One of the important areas of a stylist’s activity is participation in fashion photography.
Fashion shooting is a fairly popular word when talking about the fashion world, about photographs of models and pictures in glossy magazines. However, not all photographs depicting a beautiful model or woman in fashionable clothes are fashion photographs.
I asked Italian photographers and stylists to tell us in more detail what is the difference between fashion photographs and ordinary photographs, what are fashion photographs for and what they can be like.
From the name itself you can understand that fashion photography- these are photographs about fashion and for the fashion world. That is why the main task of fashion photographs is to highlight and show clothes, accessories and other objects related to fashion in the photographs.
All photographs related to fashion and clothing can be divided into the following types:
How are they different from each other?
Fashion photography
These are the photographs that we see on the spreads of glossy magazines. The photographs most often depict professional models in designer clothes. Famous people participate less often. May not necessarily be present in such photographs full set clothes, maybe only part of a dress or jacket, or even a naked model wearing only jewelry.
Why is that?
The original purpose of fashion photography was commercial: at some point, clothing designers realized that in order to sell things, it was not enough to just show them on a model, it was important to create an atmosphere and sell a certain lifestyle.
Then customers choose not a Dior or Chanel brand bag, but the dream of being this woman, who is shown in the photo with the bag. Such photographs offer a dream, give rise to the desire of women to be inside this picture, to belong to this social group.
The value of fashion photographs is that they show not only clothes and accessories, but also the general image of the model: poses, facial expressions, makeup, hairstyle, emotions.
This is why fashion photography very clearly reflects the times in which we live and who we want to be. Just look at fashion photographs from magazines of the 50s, 80s and 2000s and see how different the images of women and their desires were.
Is a stylist needed here?
Definitely needed
When shooting fashion photographs, the choice of story and display of a certain atmosphere that the stylist and photographer create together are very important.
The stylist's tasks are to choose, together with the photographer, the shooting story, atmosphere, model and location. The stylist must create a mood board, style board, and select clothes.
Commercial photography in fashion
This is a type of photography in the fashion world where clothes and accessories are photographed for sale and presentation to customers. Such photographs are ordered by both design companies, individual clothing designers, and online stores.
The main task is to show the clothes in the most advantageous way and make the client who looks at such pictures buy as many things as possible. Here it is important to sell the things themselves, and not a certain lifestyle and dream, as is the case with fashion photographs.
Is a stylist needed here?
Definitely needed
In commercial photography, it is the stylist who can put together outfits that sell themselves. Moreover, the silist must draw up exactly the kind of bows that will be understandable and necessary target audience of this store or designer. The stylist’s task is to motivate clients to buy not just one dress, but a whole set, which is shown in the photo: cardigan, dress, belt, necklace, shoes and bag.
Still life
This is the name for photographs that show clothes and shoes without models (most often on a white background.) In magazines, such photographs (or collages) can be seen under the headings “ must have autumn”, “what shoes are fashionable”, “what to wear on a date”, etc.
In gloss in Lately You can see an increase in the number of exactly this type of photography instead of fashion shooting. This is due to the fact that creating still life pages is much cheaper: you don’t need a model, a makeup artist, a hairdresser, a specific location, or a shooting history.
It is enough to take photographs of things on a white background and arrange them correctly.
Is a stylist needed here?
A stylist is required who will select items from different designers based on the theme and arrange them into collages within the framework of fashion trends.
Photos from designer shows
Anyone who has been to designer shows has probably seen a large number of photographers with professional equipment and lighting devices. The photographers' task is to capture every look from the collection at the show.
Is a stylist needed here?
This is the work of photographers; a stylist is not needed here. However, photographs from shows help stylists review collections and analyze the current trends of the season, as well as who and what items can be taken from in the future for fashion shoots.
