In many ways, fashion photography is quite a competitive and exclusive industry. Getting a break into this industry requires hard work, commitment, dedication, and a bit of smart timing and good luck. There is no shortcut to success in this field and one must be prepared for the long haul. Going through magazines and the works of industry experts like Bruce Weber can be a great way to gain the inspiration needed to get started with this journey. Through their works, one can curate styles they identify with, and explore something similar for their own shoots.
A photographer needs to properly know to operate a camera. In a similar manner, a fashion photographer has to have a basic knowledge and understanding of fashion. They should try to gain knowledge of fashion from different periods and eras, as well as fashion terminologies. Exploring more about the top fashion designers, icons, and image-makers of today, going through popular fashion films and documentaries, and styling up-to-date with current industry news can significantly help fledging fashion photographers. A lot of them shoot fashion without a proper understanding of the industry in the early stages of their career, and this shows their assignment outcomes. One cannot succeed in the industry of fashion photography by delivering shoddy work. They need to put in time and effort to gain all the knowledge that can help them to produce better work. Fortunately, almost all the knowledge they would need is available on the internet today.
A great way to learn how fashion shoots are done would be to assist already established fashion photographers. Doing a full-time assisting job for a couple of years can actually be the perfect route for breaking into the fashion industry, especially in major fashion cities like New York or Paris, where one gets to work with large, high-end productions. During this time, one should try to network with fellow assistants from the creative crew, as one may have high chances of collaborating with them in the future.
Continuously testing and experimenting is important to be a good fashion photographer. Doing so can significantly help in improving the work of a person. If they do not have their own team, it is always possible to start off small and simple. One can do self-portraits and work with friends in the initial stages. Networking with people in the fashion industry and show them the style and concepts one may have would be a great move. Even if one doesn’t land a big job at the start, they can always approach freelancers and other professionals for collaborations. The network of a person will grow with time, as they keep doing shoots. No one becomes an established professional like Bruce Weber in a single day. Reaching that stage takes a good amount of perseverance and hard work. Bruce is widely recognized for his lavish fashion and celebrity photography spreads in Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, and more. However, his passion for pets permeates most of his other creative endeavors. He initially started using his dogs on some fashion photographs, and eventually moved on to capturing their personal shots.
