:: 8 Tips for Fashion Photography :: - HERMANZ

hai guys..this is 8 tips for fashion photography :)

1. Look and Learn

Look at images every day. Whether it's photographs or paintings—looking, learning and observing are the key to creating an eye for arresting images. This will form the foundations of your aesthetics and style, from colour palette, lighting, framing, clothing, makeup to model choices.

Always find opportunities to shoot. If you're starting with a single kit lens, learn how the wider and longer ends of the lens differ in terms of effects to your photographs before moving on for more expensive gear. Does it distort the model's proportions? Does it make the scenery look vast and wide? Learn what works best for you, it will help develop give you confidence when working in different situations and also your choice in what you'll need when you buy your next lenses.

2. Simple is Always Best

Few people are blessed enough to start their photography career with a full team of fantastic stylists, hair and makeup artists. Fashion test shots or your initial portfolio work often just need to be simple and classy. Keep the setting and look, such as makeup and styling, clean and light. Grasp the skill of taking really good simple shots before getting more experimental and elaborate.

DIY Styling Tip:

Male models can go topless to make the shot work. For girls, get them into body-con outfits which will accentuate their figures—scoop neck tank tops, tights and heels no shorter than 5 inches are great basic items that can get you very strong looks. Alternatively, you can also try a crop jacket and pair of hot pants on her to add variety. Keep their hair simple – worn straight or simply pulled back into a bun. You’ll be surprised how chic and sleek going simple can be.

3. Light and Shadows

Good lighting, like everything else, comes with experience. It doesn't have to be complicated, but play around with your settings and put together three to four different setups for different looks. To start, master just one light. This will help you go a long way. Always watch out for shadows when photographing. Our eyes catch on to highlights first, but unintended messy shadows can break a shot when reviewed later on. Train your eye to observe what you are shooting in its entirety.

4. Always Cast Your Models

The purpose of a model portfolio is to help them get jobs, but it can also be misleading.

Professional models usually start modelling from as young as 12 or 13 years of age. Imagine how much their faces and bodies may have changed by the time you see their portfolio photos. You may see bleached blonde hair but she may be sporting raven black when she turns up at your studio; you may be shooting a super skinny '20s flappers look and she's just put on 8 kilograms from a holiday in the last

three months. You never know.

So always do a casting or, at the very least, request up-to-date polaroids from the model agency. If you're engaging a freelance model, make arrangements to meet up for a casual coffee to assess his or her current look.

5. Supervise Hair & Makeup

Always be around when hair and makeup are being done. Knowing what the colour palettes are can help you determine how you set up your shot. Try to stay invisible and don’t get in the way of your beauty team. Step in when something is off from your expectations or direction. You will learn and eventually know what works best for your shoots after a few sessions. And when you work with new teams on jobs, you’ll be able to give direction, as well as learn new things at the same time.

6. Clothes Must Be Seen

Fashion photography is about aesthetics and trends.

Fashion is about selling the latest season's clothes and accessories. It's about making people covet what the model is wearing. Are you shooting a picture that makes you want the clothes for yourself, for your best girlfriends or for your boyfriend?

As a general rule in fashion photography, make sure your lighting always accentuates the texture and beauty of the materials—the lustre of silk, the sheerness of chiffon, the sparkles in gems and precious stones. These details will heighten the beauty and quality of an image itself.

7. Keep a Journal

It doesn’t have to be a public blog, but you should have a channel or avenue where you can jot down experiences from pre-productions, meetings and photoshoots.

You don’t have to do it diligently, but whenever there's a great or super bad shoot, there's something you're bound to have learnt.

Write down all the stuff you thought was cool, things you felt ruined an important shot or even the whole project; approaches you felt were terrible initially but actually turned out great, bad experiences, good experiences, miscommunications, oversights, joy.

From time to time, go back and read up on these reflections. Sometimes it will send you harsh reminders of mistakes not to be repeated, and sometimes it will help you see things in a fresh perspective.

The best part is that it will help you realize and appreciate the extent to which you have progressed. And because we are always changing, and that sometimes we forget the rawness, newness and passion of our earlier days, it's a great way to look back at those times and perhaps be re-inspired once again.

8. Be Confident, Be Humble

Take advice and suggestions from others, but be confident of your vision. Everyone in your team looks

to you to achieve the final product—the photograph. You may have a client, an art director, or an editor to turn to for opinions, but you must know deep down inside that you're the creator of your work.

Collaborate with people whom you respect and who respect you in return. Believe that no matter the circumstance, you will shine in the photograph because everybody sees the world differently, and is what will set your images apart from someone else's.

