# Need some help/feedback on my fashion shoots!



## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

Hey, guys!

Aside from nature & wildlife photography, I'm also very (!) interested in fashion photography. I'm currently lacking models though, so I'm "using what I can get" and asked my brother to help me out a couple of times. I also do self-portraits a lot but I'm trying to do them in a way that they don't just look like regular selfies but fashion shots for practice instead. I don't have studio lights or any other equipment I think I'd need, so I'm always using one of our doors as a background.

(I won't deny my narcissistic tendencies at this point, I enjoy looking at the results of my selfportraits and also editing them to make them look even better. But it starts getting boring at some point, so I'm currently trying to convince a couple of friends, male as well as female, to stand as models for me and help me practice.)

Idk, tell me what you think. How can I improve on this? Is there anything I should change, or is it good the way it is? What do I have to keep in mind when doing shoots like these? Is there a technique to go with that? I'm absolutely clueless, I just do what I feel is right, haha!

(The ones with the door painted green are older, my other brother repainted it black a few months ago.)

#1: Mr. Fedora





#2: Mr. Fedora 2




#3: Baby, It's Cold Outside




#4: Claire's Jewellery (I currently work at a Claire's store, by the way. Trying to advertise just a little bit here, haha!)




#5: New Glasses




#6: Rocka Rolla




#7: One, two, three, ROCK!


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## robbins.photo (Aug 24, 2015)

Really like the poses in 4 & 5, but in both 4 & 7 looks like you cut off the hand at the wrist.

Usually better if you can to either show the hand or crop further away from a joint

Sent from my 306SH using Tapatalk


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

robbins.photo said:


> Really like the poses in 4 & 5, but in both 4 & 7 looks like you cut off the hand at the wrist.
> 
> Usually better if you can to either show the hand or crop further away from a joint
> 
> Sent from my 306SH using Tapatalk



Now that you mention it, you're right. That does look weird. I didn't even notice it before. 7 is from a very recent series, so I can totally go back and edit that. No idea where I keep 4 and the rest of that, tho. 

Thanks for the feedback!


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## tirediron (Aug 24, 2015)

The poses work well enough for the most part, aside from the points noted above, but the exposure, WB and saturation are extreme, and IMO, NOT appealing at all.  All of these would have benefitted from fill light, and all should, IMO, be taken back into the pixel room and massaged to produce more natural skin tones at a minimum.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

tirediron said:


> The poses work well enough for the most part, aside from the points noted above, but the exposure, WB and saturation are extreme, and IMO, NOT appealing at all.  All of these would have benefitted from fill light, and all should, IMO, be taken back into the pixel room and massaged to produce more natural skin tones at a minimum.


Would you be willing to edit the raw versions and then tell me what you did, and explain a little, so I understand what I can do better in the future? I'm hesitant to post the unedited stuff here, but I can try and PM them to you.


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## tirediron (Aug 24, 2015)

I can take a crack at them this evening.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

tirediron said:


> I can take a crack at them this evening.


Awesome!  I'm not forcing you into it tho, only do it if you really feel like it. I'll try and send a PM asap.


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## pixmedic (Aug 24, 2015)

there isn't a very consistent pattern of editing on these. 
some seem very warm, other seem very cool. 
#1 and #2 are perfect examples. same person, same location, totally different skin tones. 
i think the posing is good on these, but the white balance and saturation need some adjusting.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

pixmedic said:


> there isn't a very consistent pattern of editing on these.
> some seem very warm, other seem very cool.
> #1 and #2 are perfect examples. same person, same location, totally different skin tones.
> i think the posing is good on these, but the white balance and saturation need some adjusting.


Yeah, I have a tendency to saturate a lot. Like, really high. I don't really know how it works yet, at this point all I'm doing is experimenting.


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## pixmedic (Aug 24, 2015)

Fiji-Fujii said:


> pixmedic said:
> 
> 
> > there isn't a very consistent pattern of editing on these.
> ...



experimenting is good. 
ive done a lot of experimenting in my day. 
you would be surprised what sort of pleasant results it can yield.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

pixmedic said:


> Fiji-Fujii said:
> 
> 
> > pixmedic said:
> ...