Photos street style
A very popular trend at the moment is to photograph people on the streets who are fashionably dressed and then post the pictures on your blog. Such a fashion blog can be maintained by both a professional photographer and a person who has a regular camera. mobile phone. The quality of photographs is not so important here, but rather taste and the ability to see trends on the streets.
Is a stylist needed here?
Anyone who looks for stylish people on the streets must be a stylist to understand fashion trends, see new trends and combinations. This type of photography is close to the work of a cool hunter (one who searches and predicts fashion trends for several years ahead for the entire fashion world).
Alexandra Valutskaya,
This spring, the Multimedia Art Museum and the biennale “Fashion and Style in Photography” organized by it again introduce the Moscow public to the history of gloss and fashion, showing the works of the world's best photographers. Trendymen could not miss this event and decided to follow the evolution of fashion photography from the 20s of the last century to the present day.
The rapid development of photo technology and the simplification of the printing process at the beginning of the 20th century contributed to the emergence of fashion magazines, the most famous of which were Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Baron de Mayer was the first fashion photographer in the modern sense of the word: he worked with celebrities on behalf of fashion magazines and became famous throughout the world. His images, created using a special soft-focus lens, are influenced by the Art Nouveau artistic style popular at the time.
During the 1920s, Edward Jean Steichen was the chief photographer for the largest publishing house Condé Nast. Steichen, often called the "grandfather of glamour", laid the foundations for further development fashion photography: brought drama to the images of models and invented modern studio lighting. All the main divas of the time competed for the opportunity to work with Steichen: from Greta Garbo to Marlene Dietrich.
Dolores Del Rio by Edward Steichein, 1929 
Greta Garbo for Vanity Fair by Edward Steichein, 1928
Edward Steichein for Vogue, 1928
Erwin Blumenfeld was one of the first fierce experimenters in the world of fashion photography. A fan of Dada, he pioneered the use of collage and abstraction techniques, which would later influence many photographers and artists, including Andy Warhol. The series that Blumenfeld created for himself were predominantly black and white, while commercial photo shoots for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar were done in color.
John Rawlings is an American modernist photographer who worked for Condé Nast for over 30 years, experimenting with different techniques and always following the spirit of the times. Almost no issue of Vogue was complete without Rawlings’ work, and many famous actresses and models from all over the world became the subjects of his photographs.
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Norman Parkinson has been collaborating with Harper's Bazaar since the 30s. He was one of the first to move filming from intricately lit studios to the streets and recognizable urban locations. In his works, Parkinson sought to move away from the image of a cold and otherworldly model, showing women busy with earthly concerns and everyday bustle.
Cecil Beaton is the pride of English fashion photography. The name of Cecil Beaton, who was born at the very beginning of the century, constantly appears in the history of fashion until the 80s - half a century of work for the English, French and American editions of Vogue magazine. He published his first photograph there in 1924, while still a student at Cambridge, and in 1980, a month before his death, he shot a haute couture collection for him in Paris. Among the heroes of Beaton's filming are British Queen, and the characters of swinging London.
In the 70s, fashion photography absorbed the liberal spirit of the times: frank aggressive sexuality, deliberate violation of taboos, conscious challenge to conventions. The main exponent of these trends is the German photographer Helmut Newton. His provocative photographs, always done in dramatic black and white, rocked the fashion and art worlds, earning him many fans, haters and imitators.
Elsa Peretti by Helmut Newton, 1975 
Patrick Demarchelier, one of the most famous modern fashion photographers, has worked in New York since the mid-70s, but the peak of his fame was in the 90s and 2000s. He has created photographic projects for such famous brands as Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, and has worked with stars ranging from Madonna to Lou Reed. Equally successfully combining black and white and color, commercial photography and high art, Patrick Demarchelier remains one of the most sought-after photographers in the world.
