. I don't see every photo that passes through this section but I've certainly never seen work like that here. They're not technically perfect, but they have feeling, and that really counts for so much. Funnily enough that style is also far more likely to appear in one of the UK's bazillion fashion publications than the work Ejizz posted.

Also number 4 on your first set. That's a really nice genuine shot. I mean compare that with the first from your second set.. That's the shot a book on how to shoot portraits would tell you to do, nice catchlight, sharp, well exposed, background out of focus to bring attention to the subject, etc etc! Shot 4 is SO much more appealing, there's an atmosphere there. It feels like you get a genuine emotion from the model, not this super smiley fake ****.

Things like the cigarette and ladder (as someone previous pointed out being big "no no's" - absolute rubbish) can be really great additions. They make them feel more real. Which if you're going for that is perfect. Obviously some fashion imagery is surreal, some falls in-between and some at every point along the scale. Point is there are no hard and fast rules. If you capture a picture that makes someone else take notice of it, job done mate

Thanks for your comments, they make me feel a bit better about the photos!

I know what you mean about the cigarette and the ladder, as much as a good excuse that is for having them there in the first place. I did think about Photoshopping out the ladder when I first saw it, but decided just to leave it to make it feel a bit more like a photo rather than more of a studio set piece. I'm off out now, but thanks again for taking the time to post!