When you plan your fashion shoot, there are many factors to consider. This article will help guide you through the basic steps of planning your own photoshoot.
Gather Your Team and create a moodboard
The first step in planning is gathering your team. You’ll need models, clothing, props and appropriate locations for shooting. It’s best to find models that fit the style of clothing you’re shooting (don’t use a child model if what you’re shooting fits mature adults). Remember that the talent has to wear the clothes; their body types mustn’t be drastically different than yours, so they look good in what you’re trying to shoot. Don’t forget to gather friends or family members who help act as assistants during the shoot.
Create a moodboard for your team, if you don’t know how, you can read our blog post about How to create a moodboard
Location Scouting
When scouting locations, you’ll need to consider lighting, colours and what kind of mood you want to set for your shoot. Often it’s a good idea to scout multiple locations so that you have options later or can plan a route with various locations in mind. If you’re shooting outside, be sure to check the weather report and wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the location/weather conditions.
When looking at various outdoor locations, keep in mind how those settings will impact your shoot. For example, if shooting on grassland, then don’t forget to keep an eye out for possible distracting blades of grass or dirt stains on clothes (if using wardrobe items). You’ll also need to ask permission before taking photos on privately owned property. Another helpful tip is to consider how the sun’s angle will impact lighting for your shoot. For example, if you’re shooting in a forested area, be sure that there aren’t other trees casting shadows or “floating heads” from leaves in the foreground of your shots.
Find Your Inspiration
When you have all of your equipment and a model ready to go, think about what kind of mood you want to create with your photos. The wardrobe must match the style and tone you’re going for. Otherwise, it can potentially distract viewers from seeing anything else going on in your photos. You’ll also need to find inspiration for each shot, so scout other photos that are similar to what you’re trying to shoot. For example, if you want to take pictures of a model in a bikini, find previous examples that set the tone/mood you want to go for. Alternatively, if shooting in colder weather, then reference prior examples of winter-themed shoots, so your team knows what kind of props and wardrobe items they’ll need.
Lighting Decisions
Proper lighting is critical when taking fashion photos, so consider carefully how much lighting you need for each shot. You can use natural light or attach studio lighting equipment onto stands to provide adequate lighting. When shooting outside, though, consider that overhead light may cast unwanted shadows on faces, whereas backlighting will cause dark spots on faces.
Camera Settings
To begin your photoshoot, consider using a medium aperture and shutter speed to maintain exposure across multiple photos (ex: f/8 and 1/125). Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the ISO, but achieving proper exposure is essential to use this as a starting point. For example, if shooting outside, try not to exceed an ISO of 400 or shutter speed below 1/60th of a second. If shooting indoors where less light is available, then you’ll need to increase the ISO or decrease your shutter speed (ex: 100 ISO and 1/30th of a second). When taking costume changes, ensure that your camera settings stay consistent; otherwise, it will confuse viewers when the background/settings change from one photo to the next.
Wardrobe Changes
If you’re working with a model who’s unfamiliar with fashion photography, then it will be helpful to have them practice changing outfits on a mannequin a few times before actually shooting. This allows models to become familiar with how quickly they need to change outfits and what poses work best for certain types of outfits. For example, if your model is wearing a tank top, then plan on having them hold their arms outstretched during wardrobe changes so you can capture the outfit from multiple angles without showing their hands in every shot. In general, though, ensure that any clothing items don’t distract from the overall shots but draw attention towards the main focus of each shot.
Pose With Purpose
Another critical component of all fashion photography is carefully considering how to pose your model. This means that you must plan out each outfit change in advance, think about what type of poses will best highlight the outfit, and practice beforehand with any wardrobe items that aren’t necessarily “model-friendly.” For example, if shooting a photo with a heavy winter coat, ask your model to try it on at home before trying different poses during the shoot. You’ll also want to consider which body parts are highlighted when holding certain items (ex: purse or taking off scarf).
Props Decisions
As mentioned above, avoid having clothing items distract from the main focus of the photos, so pick your wardrobe items wisely. Only choose model-friendly items and can be worn/held in multiple ways for each outfit change to give your model options. For example, if shooting a photo with a purse, make sure the bag has thin straps because thicker straps will cause shadows on the face when your model holds it near their face. Also, consider using additional wardrobe items to highlight certain body parts (ex: use a scarf to draw attention towards shoulders). Flowers as props are also popular when shooting fashion photos because they look great when displayed in hair, can draw attention towards necklaces/earrings, and are easy to edit out of the images if needed later. Contact your florist to arrange for various bouquets, and remember, you can take them home afterwards.
Editing Decisions
When editing photos, pay careful attention to skin tones and exposure so you can eliminate any distractions from makeup and lighting issues. If necessary, also do heavy cropping during post-production, so models don’t appear wider or shadows aren’t visible on faces. In addition, colour-correcting during post-production can help you adjust the colours in your photos to fit a particular theme.
In Summary
When shooting your fashion photography, remember to plan and consider what type of poses work best for each outfit. Also, make sure your model is comfortable with wardrobe items beforehand, carefully choose additional wardrobe items to highlight different body parts, and do heavy cropping during post-production to ensure the photos only focus on outfits/models without any distractions from makeup or lighting issues.