Photographing Fashion E-Book

Leigh Keily

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 232

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

A successful fashion photographer has to be passionate and to believe in their concept, but they must also grasp the technical potential of their camera. This book guides you through both tasks by explaining how to use your camera to best effect, and then how to generate and develop ideas from conception to creation through to pitching and publication. Written by an experienced fashion photographer, it exposes the world of fashion photography with insider tips and advises on assembling kit and using the tools of your camera. It introduces fashion photography, how to find a team and how to communicate ideas; covers shooting in a studio- focusing on light and encouraging experimentation; outlines the pros and cons of shooting on location, and the challenges of leaving the safety of the studio; explains shoot concepts and their importance to the fashion photographer; advises on how to manage digital image files and their post-production; explores good retouching - how to make your photos look their best; and suggests ideas for putting together a portfolio and promoting yourself. This superb new book on fashion photography is aimed at everyone involved in fashion, health, beauty and portrait photography and is superbly illustrated with 187 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

Photographing FashionArt and Techniques

Leigh Keily

CROWOOD

First published in 2015 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© Leigh Keily 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 980 3

Cover photography: Leigh Keily; styling: Rebekah Roy; model: Sofia Vranou; hair and make-up: Evan Huang; coat by Maryling

291: Sophia Vranou wears coat by Maryling, styled by Rebekah Roy, hair and makeup by Evan Huang.

292: Sophia Vranou wears necklace by Sara Angold, dress by AQ/AQ, styled by Rebekah Roy, hair and makeup by Evan Huang.

293: Sophia Vranou wears Dress by Clon8, Headdress by Fumbalinas, styled by Rebekah Roy, hair and makeup by Evan Huang.

Dedication

To my father Mike Keily, who bought me my first camera and darkroom kit

  CONTENTS  

Introduction

1

Basic Kit

2

The Fashion Photographer

3

Using your Camera

4

Getting Started and Finding Your Team

5

Studio Photography

6

Fashion Stories on Location

7

Enriching Your Stories

8

Starting your Digital Workflow

9

Retouching

10

Sending Out Work and Promoting Yourself

Conclusion

Index

Fig 0.1High contrast, dramatic lighting and interesting backgrounds can provide exciting and visually arresting fashion photography.

Introduction

Fashion photography is an area that offers limitless scope for creation – both in a commercial sense and as an artistic expression of the world around us. It can create a dream world, an inspiration, a mirror into another world of the impossible, or a reflection of our society, our troubles, apprehensions and realities. Fashion photography expresses our desires and our aesthetics. It changes with time and trends but remains an expression of one’s individualism, realized through teamwork and collaborations. It is both a technical exercise and part of the heart.

This book aims to inspire you, both through teaching the technical aspects of fashion photography and allowing you to express yourself through your art. Fashion photography is so much more than simply the execution of a shoot – you also need to market yourself, learn to retouch and edit images, manage delicate relationships with other people in the industry, and balance your work between expressive personal projects and money-making commercial jobs. From choosing a kit to directing a model, from getting started to developing advanced concepts, this book will guide you through the basic skills of being a fashion photographer. The steps you take next are part of an exciting journey to becoming successful – where you can enjoy the amazing gift of creativity every day, be your own boss and enjoy a varied life of exciting projects and interesting work colleagues. Step up, work hard, and get reading.

Fig 1.1Preparing the lighting for a busy fashion shoot.

Chapter 1

Basic Kit

  CHOOSING A DSLR  

The most obvious and essential part of the fashion photographer’s kit is the camera. Most fashion photographers are now working in the digital format, having abandoned film due to the fast turnaround, high quality and low cost of modern DSLRs – Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras – which contain a viewfinder which shows you exactly what you’re going to shoot, with a mirror that pops out of the way when you press the shutter. Choosing your camera might seem like a daunting task, so we’ll cover some basic terminology to help make that decision a little easier.