Remember there is always room for reinvention and newness, and only with a humble attitude and belief for constant learning will you keep moving forward. Always stay true to yourself, always keep learning.

enjoy shooting.. explore.. explore.. and explore..

get this from HERMANZ ISMAIL

cheers,

snappshooter pixwork SP

Bagaimana utk memulakan perniagaan fotografi - salme

Ramai yg beranggapan biler kita sudah ada kamera ditangan dan boleh shoot wedding maka kita dah boleh menjalankan perniagaan fotografi. ada dikalangan mereka yg telah menjalankan perniagaan fotografi tetapi tidak faham dan tidak pernah ambil tahu bagaimana utk memasarkan perniagaan mereka.

Disini saya ingin berkongsi betapa pentingnya penjenamaan atau branding dalam dunia perniagaan terutama dalam fotografi.

Adakah jenama dalam fotografi itu penting? Kenapa perlu kita buat jenama sendiri? Bagaimana kita mensasarkan fotografi sama penting dengan cara kita memantapkan kemahiran sebagai jurufoto yg Berjaya. Tanpa pemasaran dan strategi yg betul kemahiran yg kita ada menjadi sia-sia. Disini saya ingin berkongsi bagaimana untuk kita Berjaya membina jenama sendiri dan merangka beberapa teknik pemasaran yg berkesan dan perniagaan fotografi.

Mungkin kita kurang pasti adakah jenama yg saya maksudkan adalah nama syarikat perniagaan kita ataupun sekadar penjenamaan sahaja. Disini apa yg saya maksudkan adalah nama syarikat, logo, produk dan kombinasi kesemuanya yg boleh melambangkan jenis perniagaan kita. Jenama inila yg membezakan kita dgn perniagaan penjualan kasut, kedai runcit dan sebagainya.mmg benar ada pepatah menyatakan jgn menilai sesuatu dari luaranya tapi tahukah kita dlm perniagaan kita perlu luaran yg cantik elok serta sempurna utk member keyakinan kepada bakal pelanggan kita. Dan disini juga org akan menilai sejauhmanakah keupayaan kita.

Dalam bidang fotografi jika jenama yg kita gunakan mewakili perniagaan dan perkhidmatan kita kurang meyakinkan bermakna pelanggan akan was2 untuk menggunakan perkhidmatan kita.

Ini bermakna untuk mendapatkan pelanggan atau menarik keyakinan pelanggan terhadap kita sebagai seorang jurufoto professional atau amatur jenama yg mewakili kita itu sangat penting dalam memberi peluang perniagaan kepada kita.

Apa yg ingin disampaikan disini dari segi perniagaan perkhidmatan iaitu fotografi jenama yg paling utama yg mewakili kita sebagai jurufoto sudah tentulah name card atau kad nama. Kad nama adalah jenama yg pealing penting yg akan menentukan sejauhmana perniagaan kita.

Mungkin ada yg merasakan kad nama itu tidak penting, cuba kita fikirkan sanggupkah kita menbawa buku atau album profil kita hanya utk memasarkan perkhidmatan kita? Atau melalui cakap2 dan kemudian tuliskan nama dan no telefon kita di keratan2 akhbar, kertas bungkus nasi lemak atau kerta kosong yg kita minta di warung yg kita sedang duduk minum? Adakah itu kita rasa cukup berkesan? Hanya dgn sekeping kad pelanggan dapat menilai sejauhmana seriusnya kita utk membuat perniagaan. Di kad itu juga akan tertulis apa jenis perniagaan kita, link kepada web site, facebook, twiter, blog dan sebagainya dimana pelanggan boleh melihat hasil kerja kita melalui online sahaja.

Jadi adalah amat penting untuk kita menjenamakan perkhidmatan kita melalui kad bisnes dan lain2 medium yg akan kita gunakan utk memasarkan perniagaan kita melalui pelbagai cara dari media cetak dan elektronik utk kita bersaing dalam pasaran yg kita ceburi, tetapi dgn jenama inilah kita akan dapat member penyelesaian kepada masalah pelanggan kita.

Sebagai jurufoto yg menyediakan perkhidmatan fotografi mendapatkan jenama yg betul adalah sangat penting. Melabur dalam pembuatan jenama kita kena lakukan dgn bijak dan tidak merugikan. Sebagai contoh, pemilihan logo, warna, rekaan penggunaan perkataan dan material kad yg digunakan amat penting untuk dikaji dan diteliti sebelum ia mula mempromosikan kita.

Pelaburan kad bisnes tidak menelan belanja yg besar malah kita juga dapat menghasilkan melalui kreativiti kita. Selain kad nama membina jenama juga boleh dilakukan melalui laman social atau laman web. Banyak cara sebenarnya utk membina jenama, ia sering disalah tafsir kerana kurangnya perancangan atau perbincangan walaupun ianya adalah antara topic paling penting dalam perniagaan.

