What Skills Does You Need As A Clothing Photographer?

By Marie Barnes


To photograph apparel is totally different to taking pictures of landscapes or other objects. As a clothing photographer, you are required to have a particular skill set, where you need to be able to understand movement as well as structure. You need to know at the end of the day exactly what your image is saying to the person looking at it.

Someone taking photographs of clothes may very well be working with the designer of said clothing. As such, it's important to liaise with the designer and know exactly what he or she wants when it comes to the final depiction of their work. A designer's brand image or aesthetic may require a specific type of setting.

First of all, a photographer must establish what type of clothing is being photographed. A red carpet gown, for example, will be photographed very differently to active wear. This is in terms of the setting, the model used, the expressions, the poses and many other aspects.

Photography of apparel may be done in a studio or on location as is required or necessary for the particular item. The advantage of shooting in a studio is that the lighting can be controlled. Lighting is a huge component towards capturing the perfect shot, as it contributes to the best possible depiction of the outfit, which is exactly what the designer would want.

The advantage of shooting on location is that you can use a setting that helps to enhance what it is you are shooting. This works incredibly well for items of clothing that need the additional boost of environment to sell. This could be something like beachwear, which always looks more enticing when captured in a holiday style setting on a beach or by a pool, encouraging thoughts of lounging and relaxation on vacation. Active wear works best when seen 'in action', so the consumer can envision him or herself in the depicted setting.

That being said, not everything must be paired with an environment that matches its purpose. A good campaign will find clever and witty ways to stand out from the crowd by using juxtaposition. A particular garment could be depicted in a setting that is its polar opposite in order to make a statement.

You may not even be interested in doing photo shoots, but still want to photograph outfits in action. This means that runway photography may be your calling, which is a huge market considering the numerous runway events that happen throughout the year. You would be photographing from the pit. You would also need to take several shots of the same outfit to ensure you have a good set of options to choose from that depict the garment as best as possible.

Taking pictures from the runway is a hugely important task. It requires that the individual understand movement, angles and also timing, as the runway is where pieces first begin selling and gaining popularity among consumers and media. This is the photographer's opportunity to make any outfit look like a million dollars with the perfect shot. These are the images that will then be presented to the world following a runway show, so they can make or break sales for a designer.




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