The surreal feeling of capturing the picture-perfect shot on camera is every photographer’s dream. Photography of any kind is no cakewalk and requires a minimal yet realistic touch of creativity. The same implies to fashion photography. Yes, fashion photography is as exciting as nature or street photography. For a photographer, it is the lens through which he/she holds power to change the world, irrespective of the kind of frame he/she chooses.

The world of fashion photography is fast-paced, which focuses on portraiture, poses, storyboard, correct lighting, and scenic locations. This field of photography is helping many photographers to find their aesthetic sense. It is all about amplifying your creativity, while not taking away the thunder from the brand.

However, it would help if you had expert guidance to move ahead and reach the level of professionalism you wish to achieve. Pearl Academy, being a pioneer institution in Fashion, Media, and Design, offers fashion photography short courses. At Pearl, you get to work with the reputed industry people and ace your photography skills through hands-on studio experience.

Here is a quick guide to face this rapidly changing industry that will help you ace your photography skills in all respects.

Create a brief of the shoot
Starting ambiguously on a fashion shoot is a big no-no. Not only will it leave you clueless, but will also confuse the whole crew working with you. Create a story which you are trying to tell through your pictures. Think of a narrative which your photos will express and get going. A fashion shoot without any concept behind it will be as clueless as a blurred picture.

Put a mood board in place
Now that you have a concrete concept in your mind, it’s time to prepare a mood board. A mood board is jotting down the idea and scheduling it as per the requirement of the concept. You will have to jot down the materials and pieces of texts on a piece of paper to avoid any chaos at the last minute. Fashion photography at every level should have a mood board. One can easily create a mood board by taking a keyword from the concept you have.

Look out for a team
By team, we do not mean a full-fledged team of people, but you will need people to work alongside you and assist you. For example, you will need a model for the shoot, an assistant camera person, a stylist to create the look with the concept in mind. You can approach people by presenting the idea to them and start reaching out to the modelling agencies. Whereas for a stylist, they are the second most important person in your team.
A stylist’s primary task is to select the outfits and garments which will sync up with your story and concept. These stylists usually have a good connection with the stores, brands and other designers and keep a check of all the latest and upcoming trends in the fashion industry.

Select a location
Selecting a location is one of the critical aspects for a photographer. If you do not have a location in place, there will be no shoot. Ideally, it would be best if you hunted for a location one week before the photoshoot. This will help you visualise how to make the best use of the place in your pictures. An outdoor location will give you more diversity, whereas an indoor location will help you use the elements to enhance the shoot in its entirety.

Play with the lighting
Last but not least, do not restrict yourself to just bright lights. A little contrast will harm no one, including your pictures. When we say variation, you can use it in your editing process as well. However, try and keep the original lighting as it is and avoid too much editing.

There you go. The perfect fashion shoot is ready for you. But, why not build it under expert guidance? If you are looking to develop your fashion photography skills, then join Pearl Academy and clear out the dust from your camera lens. Click here to apply.