Fashion Photography

I know this might be a question that has been answered many times; I just respect peoples answers and wanted to get info from here. How do i get into a fashion photography; is it the best thing to do is intern at a clothing store or do i look around for fashion photographers and ask them if i can intern for them?
Thanks for the advice!

masberg24 wrote in post #17467383
I know this might be a question that has been answered many times; I just respect peoples answers and wanted to get info from here. How do i get into a fashion photography; is it the best thing to do is intern at a clothing store or do i look around for fashion photographers and ask them if i can intern for them?
Thanks for the advice!

Fashion photography is a lifelong endeavor that requires mastering light, equipment and being able to deal with what other people want from models and clients. It takes years to be an overnight sensation, and will mean you'll need to dedicate years to developing the techniques needed to be a success. Fashion photography is one of the few remaining areas where an old-fashioned apprenticeship is preferred.

Thanks

Internship works. Also shooting on your own and learning to shoot commercial tastes and styles with models, makeup artists and stylists while creating a useful portfolio will take you a long way. Fashion can take years to learn and get into and I think it's truly worth it even today.

aside from the technical stuff .... you have to know current fashion and know works of the great fashion photographers.

A lot of people here know how to shoot models... a few understands fashion

Easiest way would be to live in NYC, LA, MIA, or SF; then start testing with the local agencies, shooting actual fashion models. During said shoots you should be networking with creatives (ie. hair, makeup, wardrobe, designers...the last 2 being very important). In addition, have a positive attitude and a good reputation, as well as (eventually) a strong portfolio of work. Use that time to get friendly with the agents/bookers (sometimes they can refer work/opportunities to you), since they are a direct line to all the clients. After a while you can start submitting to magazines to get more credits/tearsheets to your name. Eventually you should be getting paid work from designers/clothing lines.

Wash, rinse, repeat...until you're booking big jobs or campaigns. For some, it'll never happen. For others, it might take 20 years. Or, if you're lucky...it might take only a couple years.

One thing to remember, for the majority of people: in the fashion industry your talent and skill isn't as important as how well you can "play the game"...in other words there's a lot of politics involved, and knowing who to schmooze, and what to do/not do and when.

A clothing line is unlikely to help you, unless you're interning for a major brand and you just happen to meet the right person. Even then, you aren't going to learn fashion photography on the job working for a clothing line, you'll be doing dummy-work like packing boxes or getting coffee. The only photographers they'd likely have would be in-house photographers for their ecommerce stuff, which isn't really "fashion" in the sense that most people think of it. I've yet to see one that needs interns/assistants for the photographer either, but YMMV

ETA: This assumes you live in the US. Not 100% up to date on what the market is like in Europe for example, but the obvious ones are Paris, and Milan, and even London in the UK. I think Melbourne or Sydney (can't remember which) had work in Australia as well from what models have told me.