Daniella by Patrick Demarchelier for Harper's Bazaar, 1990 
Madonna by Patrick Demarchelier for Glamor, 1990 
Photos by Mert Allas and Marcus Piggott
One of the most popular and sought-after areas in photography today is fashion photography. Diverse, but invariably elegant, bright, dizzying, seductive, often scandalously provocative, she conveys not only the charm of fashion catwalks, the glamor and luxury of famous fashion houses. Fashion photography, like no other art direction, captures the atmosphere of time, the style and mood of an era, embodying the ideal to which culture invariably strives at one point or another of the space-time continuum.
Photos in fashion style can be understood both in a narrow sense - photographs of fashion shows, backstage, presentations of clothing and accessories of fashion houses, and in a broad sense, meaning the boundless glamor genre that reigns in the field of glossy photography.
This style is not at all like documentary photography, nor is it animal photography. It has its own history and unique features.
The phenomenon of fashion photography itself arose at the beginning of the twentieth century along with the widespread adoption of photography technology. The art of the avant-garde had a strong influence on the development of the genre and the formation of its specific language. Already in the 1920s advertising agencies began to actively use photography instead of graphics, which dominated the printing industry of those years. Fashion collections also began to be “documented” through photography. At this time, such masters as Adolf de Meyer, Edward Steichen, Horst, Cecil Beaton were working, who used staged photography techniques and laid the foundation for the formation of the aesthetics of fashion photography.
By this time, the phenomenon of a fashion magazine was established. Pioneers in this area were Vogue Harper's Bazaar, which competed with each other, began to place photographs on its covers and spreads, and collaborated with leading photographers. Their aesthetics and concept of magazine photography consistently followed the latest and most daring trends in the development of the art of photography, from romantic sophistication to defiant extravagance.
An important milestone in the development of fashion photography was 1935, the emergence of “portable” cameras, which made it possible to actively shoot on the streets, in the open air, without special static posing, from complex angles, etc. The photograph of model Lisa Fonssagrives was especially famous in those years swinging on the top observation deck Eiffel Tower, made by Erwin Blumenfeld.
During World War II, for obvious reasons, it was not customary to photograph models on the street. However, there were those who resisted the norms and restrictions. For example, the same Cecil Beaton, one of the leading photographers of the 1930s and 40s, presented luxuriously dressed models against the background of the ruins left after the bombing in the vicinity of London, for which he was accused of “callousness.”
Photography has dominated the fashion and advertising industries since the 1940s, but fashion photography took off from the 1950s to the 1970s. The fashion boom of post-war Europe (primarily Italy), countless shows, and the flourishing of cinema significantly stimulated the development of the genre. Fashion photography parted with the classical canons that dictated the stylistic and semantic unity of character, decor and clothing. A “documentary” trend has emerged: under the influence of photographer Martin Munkasi, who came from the world of sports, elements of reportage are penetrating fashion photography. However, there were also some incidents: in 1947, a shoot with Christian Dior’s “new look” models at a street market in Montmartre ended in a brawl.
Fashion photography is gradually moving away from the concept of shooting only clothes and accessories; the very concept of fashion is moving into a different space. Director Antonioni in the film Blow Up presents it as a special worldview, style and attitude to life. In the field of fashion photography, everything works larger number talented photographers: Irving Penn, a magnificent stylist and singer of grace, Richard Avedon, author of compositions with fantastic lighting, exotic backgrounds, elaborate poses, magnificent costumes. Thanks to the efforts of innovative photographers, the scope of the genre is increasingly expanding, fashion photography is given a metaphorical, almost existential sound. Initially rejected by commercial photography, the masters who expressed their worldview through the photograph, deep psychological and behavioral characteristics, eventually become more famous. Among them, first of all, it is worth mentioning such names as Peter Lindbergh, Nelmut Newton, William Klein.
