Every photographer dreams of getting into the fashion industry and having their works on the covers of world’s famous magazines like Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. This is a long way, from the beginner to the top photographer, who gets all the fabulous projects. However, if you are willing to give what it takes to succeed, everything will go your way. And the first thing you have to do is read this article, which includes some of the best tips to start shooting fashion models! Enjoy!
Don’t Be Afraid to Begin
I hope you understand that being a newbie and taking all types of jobs are OK. You are still learning, and you need to earn a portfolio, create a name, and work on small-scale projects. Some of them may not even come to your taste, but that is fine. You need to start somewhere. Maybe some of your friends are into the modeling business or know people who need a talented photographer, but they have a low budget. At the beginning of your career, you need to practice as much as possible to improve your skills and expand your professional network. Believe me, this strategy will pay off in the future. You need to put in some effort and have a little patience.
Find Real Models
Let’s imagine you have already worked on a hundred photoshoots and have gained sufficient experience. Your next step will be to get into the fashion industry and find some real models to shoot. You can use social networks for that purpose. The most efficient for me is Model Mayhem. There are lots of models, designers, make-up artists, and agencies who look for cooperation via this website. So I do recommend you to create an account there and post only your best shots. Judging by portfolio, you will be considered for this or that project.
The payment for the photoshoot depends on your skill and the level of a model or designer to want to cooperate with. If you are still a beginner, it might be a good idea to contact an aspiring model or designer and trade your services in order to enrich your portfolios. If you are willing to invest some money, you can pay a model to shoot her. Later on in your career, designers and models will pay you for photoshoots. So what are you waiting for? Find models who you’d like to work with and start making the first steps towards your dream.
Advertise Yourself
Once you have worked with a number of real models and gathered quite an impressive portfolio, it is natural that people will get interested in your work. Having seen your pic on somebody’s social media, a person will like it and want to have the same. When we notice that our friend has got something awesome, we immediately want it too. That is how it works, isn’t it?
So, in this case, you have to make sure that the person interested in your work could easily contact you. How to do that? Well, there are plenty of means. We live in the twenty-first century, after all. The Internet is the answer to many questions. Hmm, social media, if to be precise. Register at all possible social media and post regularly there. If you have such an opportunity, create your own website, and do everything possible to get it to the top of the Google search using SEO, PPC, and other marketing tools.
Keep It Up
When you have a fabulous portfolio, vast experience, and a line of models, agencies, and designers, who are desperate to work with you, you can finally have a chance to choose whose offers to accept and what to do next. Basically, you can go freelance or apply for a position in one of the top agencies. The options are diverse, but you don’t get above yourself. You still have to learn much and practice, practice, practice, and one more time practice! The world changes fast and young photographers are always there to get your spot. So keep doing your job and do it well!
Bonus Tip
If you have read my article, thank you very much! I’m glad that I could be useful to you. So I guess there is one little advice I can give you as a bonus. Offer your services to small local stores that sell garments or accessories. As a rule, they have custom items and don’t use the services of a photographer due to a lack of budget. However, they would be more than glad to get help from a talented photographer who has a unique vision of their products. Regardless of what the payment is (if any), it is still a great opportunity for you to work for real fashion stores and get valuable shots for your portfolio.