Brand

Canon and Nikon are the traditional choices for 35mm format DSLR cameras, but other contenders like Sony, Fuji and Olympus are producing cameras of similar specifications and features. Canon and Nikon provide safe choices and strong compatibility with third party accessories, a larger range of branded products, easy servicing and ease of hiring additional lenses and flash guns.

Megapixels

The megapixel count refers to the multiplication of the length and width of a digital image. In practical applications, a higher megapixel size allows you to blow up a print to larger dimensions. It also produces a higher RAW image size, so memory cards become fuller, faster. It is generally desirable to have as big a megapixel count as you can afford, though there are many other factors which also determine image quality – for example, an iPhone 8-megapixel camera is no match for a digital SLR.

Sensor Size

There are currently two sizes of sensor being used in modern DSLRs: an APS-C-size senor and a full frame. APS-C has a smaller physical size and is cheaper to produce, making it quite a common sensor in consumer-level digital cameras. Sensor sizes can vary by camera manufacturer, but due to their smaller size they produce a different ‘angle of view’ from the lens’s focal length. This ‘crop factor’ or ‘focal length multiplier’ normally multiplies regular lenses by a factor of around 1.5.

Professional cameras typically use the full frame-size sensor, which is larger than the APS-C and mirrors the dimensions of traditional 35mm film. As such it has a higher light sensitivity and no focal multiplication.

Capture Rate

The capture rate is the speed at which a camera can capture JPEG and RAW files, usually expressed as a number of images in a burst (quick succession) or the number of frames per second for continuous shooting.

Processor

Responsible for the clarity and the speed of the capture, the processing power is typically higher in the professional camera ranges; however, the consumer range carries processors far in excess of the demands of most novice fashion photographers. Modern cameras give clean captures at ISO settings under 800, with some noticeable digital grain sneaking in above ISO 800. With most fashion work being captured at a relatively slow speed (in comparison to, for instance, sports photography), there is little need for a processor with a high capture rate.

Figs 1.2 and 1.3A standard Canon DSRL.

Memory card type

Two main memory card formats dominate the market – the smaller SD (secure digital) cards and the slightly larger, squarer CF (compact flash) cards. The SD cards are generally priced lower than the CF, but also have a lower maximum read/write rate. It is essential that a photographer carry multiple memory cards and an ability to back up these cards to an external source.

Fig. 1.4Left and middle: compact flash cards. Right: SD card.

ISO performance

As digital cameras evolve, they usually boast better ‘low light shooting’; that is, they produce cleaner images at high ISO, which allows better night shooting and indoor shoots. Fashion photographers fond of using available light (pre-existing light, like wall and ceiling lamps indoors) will prefer this cleaner, low light shooting technology.

Video

With full HD capture now available on DSLRs, the fashion photographer can branch into video without investing in a separate HD video kit. 1080p capture comes standard on most mid-level DSLRs, allowing use of expensive still photography lenses to be applied to video work. Photographers hoping to branch out into some digital fashion film should consider this when purchasing a DSLR.

Fig. 1.5A DSLR in video mode.

AF points and metering

AF (autofocus) points help the camera to assess your intended focus for the image by analyzing the contents of the frame and choosing a corresponding AF point. So, the more, the better. However, no AF sensor can read your mind, so being confident and switching to manual focus where needed will give you better results than relying on a handful of AF points. Exposure metering also varies from camera to camera, and advanced systems will assist fashion photographers working heavily on location with quicker, more accurate scene exposure.

Fig. 1.6Autofocus points shown on the back of a DSLR.

  LENSES  

Lenses for DSLRs are always removable and hence customizable, depending on what type of shoot you intend to produce. For fashion photography, we choose lenses which reflect our subject – people. Wide-angle lenses like the ‘fish-eye’ can be used to give a special effect, but aren’t a common everyday lens for the fashion photographer. Like portrait photographers, fashion photographers are aiming to buy lenses that flatter their subjects, not warp them.

Wide or telephoto?

