ABSTRACT
Fashion photography is a subset of both commercial and editorial photography as it is commissioned and paid for by both the fashion labels for advertisement purposes and by fashion magazines. A fashion photographer's first contacts are often made through their network of friends and associates from college. Fashion is a people-centred industry and good contacts in the first instance, along with trust between photographer and client, are essential. Photographers who work well in the portrait studio often work well with fashion models as it is a similar sensitivity that produces a good working relationship between the model and photographer. Increasing sophistication of both cameras and lighting equipment often means that fashion photographers will be hiring equipment by the day rather than buying it outright. Many fashion photographers use arrays of wireless flashguns to create very lightweight, portable 'studios'. Shooting on location even for a student fashion photographer getting together a portfolio may need permissions and careful risk assessment.