Photographer Lindbergh's muse is the heroine of that turbulent time. The author chooses a special type for his models. This is not an allegory of motherhood, not a homemaker, not Turgenev’s young lady, not a nymphet. His lady love is an extravagant person of uncertain, obviously hidden years, independent, accomplished, with a strong-willed character. She smokes, drives a car, and walks firmly along the pavement or beach. She even visits factory floors and climbs onto the Eiffel Tower structures. Harsh winds blow over her, she lives surrounded by glass storefronts, skyscrapers, and the gaping mouths of city sewer manholes. She is stylishly dressed or flawlessly naked. She has a slender, muscular, almost boyish figure, huge, thickly painted lake-like eyes, brightly painted lips, long nails on her graceful hands. Sometimes she is clearly posing for the camera, at other times she is caught by surprise by the photographer, without makeup and the usual mask of a learned expression on her face. Blonde or brunette, with unruly curls fluttering in the wind or a garçon haircut, before us is a Lady. Tender, strict and strong-willed, sinuously soft, contradictory, not fully resolved. Each image of each model hides something elusively individual, a zest, a sparkle, a highlight. Black and white photography allows you to emphasize, make stricter and more distinct the harmony of lines, silhouettes, halftones, and the grace of the female image.
Helmut Newton earned the nickname “the voyeur of photography” for his seemingly “peeped” shots of “caught by surprise” models. Never focusing on beauty or personality specific woman Newton flawlessly conveyed a certain feeling or plastic, aesthetic idea with the help of photography. He spent a long time building the surroundings, the composition of the picture and took only a few frames. The author liked to repeat that his images are himself, his desires and fantasies, practically embodied in reality. At least in the reality of the photograph. Constant erotic overtones, aggressiveness, extravagance, specific accessories and scenes (nude model with a crutch and prosthesis, a lady in a cemetery adjusting a stocking, girls in collars, chains and furs) - characteristic Newton, for which he gained fame as one of the most scandalous photographers of recent decades.
William Klein had a significant influence on the advancement of fashion photography in independent species art. He carefully thought out the idea and the plot, with little interest in fixing specific details, such as the costume or hairstyle of the model. First of all, he was interested in the semantic load of the photograph and the construction of the composition. He worked both in the studio, creating complex sets, and on city streets, where the architecture itself served as part of the image; actively used mirrors. His compositions are invariably graphic and are distinguished by a very strict, strong, linear compositional structure.
The main trends in the development of fashion photography in the 1970s–90s are associated with postmodern ideas in art. The heralds of these trends were Bettina Rheims, Erwin Olaf, and David LaChapelle. Their challenging and provocative shots, complex games of meanings, allusions and associations, clashes of textures and plans, penetration into the subconscious are the same signs of the times as were once the impressionistically blurred shots of Adolf de Meyer, who appeared on the pages of Vogue of the 1910-era. X.
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Fashion is one of the most popular and relevant genres in photography today. It carries the relevance of the fashion of this generation; it can represent all the styles and images of our time. Fashion, roughly speaking, is advertising of a brand, clothing and accessories. The model does not play the main role in the shooting; the main thing is to “tastefully” present the product produced by one of the designers. The main thing in such a shoot is the desire of the consumer to be in the shoes of the model, to want to try on the advertised scent of perfume, or try on a bag, or put on things. To succumb to the provocation of designers, to imitate and be ready to give all the money for a brand - this is the basis of fashion photography. Advertising photography originated in the 20th century, when the fashion world was rapidly gaining popularity.
Bright, scandalous, provocative, diverse and elegant fashion photography makes dreams of style, glamor and individuality come true. This is an opportunity to plunge into the world of design and luxury, do the best makeup and hairstyle, and feel relevant here and now.
Choose your favorite designer whose pieces appeal to you the most. Immerse yourself in his style. By choosing Chanel you will plunge into the world of femininity and modesty, by choosing Louis Vuthon you will plunge into the world of elegance, and by choosing Dolce Gabbana - evening dresses and luxury. For fashion photography, both fur and silk dresses and swimsuits are suitable. Choose bright things, different textures and fabrics. Add lace or tulle trim. Accentuate the look with a pair of high heels. You can choose several looks for a shoot, combining them from time to time.
