PHOTOGRAPHY

We see them everywhere, in magazines, on the runway, in advertisements on TV. They are the slender women strutting their stuff or the extraordinary beauties with sultry looks flashing their pearly whites while wearing the latest styles from the hottest designers. We are talking about the models of today, yesterday and tomorrow. They are everywhere, but who brings them to us? Their images are captured with care and precision, patience and that special eye for style, colour and lighting composition. I am talking about fashion photographers.

In fashion circles, famous names like Mario Testino (easily one of the hottest names out there) and Eva Mueller (photographer for fashion magazine Allure) are just as sought after, if not more so, than the men and women who saunter into our consciousness.

High salaries and the glamorous lifestyle of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous may be the dream of many a young shutterbug, but it is not easy to reach the golden staircases of high-profile fashion houses and magazines. For every talented photographer, hundreds are left panting on the pavement, dreaming of the moment when their photo will be chosen.

Here are some tips for beginners and dreamers alike on how to get started in fashion photography. Study your subject. You can never learn enough. Read and look at every fashion magazine you can get your hands on. There are fantastic books on fashion and fashion photography. Amazon.com has a real treasure trove.
You will need a good camera or two, a tripod and a lighting system. Always make sure you have plenty of film and batteries. SLR and digital cameras take different photos, so make sure you find the best one for your subject.

When submitting your work, you will hopefully need to have a portfolio with you, just in case the editor of the fashion magazine wants to see samples of your work. I assure you, if they are considering working with you, it will be a fact.
The crisp, bright images of a 4X5" transparency show your work at its best. If you have already had a publication, whether it was a small neighbourhood magazine/paper or a competition, a tear sheet (literally a sheet you tore out of the magazine) works well. If neither is available, a good quality 8 x 10" will also work. You want to make sure that you have at least 20 photos in your portfolio, preferably of different styles. You want to show your expertise in full figure or partial body work.

Remember that fashion includes jewellery and accessories. Sometimes a watch from a famous brand on the slender wrist of a beautiful woman is a good fashion shot. When you apply for the job, be prepared to leave your portfolio for a long time, sometimes even for a couple of weeks. I would advise you to make copies and have several to hand. This will come in handy when showing your work to many different people for consideration for fashion work.

In this day and age of technology, it is also a good idea to showcase your talent as a fashion photographer online. Set up a website; enter your photos in competitions. Submit to an online fashion gallery. This will help get your work seen and people can see what kind of work you actually do and can do for them.

Most editors are looking for your personality in the photos you take. Every fashion photographer captures the soul of fashion and its model differently. There are some very good "how to get started" websites on the net. You might want to start with http://www.fashion.net/howto/photography/ or http://www.stylecarrer.com/fashion_photographer.shtml. Most importantly, if this is your dream, don't give up. Keep trying and I hope to see your pictures on the cover of my next hot fashion magazine.