Wide-angle lenses (i.e. in the range of 15–35) are fantastic for capturing landscapes but less than ideal in the fashion arena. When photographing people with a wide angle, noses can seem larger and more prominent, the subject may appear out of proportion, or wider than anticipated. Studio backgrounds might become visible, and a less than ideal image is produced. Telephoto lenses, at 70–200, will produce a cleaner, more proportioned fashion image but require photographers to have more distance between themselves and the subject.

Prime or zoom?

Both prime (fixed focal length) and zoom lenses have their pros and cons. Fixed lenses, as the name implies, fixes the focal length and therefore the operator cannot zoom in or out, instead stepping forward or backward to include more or less content in the frame. As fixed lenses have fewer moving parts and are tailor-made for a specific focal length, the internal glass lenses known as the ‘optics’ can be manufactured to a higher specification than those in zoom lenses. Prime lenses are favoured by professional photographers who rely on this level of quality in their images. Prime lenses often have a wider maximum aperture, allowing plenty of light into the lens and a shallow depth of field – perfect for blurring the background of an image.

Zoom lenses are made to be more dynamic and will often work on a range specific to their application. Fashion photographers will be aiming for the lower (28–105mm) range, while sports photographers may need to zoom in a great distance to capture the action, hence their zoom lenses will have larger focal lengths.

Fig. 1.7A wide-angle lens and a zoom lens.

Quality

Both prime and zoom lenses come in various levels of quality, almost always related directly to their cost. Lower quality lenses will often perform very well in the mid to high aperture range, i.e. above ƒ8, but may incorporate softness, blur or vignetting (darkening of edges) at lower end ƒ–stops. Due to their high quality materials and craftsmanship, premium lenses hold their value well, much more solidly than camera bodies or other technology indexed products.

SUGGESTED STARTING POINTS

Start your kit with a solid yet affordable SLR body from one of the main manufacturers, and invest the bulk of your start-up capital into one or two top quality lenses. Should you wish to upgrade later, your lenses will be transferable and your first SLR can be used as a back-up or snapshot camera. Great starting lenses are a 50mm prime lens and a 24–105mm zoom. Add two or three high capacity memory cards.

  TRIPOD  

A tall tripod is an essential part of the fashion photographer’s kit, not only to keep well composed shots stable, but also to help bear the weight of heavy SLR camera and lens combos, which will feel weighty after a full day of shooting. Additionally, most consumer and semi-pro digital cameras have just one shutter on the right side of the body, causing the user to strain his or her right arm upward at an angle to shoot portrait-orientated shots. Again, as a repetitive activity throughout the day, most photographers will begin to feel the weight.

Tripods are a standard, uncomplicated piece of kit that require little technical knowledge before purchase. Weigh up height, weight and the ‘head’ – the part of the tripod that connects to your camera.

Height wise, choose a tripod which would allow you to shoot a six-foot (or taller) model without the need to tilt your camera upward. Weight wise, lighter is better, as long as the tripod is strong enough to support your camera. Normally these attributes are listed on the labels of the tripod. If they aren’t, it might be better to trust a more established brand.

Often the head of the tripod is sold separately from the body, allowing both photographers and videographers to share the same tripod leg configuration. Photography-focused tripod heads usually work on a three axis system, loosening and tightening handles to adjust pitch. Some may also use a ball-and-socket system – try both and see which you prefer. A plate attaches to the base of the camera to allow the user to remove and affix the camera to the tripod with minimal fuss and effort while maintaining a solid connection.

Figs 1.8 and 1.9A standard tripod, and a standard tripod standing up.

  COMPUTERS  

In the digital age it’s essential that fashion photographers have a laptop – viewing and working with digital images deems this necessary and clients now expect to be able to view the photographs straight away and have final delivery faster than ever. And, as we discuss in later chapters, we never leave a shoot location without backing up our work – a task that requires a laptop.