Details in fashion photography play an important role; everything should be thought out to the smallest detail. Decorate your outfit with various accessories such as:
Hairstyle: styling should be matched to the image. If you decide to wear an evening dress, then it is advisable to let your hair down and make large curls; if your shoulders are open, then make a low bun, opening your neck. If the shoot is daring and sexy, keep your hair slightly casual.
Makeup: evening, glamorous, bright and spectacular. Emphasize eyes and cubes bright accents, apply blush and use false eyelashes. Declare yourself, your beauty and luxury.
The era of fashion laid the foundation for the “documentation” of fashion shows and looks in fashion photography. The model tried her best to show off the outfit. Give preference to studio shooting, play with the dress and enjoy the look. Spin, smile and play for the camera.
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When the conversation turns to fashion photography, pictures from fashion magazines pop up in your head, where models are in strange poses and clothes, with daring and bright makeup. This will be the essence of this direction - advertising and attracting attention. This type of photography is used to increase customer loyalty to the brand, increase sales of clothing lines, cosmetics or accessories, and to inform customers about the latest fashion products.
The main goal of the work of fashion photographers is to create a non-existent ideology, impose values on the viewer and attract attention to the world of fashion. Without photography, the very concept of “fashion” will not exist; it is built on frames, pictures and staged photographs. Even fashion shows are attended by only a few, while the rest learn about trends and new collections from the pages of magazines or on websites.
Many photographers around the world strive to join the elite - image shoots for magazines and brands, but only a few succeed. One of the reasons is the complexity of the genre - beginners will not cope here. Shooting such shots requires years of training, millions of unsuccessful shots and the talent to see deeper and further than the lens and clothes. Fashion photography should have a deep story, an inner meaning confirmed by details, clearly worked out details and much more.
Over the years, fashion photography has developed features and rules that distinguish it from other genres. The main ones can be identified:
These points can be continued for a long time; this genre of photography has many features and unique features. They took years to develop and were polished for almost a century and a half to reach us in their modern form.
Fashion photography has a rich and rich life, filled with the spirit and work of various masters. Each milestone of the era made adjustments to the ideology of photography itself and all its directions, development technical capabilities camera and lighting made it possible to create more and more provocative photographs. And with the advent of graphic editors and digital images, image shooting received completely unlimited freedom of imagination. On the image modern models There was also a general emancipation of minds, a decrease in censorship and criticism.
The movement began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with a book by Adolphe Braun, where he posted photographs of the Italian Duchess Virginia Oldoni in fashionable outfits of the time. So she became the first model in the history of photography, and Brown became the founder of fashion photography. This happened in the middle of the 19th century, in 1856.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the first glossy magazines appeared and the first fashion photography was published in La mode practuqie. In 1909, Vogue magazine picked up the baton, and in 1911, the magazine Art et Decoration published a series of photographs by Edward Steichen, which depicted dresses of the Parisian couturier Paul Poiret.
Before World War II, several major magazines and dozens of fashion photographers actively published fashion photographs. In the 50s, during the difficult post-war period, the activity of photographers and couturiers decreased noticeably. English photographer John French breathed a second wind into fashion photography by printing a photograph on newsprint.
Add to list famous photographers included people who made a revolution in photography of their time or created photographs of the “epoch”.
Hundreds of photographers have appeared in the world of fashion photography over almost a century and a half, and all of them have contributed to the appearance of this trend.
Fashion photography has several directions, they are similar to each other in the presence of a model and clothing, but have some differences in style, mood, shooting location and purpose of the images.
The good thing about them is that they don't need to be organized. All you need is technology good optics, the right light and the “direct hands” of the photographer. These are shots from the catwalk, where models show the finished look to the viewer.
They can be staged or spontaneous. The photographer can create a complete image and shoot the model on the street, or you can just walk around the city and look for stylish people.
