Is Fashion Photography An Art Form
Clothes, they say can tell a story; and a fashion photographer ensures that it is told in the best possible manner. Of course, photography is about styles and techniques, but its a photographer who manages to weave a story around a dress and ultimately helps to sell it.
That is perhaps the reason why a seemingly simple task of taking pictures of models wearing designer clothes has become a multibillion dollar industry today. Its not only clothes that these photographers manage to sell; they also sell accessories. Watches, shoes, hand bags, jewelrythe list of things that can be sold is endless. Thus, in essence, it is just another aspect of advertising photography, where the products that are being sold are the clothes and accessories.
When a magazine hits the stands, men and women make a beeline for them to see what the latest trend to hit the streets is. And if the photographer is unable to justify the beauty of the design, the whole efforts wasted; the designers job seems to have gone down the drain, the model seems to be nothing but a lifeless doll and the magazine that displays these clothes loses its followers.
Its the job of the fashion photographer to bring to life the designers clothes and turn it into an art form. The fact that a photograph helps to sell a product deters many from calling fashion photography an art form. But it isnt always about the clothes; in fact if it werent for photographers, some clothes wouldnt look as glamorous as they do on cover photos of magazines. Right from setting the right mood, getting the right pose and editing the picture to producing an end result thats flawless and near perfect; the photographer uses his artistic skills. In fact, there exist photographers like David LaChappelle and Edward Steichen whove come up photographs where its difficult to discern where fashion ended and where art began; they completely blend as one! But of course, there are some whose work cannot be classified into this category. These are often amateurs whore easily distinguished by their lack of styling skills. Its common for their pictures to be characterized by models that arent appropriate for the clothes, accessories that do not match the style or clothes that look shabby and wrinkled.
It isnt always about exotic locales and beautiful clothes; its also about the manner in which a photographer uses different elements that result in a perfect picture!
That is perhaps the reason why a seemingly simple task of taking pictures of models wearing designer clothes has become a multibillion dollar industry today. Its not only clothes that these photographers manage to sell; they also sell accessories. Watches, shoes, hand bags, jewelrythe list of things that can be sold is endless. Thus, in essence, it is just another aspect of advertising photography, where the products that are being sold are the clothes and accessories.
When a magazine hits the stands, men and women make a beeline for them to see what the latest trend to hit the streets is. And if the photographer is unable to justify the beauty of the design, the whole efforts wasted; the designers job seems to have gone down the drain, the model seems to be nothing but a lifeless doll and the magazine that displays these clothes loses its followers.
Its the job of the fashion photographer to bring to life the designers clothes and turn it into an art form. The fact that a photograph helps to sell a product deters many from calling fashion photography an art form. But it isnt always about the clothes; in fact if it werent for photographers, some clothes wouldnt look as glamorous as they do on cover photos of magazines. Right from setting the right mood, getting the right pose and editing the picture to producing an end result thats flawless and near perfect; the photographer uses his artistic skills. In fact, there exist photographers like David LaChappelle and Edward Steichen whove come up photographs where its difficult to discern where fashion ended and where art began; they completely blend as one! But of course, there are some whose work cannot be classified into this category. These are often amateurs whore easily distinguished by their lack of styling skills. Its common for their pictures to be characterized by models that arent appropriate for the clothes, accessories that do not match the style or clothes that look shabby and wrinkled.
It isnt always about exotic locales and beautiful clothes; its also about the manner in which a photographer uses different elements that result in a perfect picture!