PC or Mac, the choice is yours, Go for the system you feel comfortable with and which can achieve your intended workload. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Again, consider the weight of the machine – the lighter the better.

Fig. 1.10A MacBook.

  PORTABLE FLASH  

All the major SLR manufacturers produce specialist flash guns to accompany their cameras, working with the latest E-TTL technology. E-TTL, or Electronic Through-the-Lens, is the name given to the method a flash gun uses to judge the correct exposure of the scene. The camera not only tells the flash when to fire, but also how strong to make the flash to ensure a perfect exposure. It does this by emitting a very fast pre-flash, so fast we normally don’t even notice, during which it gathers the necessary data to adjust its main flash to the appropriate output. As such, flash guns made by other manufacturers will rarely work with your SLR, unless they specifically state so. Nikon users sadly cannot borrow from a friend with a Canon brand flash.

The E-TTL feature of these flashes is a valuable time-saver for fashion photographers, allowing them to select camera settings and shoot without worrying about measuring the amount of light output given by the flash.

Flash guns are operated by either mounting them directly to the camera’s hot shoe, or wirelessly, allowing for further flexibility and accessorizing. These battery-operated flashes aren’t as powerful as their mains-powered equivalents, but still pack quite a punch for their size.

  STUDIO FLASH  

Studio flash kits (sometimes simply called ‘lights’) allow for greater power output and a broader array of accessories, giving more complex and refined lighting results. Throughout this book we will refer to various lighting set-ups and the results they yield, and the lighting kit described here is the primary building block for creating these set-ups. There are three main manufacturers of studio flash – Bowens, Elinchrom and Profoto – each with different attachment types and hence very little cross compatibility. Photographers should sample the benefits of all three before choosing a brand they will likely stick with for many years.

Monoblocks

The most common studio light for the beginner, monoblocks are sturdy, easy-to-use studio flashes which plug directly into standard wall outlets. These flash units have two separate lighting units: a standard high watt bulb known as the modelling lamp, and the doughnut-shaped flash tube. The modelling lamp has two functions: to cast enough light on the subject to allow the photographer to obtain the correct focus, and to give a rough idea of the flash’s result. Monoblocks come in a variety of different strengths, usually specified in watts, measuring the amount of light output given by the flash tube, while the modelling lamp is standard across most monoblocks, being a high watt screw-in bulb (around 250W).

Monoblocks are controlled by dials or buttons that control the flash output, modelling lamp output, audible recharge tone and ability to wirelessly sync with other flashes. The sync ability, via a small ‘seeing eye’ or slave device, can detect other flashes firing in the same space and automatically fire themselves, at such fast speed that the photographer detects the two flashes as ‘in sync’. There is also an input for attaching a cord or wireless radio to the flash unit.

Most photographers at the beginning of their fashion photography career will be working with monoblock lights.

Fig. 1.11A monoblock.

Figs 1.12Light accessories attach to the front of monoblocks.

Flash Packs and Heads

Often used as part of a large studio set-up, flash packs (or generators) and heads are more robust, powerful versions of the monoblock. Instead of housing the flash recharge unit and flash bulb all in one unit, the pack is used for recharging and power modification, connected to a smaller, lighter flash head. One pack can power several flash heads all at once, and new technology is even allowing these packs to be wireless via remote control or connected to the user’s computer, giving precise digital control. The maximum power output using packs and heads is much higher, and so ideal for use in very large studios or with complex lighting set-ups.

Light Accessories

Users can attach a variety of accessories to the front of a studio flash; these accessories are collectively named light-shaping tools. Most users will have seen some of these tools already, with the photographic umbrella being a popular tool with school portrait photographers for many years. Fashion photographers are required to gain knowledge in the function and use of all the light-shaping tools, though some might naturally lean toward a favourite one that best suits their aesthetic style.