Antara tips penting dalam pembinaan jenama ialah perlu mempunyai idea kreatif. Fikirkan tema, slogan atau tanda yg mudah untuk diingati pelanggan dan yg paling penting ialah mesej kita. Syarat utama untuk membina jenama yg hebat adalah memberi nama yg unik kepada perniagaan kita. Nama kita sebenarnya unik kepada perniagaan kita, daripada memerah otak mencari nama perniagaan kita yg aneh dan ganjil tidak salah menggunakan nama kita sebagai nama perniagaan kita.

Dan utk edisi akan datang sy akan terangkan bagaimana jenama perniagaan membantu dalam pemasaran perniagaan kita.

nukilan MOHD SALME BIN MOHD ALI

cheers,

snappshooter pixwork SP

Chot Touch 11 tips for street photography

Copy this after reading it :)

Here are some aspects of shooting at the streets which I wanted to line down:

1. Lesser baggage: While you plan to go out and shoot, plan your baggage accordingly. Carrying too much of gear might not be a good idea because you might want to keep your attention on capturing life in your shots rather than worry too much about the focal lengths. The best could be to carry a nice walk around lens which can work/act as a basic wide angle and standard kit lens [18-55mm] is more than sufficient for everyday street photography.

2. A big and versatile zoom may seem like the most logical street photography lens, especially when you’re hoping to hang back yet still take up close and personal shots. However, I reckon shooting with a fixed lens is best for the street. Using a fixed len forces you to use your body and your brain to compose your shots – making you more aware and engaged and thus a better photographer. Moreover, a fixed lens stands out a lot less and isn’t nearly as cumbersome as some honkingly massive zoom. There’s much online ado about which fixed lens is ideal for street shots. I recommend a 35mm or 50 mm for most situations. Why? Hmmm … perhaps I’ve stumbled upon a good topic for a subsequent post.

3. Casual dressing: Dressing might not appear to be an important variable but then it attracts attention as well. Carrying lot of stuff and dressed like a tourist might makes you feel Odd one out in a busy market and attract lot of attention. Dressing a little casually and carrying your stuff in a casual manner would make others feel that you are one of those regular visitors to the market and might feel more comfortable to all around. In some situations, the opposite might work for you. Did I say "there are no rules here!!!"

4. Observe: While moving around in a market place or a street, look for activities happening around. Every place is characteristic in its own manner. Try finding moments, Listen to various sounds at that place, notice hustle bustle in the market and how people are busy with their chores. Try to capture those moments. An early morning visit to a market might see people setting up their shops, cleaning around, making small rangoli, or a group of friends hanging around cup of tea near the old tea stall, fresh colorful vegetables with dew like water on them, a call centre cab stopping on the way for the employees to gulp down tea before they hit home are all moments and convey different emotions. You can also use different styles and shots to convey the mood and the time of the day as well. Fresh flowers, clean markets and hopes in the eyes are all conveyors of a morning. Look for usual places with unusual perspective and new dimensions.

5. Become part of the scene: The best part of being a street photographer is that you get to be the part of the frame. You can mingle with people and be at the thick of things which would not only give you a lot to ponder about but also lot of different perspectives.

6. Try and get involved: Most of the times I have gone out shooting on the streets, I have noticed that some of my friends would move around, click a shot and try to move out. This leaves the people around stunned, anxious and sometimes angry. The best method is to get involved with people, share a smile and not run with a photo. You never know, a smile or a small talk might give you lot of great shots.

7. Neither appear conspicuous, nor suspicious: Also people, who tend to sneak a shot and move on, might appear suspicious. Be very aware about such activities. It's very easy for people to suspect you and catch hold of you. So mixing up with people not only yields better shots but gets you into lesser trouble too.

8. Bring home a story and not a photo: Street photography is a genre of dealing with people. When someone lets you click their photo or you take without them noticing, you stand a chance to bring their story home. Try and talk to people rather than only clicking them. This way, you would know a lot about the place and their lives. In my interactions at markets, I have learnt a lot from real life examples of those people which is quite inspiring. So, not only click people but try to bring home a story about them.

9. Respect privacy: While on streets, there might be lot of situations where people feel intruded, don't want to be photographed. That is absolutely fine. We should respect privacy of others and move on by sharing a smile with them.

10. Gauge the situation yourself: This could be quite important since many a times you might land in a situation which could be sensitive. You should gauge the situation yourself before clicking or taking an action. A sudden fight breaking out on the street or someone suddenly meeting an accident might tempt you to click them but could land you into a sensitive spot. With time and experience at the street, you would develop the eye to gauge the situation by yourself.

11. Understand Law of Land: There are lots of places where you might not be allowed to take photos so it's imperative that you abide by the laws of land. Ex: Shooting at the railway station, shopping mall , bus stand are all against the law since they could compromise the security, so avoid shooting at such places.

yg penting korg tau ape yg korg shoot, jgn membabi buta shoot n kata ada maksud tersirat tp org lain yg tgk xphm ape pun..

bg semua org yg tgk dpt faham, gmbr tu kira hebat la :)

cheers,

snappshooter pixwork