28 Quick Tips for Fashion Photographers
It’s my 28th Birthday! And to celebrate, I thought it would be fun for me to write 28 quick tips to help you on your journey as a fashion photographer. Let’s go.
The best way to get good at photography is to take a lot of bad photos. You’ll take hundreds of terrible images in order to get one great one. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like your work isn’t good enough at first.
Business is probably what photographers need to spend more time learning. Being a photographer is more about running a business than it is about being creative.
Know that once you understand business, it becomes really, really fun.
Photographers should look at expanding their revenue streams. Gone are the days where we need to rely on one source of income. Think outside the box. What other skills do you have? Can you sell prints? Teach photography? Write for magazines and blogs?
Instagram followers don’t determine how talented you are.
Golden hour will always produce beautiful light
But you should also learn to shoot in hard light. You can’t always rely on sunsets!
Just because it’s overcast doesn’t mean you should ignore where the sun is in the sky. Rotate your model around, and watch the light change on her face. Side light on an overcast day can either really work, or really not. Backlit images on an overcast day are the same. Make sure you know where you light source is, all the time.
Shooting film is a brilliant way of slowing yourself down, and forcing yourself to think about what you’re shooting.
Gather inspiration from outside of fashion photography as much as you can. Study paintings, music videos, films, nature. Whatever inspires you.
Equally though, study the masters of photography. They're masters for a reason.
Try to tell stories with your images, don’t make them just “pretty pictures.”
Look within yourself and your own life for inspiration. You’ll probably find that you’ve already got a lot of stories to tell.
Study the fashion industry. Know what’s going on. Pay attention to the collections.
Pinterest is your best friend for making moodboards.
Pitching to brands is the quickest way to speed up your career, and the brands you want to work for expect you to pitch. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
Moving image is becoming more and more in demand by fashion clients. If you can learn to do video as well as take stills, you’ll be in higher demand.
Your website should be simple, clear and curated.
Make sure your phone number is on your contact page. If someone needs to contact you fast, you want them to be able to.
Study best SEO practices so that your website can work hard for you.
Network with your peers, and the fashion industry in general. It’ll be easier for you if people know you, and can recommend you.
Collaborate with make up artists, hair stylists and stylists who are further ahead than you in their careers. They’ll elevate your portfolio, and be able to help you grow your business.
Take time off. Without time to switch off and relax, you’ll never be able to create effectively.
Nurture the relationship you have with your clients. It’s much easier to get rebooked by a past client than it is to gain a new one.
Read business books outside of photography. They’ll teach you so much.
Treat models with the utmost respect, speak to them the whole time you’re shooting, and always make sure they’re feeling safe, warm and looked after. You’ll get better images, and models see far more people on a daily basis in the industry than you do. You wan them to rave about you to their future clients.
Back up your files. Twice. Three times if you can. Don’t risk it.
Enjoy it. We’re in the best line of work there is. It’s fun, it’s creative and we’re so lucky to be in it!