The two main functions of light-shaping tools are to control the hardness and the spread of the light. Hard light gives off shadows with defined borders, has a high contrast between its bright points and dark areas, and can show up more detail in the skin. It’s most comparable to a very bright, sunny day. Soft light is the opposite, with diffused gradients from areas of highlight to shadow, and a softer, gentler treatment of skin, much like the natural light on an overcast day.

Bare bulb: with no diffusion, this hard light leaves the flash and hits the subject straight on.

Umbrella: can be used in two ways, with light either bounced into the umbrella and reflected out, or ‘shoot through’ where light passes directly through the umbrella causing a mild diffusion.

Fig. 1.13An umbrella attached to a monoblock.

Softbox: with up to two levels of diffusion, the softbox is a popular studio light tool for flattering fashion photographs with soft shadows and even overall detail. The contrast is lower than both the bare bulb and umbrella.

Light spread and direction: various accessories can be added to the above to control the spread and direction of the light. The type of dish used in the bare bulb configuration can vary dramatically. Wide-angle reflector dishes give a broad spread of light, while snoot attachments and honeycombs focus the light in for more specific, detailed lighting set-ups. Barn doors can be attached to reflectors to control the horizontal and vertical spread of the light. Grids can be added to umbrella and softbox set-ups to force light forward in a beam, rather than allowing it to spread.

Fig. 1.14A softbox attached to a monoblock.

  USING FLASH ON LOCATION  

A range of options exist for fashion photographers who choose to shoot on location. Studio flash kits (monoblocks and pack-based lights) can leave the studio, if tethered to suitable batteries. These battery kits are usually large, heavy and expensive, holding a limited number of flashes and usually preventing the use of modelling lamps while in operation. That said, the whole range of light modifiers (softboxes, umbrellas) become available to the photographer willing to bring studio kit onto location.

Fig. 1.15A portable flash and a wireless transmitter.

Fig. 1.16Using a portable flash on location.

A more portable method exists, albeit slightly more limited – using portable flashes from your SLR manufacturer. The Canon and Nikon range of speedlight flash guns allow for wireless usage while maintaining their E-TTL exposure system, effectively measuring and adjusting the light output for you. While holding the flash in the desired position, a diffusing light-shaping tool (an umbrella or softbox, for instance) could be held in front of the flash, effectively making a much more portable, lightweight studio-style set-up on location.

  OTHER TOOLS FOR ENHANCING NATURAL LIGHT  

Light reflectors are cheap, light and easy-to-use tools that should be an essential staple of any fashion photographer’s location toolkit. Coming in a variety of sizes and colours, these reflectors bounce the available light into dark patches, around corners, or are simply used to supplement existing light or act as a natural fill light. Commonly they have two sides, for instance white and silver – the white side gives a weaker reflection with less contrast, while the shiny silver side gives more strength and also adds contrast/hardness to the reflected light. Varieties with a gold side are used to give a warmth to the reflected light.

Fig. 1.17A triangular reflector.

  GADGETS AND GIZMOS  

In addition to the basics – camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and light – fashion photographers need a range of accessories both to connect everything together and to protect the photographs they have taken.

Syncing it up: connecting cameras to flash lights involves either the use of a sync cord or a wireless sync device. The cord is a simple point to point, while the wireless device uses a transmitter and receiver working on identical radio wavelengths. Cords can be limiting due to their length, get in the way or get tangled, but are reliable. Wireless devices are convenient and have a longer range, but can be less reliable and run on batteries, so a fresh supply is a must. Whichever method you choose, make sure you have a back-up – losing the ability to sync with your flash can ruin a fashion shoot.

Fig. 1.18Sync cords, hard drives, flash triggers.

Measure up: a light meter is used to measure the power output of a flash light or multiple light set-up. The user enters the ISO and shutter speed being used, and the light meter gives the appropriate ƒ-stop (aperture) setting to give a correct exposure at the point of measuring. This is known as a point measuring system.

