Fashion Photography Tips to Elevate Your Brand

When you launch a fashion brand, there’s a huge list of things you need to keep in mind. In a previous blog post, E. Vincent Martinez described how during the first few months, it pays to have a strong social media strategy, work on your client relationships, and find ways to generate growth. One great way to do this is by focusing on creating stunning visuals through fashion product photography. By doing this, you’ll draw attention to your products and strengthen your brand identity.

However, dealing with fashion photography isn’t just about making your products look good. It’s also about analyzing why you need to capture the photos and how you can use them to draw your target viewers’ attention to your fashion products. For that reason, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of fashion photography to obtain desirable outcomes.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. CREATE A GAME PLAN

To avoid wasting time on your shoot, it’s beneficial to come up with a concept and create a mood board ahead of time. For your photographs to have a cohesive look, Adorama explains how you should figure out what story you want to tell. Think about the emotions and the overall mood that you want your images to depict. After this, it becomes much easier to decide on a color palette, lighting, poses, and the hair and makeup of your models. Without solid planning, your elements can feel disjointed and your shoot might be disorganized and chaotic.

On the other hand, if you believe the planning can be best handled by professionals, then you can consider working with a reliable product photographer in your area. They have the expertise and skills to know the right combination of elements necessary to produce amazing fashion product photos for your brand. 

2. PLAY WITH OUTDOOR SHOTS

Although studio shots have their place in fashion, there’s something to be said for the organic nature of outdoor photographs.

A post by Forbes emphasizes the value of working with different types of sunlight. For instance, the golden hour will give your models a flattering glow that adds a touch of bronze to your images. In contrast, taking photos during the middle of the day can be more of a challenge because of the potential for harsh shadows.

Alternatively, taking nighttime shots can provide you a great opportunity to play with neon lights for an urban edge.

3. CURATE YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED

When you’re coming up with a concept, it helps to think about your overall identity and the vibe of your Instagram feed. Whether it’s neutral, bold, dark, or feminine, remaining consistent and making gradual transitions throughout your images will improve the flow of your posts. A great tip from Vogue is to include a mixture of close-up and distance shots, candid shots, and staged scenes. In addition, making sure that your signature style comes through on every shot will help your brand stand out from the competition.

4. TRY SHOOTING ON FILM

While digital film helps you select that perfect shot from a multitude of frames, film photography is making a comeback in the fashion world.

Photographer Alex Hutchinson explains how using a light meter can help you get the right shot because working with film means that you have to make your limited shots count. Even though the processing time is longer, film photographs can give your brand a vintage twist.

One creative option is to use a disposable camera to take behind the scene shots. This will give your followers an insider perspective into the workings of your brand.

5. ADD SOME DRAMA AND MOVEMENT

Not every shot has to be motionless.

Encourage your models to jump, dance, and work with their clothing to show off its movement. Take a cue from Rihanna’s Harper’s Bazaar shoot and embody high fashion looks through dramatic makeup, sky-high hairstyles, and rainbow hues.

On the cover shoot, the movement of her fringed Givenchy jacket and dress set adds some interest and texture to the scene. While crystal clear shots can show off your products well in a catalog setting, using blur in an artistic way can also add value to your brand.

6. HIGHLIGHT THE DETAILS OF THE PRODUCT

Since there are various types of viewers, you need to capture photos that cover everyone’s points of view. Although some viewers will simply look at the images, others will require further visual explanations to get to know the product better and decide whether it’s worth buying or not. 

That said, it’s also essential to highlight the details of the product if you want to make the most out of fashion product photography. You can do this by taking shots from various angles to cover all the essential details. For example, if you’re selling fashion bags, you should capture photos that display its best features. That way, your viewers will know whether the product has value to them. 

While there are so many things to remember when you’re staging a photoshoot, creating a detailed plan, working with the light you have, and experimenting with different techniques is a great way to build your confidence for future shoots.

FASHIONADO