FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

In fashion photography, special emphasis was initially on ‘staging’ the shots, in natural poses at natural environments. This procedure or practice was first adopted and developed by Baron Adolf de Meyer. Fashion magazines Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar were leaders in the field of fashion photography in the earlier half of the 20th century. The fashion photography industry bigwigs still salute and pay tribute to the contributions made by George Hoyningen Huene, Cecil Beaton and Edward Steichen and Yva. They literally transformed this photography genre into an art form that thrived in Europe. In the United States of America, the contributions to the world of fashion photography post World War II came from Martin Munkacsi, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. In a way, these hot shots shaped the contemporary look of fashion photography.

The evolution of fashion photography:

Many of the earlier artists willingly abandoned their adopted forms, most of which were very rigid, for a more natural and independent style. It was in the year 1936 that fashion photographer Martin Munkacsi first photographed models in various poses at the beach. Fashion photography became very popular and became a dream for every young man who loved the widely marketed cameras after the Second World War and every young woman who had the vital statistics! Fashion photography has a huge audience and involves great pay packets today. Models are now enjoying international celebrity status and a very glamorous lifestyle. In fact, it would not be wrong to state that fashion photography is among one of the world's most sought-after professions!

The avenues for display:

There are a number of avenues where fashion photography can be flaunted. The niche fashion advertising arena, art photography and celebrity portraiture are very paying and well appreciated. Today industry bigwigs like photo editor Clio McNicholl and agent Gloria Cappelletti agree that the industry is witnessing a new avatar! There is whole tried and tested approach and application to setting up a portfolio, effectively submitting the same to editors, the choice of the photo agency and eventually a display. In fashion photography, the most important tool is the portfolio. It helps establish a reputation in the fashion world.

Fashion photography for beginners:

There are a number of unsolicited portfolios received by the photo editors of various magazines, regularly. It is understandable for beginners to want to have their work noticed almost immediately. The promotional material may or may not be accompanied by recommendations and the assessment of the portfolios begins from the time they arrive. Amateur fashion photographers can access online resources or websites that enable them to effectively showcase a large quantity of images. Another successful method is computer editing, to keep retouching and printing costs as low as possible.