Backing up: the final essential piece of kit for the digital fashion photographer is a system for backing up images. This could be a USB stick, portable hard drive, flash drive, or another laptop to which the pictures are transferred. Some photographers will capture their whole shoot on one memory card; others will download several times throughout a shoot. Regardless of the method, at the conclusion of the shoot it is essential that the photographer back his or her work up to another source. For pedantic photographers or on fashion jobs with large budgets, often the two back-ups will leave the shoot with two different people, in case of loss or theft of one of the photo sources.

  BAGS  

A quality camera bag is a lasting investment that will protect your kit, and your back, for many years. Fashion photographers give their bags a bashing, toting them to studios and dragging them through forests, up city stairs and through desert sand. Your bag has to survive whatever challenge you throw at it, keeping your expensive kit safe inside. Additionally it should assist you by bearing the weight of your growing, heavy collection of gadgets. Stable, heavy duty wheels, a hardwearing outer fabric and sturdy handle are a must. Consider where most of your work will be – if you’re trekking around to shoot lots of location work, choose a backpackstyle bag with padded shoulder straps. If you’re based in the city and will be using taxis, get some wheels on your case. Or if you like both, get a bag that is adaptable.

  FILL LIGHT AND MULTIPLE LIGHT SOURCE RATIOS  

Natural light on location can be supplemented by adding a fill light, commonly used to remove strong contrast between parts of a photograph in shadow and those highlighted, as is common on a sunny day. Fill light comes from the opposite direction to the main light, and its intensity can be expressed as a ratio of the two light strengths. For instance, adding a fill light equal to the main light source (either another flash if in studio, or natural light if on location) would be expressed as a ratio of 1:1. A fill light of half the strength of the main or natural source would be expressed as 1:2, and so forth.

TIPS AND TRICKS (ON THE CHEAP!)

We’ve discussed a lot of recommended kit in this section, but don’t feel like you always have to play by the rules. There are many cheats and tricks you can use to get great results without investing thousands of pounds. Don’t worry too much about the quality of your first camera; your ideas are much more important than your kit. The camera can come later bit by bit.

Try getting a cheap digital camera – look around online auctions and marketplaces, go to charity stores and flea markets. You’d be surprised what you can find if you spend some time looking. If you can’t afford a reflector, make one out of an old cardboard box covered in aluminium foil. Use natural light on location. Make a studio in your bedroom. Let your imagination fill in where your wallet can’t.

Fig. 1.19Using a softbox (left) and beauty dish (right) in ratio.

Fig. 2.1An editorial fashion photograph. The dress is by Clon8; the headdress is by Fumbalinas.

Chapter 2

The Fashion Photographer

The act of defining fashion photography has been, and continues to be, a constant challenge and point of interest for photographers and cultural theorists. As a fashion photographer, knowledge of other practitioners working in the industry is key to your own personal understanding of contemporary fashion photography, underpinned by a strong historical knowledge of important milestones within fashion and photography. The boundaries of fashion photography, whilst blurry, do allow us to create some guidelines within which to build our practice. For example, discussing the level of control we exercise over our images creates a sense of distance between the fields of documentary and fashion photography, and the amount of post production applied can help differentiate fashion and portrait photography. Fashion photography is surrounded on all sides by other forms of photographic practice which both influence, overlap and yet help define loose rules for the application of successful visual codes.

I would like to introduce the idea of ‘control’ (different from ‘creativity’), which looks at the way a photographer manipulates the subject, settings, light and action inside a frame, and the amount of post production manipulation. This amount of control can help define the genre of a photograph. Let’s take a classic image by one of the founding fathers of photography, Cartier-Bresson’s 1932 image of a man jumping over a puddle behind the St-Lazare railway station in Paris. Agreeing that this image falls into the category of documentary, we can speculate that Cartier-Bresson’s involvement in the construction of this image was simply ‘being in the right place at the right time’, coupled with a trained eye (for beautiful composition) and perfect timing (pressing the shutter button at just the right moment). We could argue that this is not a fashion image, but rather documentary, or perhaps a portrait at a push.