Haha, so people often say! At this point though, I feel like I'm stuck with my lack of knowledge and experience, which is why I decided to put the portraits up here for you guys to criticize.


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## Donde (Aug 24, 2015)

On "Mr. Fedora" the hands are more illuminated than the face drawing the attention to them. Don't know if that's what you wanted. On "One, two, three, ROCK" which I quite like and is my favorite of the group I find myself glancing over at the door handle. Were it my photo I'd just clone it out.


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## Designer (Aug 24, 2015)

I like your poses, but you really should attempt to find a way to get more light.  Even some utility lights would help.  Or if the sun is out, use a reflector.  (large white panel)

The other thing that I notice is something that looks like over-sharpening.  Or something about the processing that has taken you skin out of the realm of reality.

With that last shot, you should have included both hands.  Yes, I know it would make the shot tall, but since your arms are positioned like that, we need to see your hands out there.  Nothing special with the hands, so just "pointing" or some artful gesture.  You know.


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## Derrel (Aug 24, 2015)

I think fashion images benefit from unusual color toning and bold, striking looks, but I do think a little bit more shadow detail and a little bit more subtlety in the highlight tones would help benefit these.

As fgar as "what to do"...the leather jacket shot has nice highlights on the jacket itself, which gives it shape, and dimension, and texture. In situatioins with dark clothing that is fabric, like the suit shots, I think a LARGE fill source, like a large expansde of concrete sidewalk, or the side of a building that is in sunlight--both of those make good reflectors for shadow fill. Then, with the subject in open shaded light, you can get good fill, minimal eye-squint, and also, pick up some catchlights on the eyeball surfaces.

Areas like the ENDS of alley-ways are good places to shoot early and late in the day. Large expanses of open sky above create eyeball catchlights that are good.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

@Donde: Haha, whoops, that door handle. You're right, I should look into how to properly edit things like that out in PS.  And thanks!

@Designer: Yeah, light is one of my main problems right now. I'm currently debating on whether I should invest a bit of money into a set of semi-professional studio lights or just try and find alternatives. Money is quite an obstacle in my case, unfortunately. If it wasn't, I'd have bought a real macro-lens at the time I got my cam as well, but I simply cannot afford it. Not with everything I have going on in my life right now, haha! Sadly. 

I do some additional sharpening of my pictures, yes. I didn't think it was that obvious, though. 

As for the hands on the last shot, I looked at the raw image once more but the problem is, the door is actually relatively small and the frame and everything around it looks really, well, not that great. I wanted to exclude all of that at all cost, I'm currently trying to figure out how to crop it the best way, haha! It's harder than I first imagined.

@Derrel: That sounds like a good idea, I might try that next time. Need to convince my bro to get is arse out of the house, tho. Until now, we both thought the inner yard with the black door was the perfect location for a quick shoot, haha! Seems like it's really not. We need to put more effort into our work in the future.


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## Designer (Aug 24, 2015)

Fiji-Fujii said:


> I wanted to exclude all of that at all cost,


Without seeing the larger frame, I just have to wonder if you're being somewhat melodramatic about the door.  You might be surprised at what people will overlook when they are looking at a superb composition.

if you have that wider shot, please show us your hands and let us judge.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 24, 2015)

Haha, alright, it's probably not that big a deal, it's just a matter of personal opinion. I just think it looks ugly. I only wanted the black door as background. (Also, my composition really sucks, so I'm pretty sure you'll eventually agree. )

Anyways, here's the raw/unedited picture.


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## Designer (Aug 24, 2015)

O.K., maybe a little more artful with your hands.  LOL

I see what you mean by the size of the door.  

You really need to get a flash and some kind of background.  Some cheap flashes are available from China, if you don't mind.  

Nothing improved my photography like getting a speedlight and getting it off the camera.


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## tirediron (Aug 24, 2015)

My version:


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## Designer (Aug 24, 2015)

Ah, yes, using the frame as a frame.