“Stylish look”, posted in a magazine or online, often with the caption “would you wear it?” The emphasis here is on the texture of things, there is no idea or mood. Still-life shots are taken on a white background, which allows you to save a lot on models, makeup and backgrounds for shooting.
Here, stylists create complete looks for placement in clothing or accessory catalogs. It is most often filmed in a cyclorama or against a white background in order to show the product and details as much as possible.
Its main difference from previous directions is the presence of history and meaning. Clothes are not the central element in the photo; it is more important to create an atmosphere and fill the frame with emotions.
To achieve high-quality image or magazine photography, you should first practice in other types, learn to see not only things and the face, but also the inner mood. Introduce atmosphere, a cry from the heart, and extravagance into the frame with the help of makeup, details, light and scenery.
If you are a beginner photographer, then you can take your first photographs by copying famous masters, trying to recreate the mood and atmosphere of the photo. Over time, staged photography will develop taste and creative vision for the photograph. You can also use win-win trends in fashion photography; you can build on them when creating your masterpiece.
Blurry lines in makeup, deliberate gross defects. For example, bright lipstick, smeared on the cheeks or running mascara will attract attention to the photo and create a mood of chaos and disorder. If you place the accents correctly, you can create a spirit of rebellion in the photo.
Gym and emphasis on sportswear. Popularization healthy image life was reflected in photography. Beautiful toned shapes, flexing muscles, and sports equipment in the frame attract the attention of modern youth. For filming, you can choose an old stadium, a school gym, or a playground in the yard; it will highlight the gloss and well-groomed appearance of the model.
Shooting with a film camera. Despite the popularization of the figure, the film does not lose ground and still confidently maintains its popularity. Frames taken with a film camera have a unique and incomparable atmosphere, a pleasant tint to the eye, well remembered and always pleasant. Any photo will be perceived softer if you shoot it on film.
Use of masks. In modeling and fashion photography, personality and inner world models. Masks cover faces, creating a personalization protest fashion trends. They can partially hide their head or completely, they can leave some areas open, emphasizing their importance.
Wet hair and clothes. The “just out of the shower” effect has not lost popularity for many years, and is actively used by photographers for fashion shoots. Wet elements of clothing favorably emphasize the shape, and hair and flowing water create a mood of protest against the canons of beauty and standards of appearance.
Seated poses in chairs or sofas. Everyone is used to seeing a model standing, it’s more familiar and beautiful. And lounging in a chair creates an atmosphere of a devil-may-care attitude and a challenge to society. The girl attracts attention by promoting independence from public opinion. An aspiring photographer can use this idea to create provocative images.
Street shooting in unexpected places. Street scenery, abandoned buildings, garbage and urban landscapes, with the right image and facial expression of the model, will create a poetic mood of hopelessness and “writing.” In contrast to glossy and glamorous photographs, such a photograph will definitely be remembered by the viewer.
Emphasis on figure imperfections. Moles, freckles, disproportionate face - distinctive features models, and the whole point of photography can be done on them. It is not even necessary to present the story beautifully; you can enhance the imperfection and bring the situation to the point of absurdity.
Puppet poses, stooping. In everyday photographs they look ridiculous and comical, but in fashion photography they are considered a trend. Models are painted like a doll, even suitable clothes are chosen. Such an image is created to deliberately depersonalize the character in order to show the importance of things and surroundings over people and personalities.
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Pastel colors and minimalism. The excess of colors in glossy magazines often creates a cacophony of color, which is perfectly used by the masters of their craft. Pastel and minimal makeup, a plain background and discreet clothes - the image already attracts the eye to the page.
The very appearance of fashion photography is a protest against the desire to capture everything beautiful and harmonious in the world. The main point of the direction has always been to attract attention by any means. Practice creating posed photographs, don't be afraid to experiment and put meaning into every click of the shutter, so you can get closer to fashion photographers and possibly leave your mark on art.
