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Fashion Photography Shack Guide

Fashion Photography And The New Professional Photographer

By Judd Walker

Fashion photography is a very competive industry. There are fashion photographers who have been around for years and have a loyal list of clients. Once you are set as a fashion photographer, the clients come looking for you, with requests to work on their projects.

If you are starting out as a fashion photographer, then you need to ensure you are ready to crack a tough market. You need to have luck, able to produce quality work and most of all, you need a quality fashion photography portfolio of your work.

You can place your portfolio on a website and have it available as a photo album in your studio. You can even place some of your images on the walls of your studio, so your clients can view the quality of your work.

Fashion Photography Is Exciting

Fashion photography is one of the most exciting and creative industries around. It is a career that offers glamour, glitz, and - should you land major gigs - big bucks. As a fashion photographer you can get to meet and interact with all sorts of exciting people, from fashion models to designers to TV and film celebrities, all in the name of style.

All you need to get started is a camera, the right digital tools, a creative eye that screams "good taste!" and you’ll be an inch closer to your fashion photography career.

Fashion Photography Is Very Competitive

Okay, let’s make one thing clear: the fashion photography market is fierce. There are literally thousands of photographers who want a piece of the action. But that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible dream. Besides the top fashion shows across Europe and America there are plenty of sub markets to be conquered. Consider the following:

* fashion advertising
* magazine shoots
* art photography
* celebrity portraits

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Some people even get into paparazzi work, chasing down the hottest celebrities in town to get the latest pix. The idea is to be aware of as many fashion photography outlets for your talents as possible.

Fashion Photography Portfolio

One of the basic requirements for any photographer in any field, is a photography portfolio. You need a portfolio to get new projects as your potential clients need to say a history of your work. Preferably both a website and a traditional book of pictures. Try to go with bright and clear 4 x 5" transparencies to highlight your work.

Great quality 8 x 10" prints are also great to look at, as well as pages from magazines if you’ve been published. Aim for at least 20 or more photographs in your book. Have more than one copy as you will probably be asked to leave them behind at some companies/magazines for consideration.

Research Potential Clients And Know Your Market

Know the magazine you’ll be submitting to. Get the name of the person in charge of the department you’re contacting. Mark your material with your name and contact number. Send prints or transparencies, never originals.

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want to have your pictures back. Know that some magazines are difficult to work with (it’s the nature of the industry). Be as knowledgeable as you can about the magazine you are contributing to, their style and reach. Don’t be ignorant; do your homework before submitting.

Get A Good Fashion Photography Agent

It helps to find serious representation. Be careful when choosing an agent, you don’t want to be ripped off. Call the reputable agencies and shop around for good representation. Prepare your portfolio and go into meetings well mannered and prepared. If an agent likes your work, he or she can significantly help you with your career.

These are just some of many approaches you can take when trying to crack the fashion photography nut. You can do it! Just follow your heart and imagination and make sure your work is visible. It’s one thing to talk about your pictures and another thing to show them.

Your First Clients

When you are starting out and trying to get your first clients, you need to please them with your portfolio and then try and accommodate their requirements. Quite often, your client will not be concerned with your price, as long as you can meet their requirements. To ensure you have a long term happy customer make sure all their requirements are met.

You can also give them a little gift, as a way of over delivering. The customer may ask for 150 images and you can supply 200 and say the 50 is a gift from you to the company as Christmas is around the corner. Just ensure the company management do not think they will get a gift with every project.

Once you get your first set of clients, word of mouth will spread in the fashion industry about the quality of your work and you will have potential clients seeking you out for fashion photography projects.

About the Author:
Judd Walker has written a number of articles on digital photography and modeling including Become A Model, Fashion Models, Model Management, Wedding Video, Movie Camera, Best Digital Camcorder, Film Director, Funny Video Clips, Glamour Photography.
Keep a lookout as more articles from this author appear on this website in the near future.