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## tirediron (Aug 24, 2015)

Something else that's very important:  Focal length.  IMO, 75mm is about as short as I like to go for any sort of portrait unless it's absolutely unavoidable, and really, 85 to about 150 is where I like to be.  18mm is wayyyy too short and adds a LOT of distortion (vis. the frame of the door).  It can also distort features; not such a huge deal in a model this slender, but a more average size person would definitely "suffer".


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## tirediron (Aug 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> Ah, yes, using the frame as a frame.


What can I say... I lack imagination!


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## Derrel (Aug 24, 2015)

I will PM you with my DropBox URL with the Lightroom edits I did. Here's the above shot that you posted, edited in a sort of muted color palette look that I have been working in some over the last year. After 20 years, I got tired of accurate, realistic color...I'm favoring more vignetting, less accurate color, and more of a muted color look, which I have liked for a long time. I did just a quick Sony 18-200mm generic lens profile, which corrected the lens's basic barrel distortion issue, but I did not correct the back-of-camera tilt distortion caused by the short focal length and the exact camera height/tilt in relation to the door frame and wall.




On this doorway shot, I cloned out the power wire at the upper right corner of the door, cloned out the bolt at the doors's upper left, and cropped off the board at the right, and vignetted the frame a bit. I think the bottom of the frame should be cropped off, but I did not do that.

For the B&W, I cropped into the door, and focused more on the model and her outfit, and tried to go for a very light, pale skin tone. I cloned out the bit of white paint on the door jamb in the B&W version.


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## DanOstergren (Aug 24, 2015)

I have a few recommendations  for making fashion images. First, find a team to collaborate with. A wardrobe stylist is essential for fashion photography. If you have a friend with impeccable style and a large wardrobe, perhaps they can be your stylist as well. A good makeup and hair artist is essential  as well. Model Mayhem is a good place to start for sourcing makeup, hair and wardrobe if you are just starting out.

If you want better models, contact modeling agencies in your area and ask if you can test shoot with their new faces. When contacting an agency, it's good to already have a mood/concept board put together to send with your email. In general it's always best to have a concept for your fashion shoots. Learn about mood boards and start making them for your shoots.

A great resource that I have found is the "Photographer Shoot-off: Lara Jade VS Joey L" DVD, which will give you tons of inspiration, as well as teach you some really amazing retouching techniques. As well, the CreativeLive "Fashion Photography 101 with Lara Jade" is another great resource; Lara goes over everything from contacting agencies and casting models, creating moodboards and concepts, putting together a good team, lighting techniques, retouching, working with magazines and other clients and tons of other really helpful topics regarding fashion photography.

As far as lighting goes, you don't NEED studio lighting, reflectors, etc, unless you really want it. A little bit of light can go a very long way. Just keep the concept of contouring in mind when you are using light to sculpt your model and you will be fine (in my opinion). I wrote a shot article going over the concept here: Portrait Lighting | Photography Forum

Also, set your standard to a very high point when it comes to finding your inspiration. Study the works of great photographers and model your own work after theirs. Some good examples are Michael Thompson, Annie Leibovits, Richard Avedon, Lara Jade, Irving Penn, Mario Testino, and pretty much ANY photographer represented by Jed Root: Jed Root - Photographers . Study their lighting and editing, their compositions, and even take note of what their models look like. Models with interesting and strong bone structure are usually the ones who get cast; simply being pretty isn't enough to make a strong model.

It's always good to keep up with fashion trends as well; here are a couple of good resources: 
http://fashionista.com/
Fashion Gone Rogue | Latest in Models, Fashion and Editorials

I hope this is helpful to you.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 25, 2015)

I think both versions turned out quite lovely, although I have to admit I prefer @Derrel's because he used more vibrant colours, even if he didn't go overboard with it like I did. Personally, I have a total thing for vibrant, sometimes unnatual colours in photography, I just haven't figured out how to properly work with that yet. I'm still totally new to all of it and in the process of experimenting and exploring a lot, mostly with filters, saturation and highlight as well as shading. What @DanOstergren posted sounds incredibly useful but for someone like me, who's a beginner and not actually striving to become a professional (not yet, at least), this is a little bit overwhelming even. I don't have the very best of cams and lenses (Sony ALT-A58 with DT18-55mm), so I can't even use @tirediron's advice to take shots at 85mm. xD But I will definitely look at everything listed in Dan's post, thanks very much for taking the time to provide me with the info!

