Fashion Photography [Book Review]

Special thanks to Amphoto Books and Watson-Guptill Publications for sending this book to review for you guys.

Fashion Photography

Fashion Photography: A Complete Guide to the Tools and Techniques of the Trade by Bruce Smith

The glamorous world of fashion photography has probably intrigued or inspired many more photographers than any other practice in the realm of professional photography. In today’s age this section of photography seems hotter than ever. Before you decide to throw your hat in the ring it would be good advice to do your homework. Fashion Photography: A Complete Guide to the Tools and Techniques of the Trade attempts to guide you in the right direction by providing insight on equipment, exposure, composition, marketing, and more.

About the Author

Bruce Smith has been a world-class fashion and beauty photography for thirty years. He teaches master classes in France, Italy, and the United States, runs workshops in the United Kingdom, and is the fashion photography instructor at BetterPhoto.com.

Breakdown

• Equipment

• Team Building

• Pre-Production

• Lighting

• Production

• Post-Production

• Marketing

• Inspirational Photographers

Equipment

Fashion photography requires a different and often times more expensive investment in equipment. Bruce does, of course, start with the disclaimer that while equipment is important there are far more important things about becoming a great fashion photographer. Choosing the right equipment, however, is a matter of practical, creative, and personal choices. There’s a quick breakdown of the types of cameras often used by top fashion photographers as well as lens choices. Bruce also gives insight into his personal kit which is a little lighter on both the back and the wallet than some of the more expensive medium and large format options. Of course this chapter goes well beyond cameras and lenses. He also discusses computers, lighting equipment, carrying equipment, and other gadgets.

Team Building

Fashion photography is done on a team basis. This includes assistants, agents for both the models and the photographers, makeup, hair, etc. I’ve known a few great fashion photographers and the one thing they all had in common was their ability to lead a team. You have to be a team leader in this industry to survive. This chapter explains the different roles of fashion photography team members and how they can enhance your pictures and help you rise to the cream of the crop.

Pre-Production

“It’s about having an idea in your head, taking a number of elements, and making that idea come to life in a photograph.” You have a client to satisfy and you can’t go in without a plan.

Lighting

We talk about lighting very often here at Your Photo Tips because it’s important in every type of photography. It’s absolutely crucial in fashion photography. This chapter can get pretty technical and that’s okay. If you’re going to be managing a team you need to know the technical ways of getting your shot done. I love that this chapter really emphasizes the way different lighting situations create different moods.

Production

This is the part where you get to put all of your homework together with model and location in hand. Bruce covers what you need to do on the day of the shoot, how to tackle the various advertising assignments, and how to manage the model to create the right energy and composition for the assignment.

Post-Production

The author shares his post-production workflow. This chapter will probably not suit everyone because I feel that everyone has a different workflow pattern they need to follow but it’s a good place to start if you don’t have a good workflow already in place.

Marketing

As highly competitive as fashion photography is I’m surprised that this section wasn’t bigger. If fashion photography is your calling then you’ll want to supplement this area of your business with additional reading.

Inspirational Photographers

I think this is the first book on photography that I’ve read that has a section like this and I love it. One of my favorite fashion photographers David LaChapelle is highlighted in this section so that was a bonus.

Conclusion

Overall I think the book had some really great insight into the world of fashion photography. I do believe that the title was a little ambitious however. A Complete Guide to the Tools and Techniques of the Trade? I’d probably call it an “introduction” and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Bruce is a great photographer with an easy to read style of writing. The illustrations throughout the book are beautiful (and that’s not just because of the models although it doesn’t hurt). The chapter on Lighting is filled with diagrams and captions which will help to learn the intricacies behind studio lighting. The best thing Bruce Smith did when writing this book was let the reader know how difficult and competitive the industry is. It’s not a blaring disclaimer, but little thoughts littered throughout and I believe he does his readers justice by doing this.

I would recommend Fashion Photography: A Complete Guide to the Tools and Techniques of the Trade to:

1. Fashion Photographers
2. Portrait Photographers
3. Wedding Photographers
4. Fine Art Nude Photographers
5. Catalog Photographers
6. Editorial Photographers

Popularity: 20% [?]

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