I'm still surprised though that the edited pictures include both the door frame and part of the wall as well. It looks so much better in B&W though, but I think it makes for a terrible background in the coloured version. The black door without the frame is, in my opinion, a good enough background but the green frame and yellow wall just don't go well with it. xD But, as was stated often enough, it probably is much less dramatic than I think it is. It's just my personal view, haha, it just bothers me, really.

*EDIT:* Took a swing at one of the other pics real quick, 1 is untouched, 2 is my first final edit and 3 is where I tried (!) to imitate what I saw on Derrel's and tirediron's pics but alas, I have a lot of work still ahead. Please tell me what you think, yay or nay? Am I going into the right direction yet? 

1


2
 

3


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## DanOstergren (Aug 25, 2015)

All you need to do fashion photography is any camera or lens , light, a model, a concept and styling. Just because you are new to this, you're not a pro, or because you think you don't have the right gear are all terrible reasons to tell yourself you don't have what it takes to make great fashion images. Even an 18-55mm kit lens will be more than good enough, and to be clear there is no rule that says you have to be shooting portraits at any particular focal length such as 85mm.


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 25, 2015)

That's very encouraging to read.  Thanks so much, I will try my best with all of your tips from now on. Since I don't have the equipment I'd like to have in terms of lights, I'm gonna try and study what I can do with just natural light, or lack thereof. 

Although, as a little side note, I don't normally go with the most recent fashion trends. One of my brothers, the one who modelled for me for practice, and a couple of my friends have their own style of how the dress and I really like it a lot, so I like to capture their own sense of fashion, and of course mine as well.


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## Designer (Aug 25, 2015)

Fiji-Fujii said:


> I'm gonna try and study what I can do with just natural light, or lack thereof.


Oh dear!  Please don't use that tiny font!  Thanks.

As to lighting; get creative with what you have or can make.  Make some reflective panels.  White for normal white light, silver or gold-colored foil or mylar if you can get it.


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## tirediron (Aug 25, 2015)

If all you have is an 18-55, then by all means use that.  Despite being a "kit" lens, it's quality is many orders of magnitude great than the best professional lenses of a few generations ago.  There definitely aren't any rules about focal length, but there are "best practice" guidelines based on the optical properties of a given lens.  Again, if 55 is as long as you've got, then my suggestion would be to shoot at or near 55 in most circumstances.


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## rexbobcat (Aug 26, 2015)

Here's a blog post from a great fashion photographer about equipment. The kit lens helped her break into the fashion photography industry in the beginning.

Equipment and Where The Money Comes From | Zhang Jingna - Fashion, Fine Art, Beauty, Commercial Photography Blog


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## Fiji-Fujii (Aug 26, 2015)

Alright, thank you guys so much!  And @rexbobcat, that article is very inspiring, I love it!


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## FITBMX (Aug 26, 2015)

Wow, They really gave you some great info! There really isn't anything left to say, but keep us updated on your work.


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## booboo60 (Aug 31, 2015)

Fiji-Fujii said:


> Hey, guys!
> 
> Aside from nature & wildlife photography, I'm also very (!) interested in fashion photography. I'm currently lacking models though, so I'm "using what I can get" and asked my brother to help me out a couple of times. I also do self-portraits a lot but I'm trying to do them in a way that they don't just look like regular selfies but fashion shots for practice instead. I don't have studio lights or any other equipment I think I'd need, so I'm always using one of our doors as a background.
> 
> ...


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## booboo60 (Aug 31, 2015)

Fiji-Fujii said:


> Alright, thank you guys so much!  And @rexbobcat, that article is very inspiring, I love it!


New to this but like your photos


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