yasminSphotol3csc: Fashion Photography

General History

Cecil Beaton:

Wikipedia background:

"Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was an English fashion and portrait photographer,diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1970

glamorous pictures"

From film clip:

In 30's- set the template "Selling a dream" "Created a dream world"

Never shouted, was called sir or Mr Beaton- authority presence but never said he had

had people to set up his equipment.

Recreating the picture:

Used the same camera as Beaton, film, black room to develop, black and white, image was upside down as no mirrors, orthentic image.

Q1- Difference between a Portrait and a Fashion photograph

Fashion= Clothes, not very creating, model is not the focus
Portrait= Person, personality, emotional
what's important?
Whats the purpose of the photo?
Similar or different?

Q2- To what degree should an image be manipulated for fashion

What happens?
What effect it has on the public/ viewer?
Not just digital manipulation/ air brushing
Changing the picture the photographer wanted?
Moral issues
How are models selected?

Q3- Is their a clash between Creative and commercial fashion

No matter how creative, commercial pictures always win because they're more about the clothes.
why is their a clash?
Where does it happen?
Who is responsible?
Money?

There are many differences between a portrait photograph and a fashion photograph. The obvious difference is that a portrait concentrates on the emotion of the person, telling the audience about that person however fashion photographs are all about the clothes and how the clothes looks on the model so they can sell them. Often in fashion photographs the models are edited. For example the models are airbrushed and their bodies adapted because they are not the focus, they are there to make the clothes look good.

http://www.fashionphotography.com/

Fashion photography is found in magazines selling the clothing, for example Vogue Magazine is popular for its fashion clothes. Creating unique and dynamic photos is a main part of fashion photography and for this lighting comes in. Lighting gives you the control of the emotion the audience will feel. If the lighting is wrong or negative it portrays a negative image about the clothing line shown so creativity isn't the number one rule when it comes to fashion photographs. Fashion photography is harsh and critical, if the picture doesn't make the clothes and accessories look appealing then the photo will be cut from the magazine instantly. For example, Anna Wintour cut a lovely galiano photoshoot from the magazine because it was too creative (Below). The image Vogue was looking for is focus on the woman's dresses not on how pretty and colourful the image is. It roughly took half a day to set up however its so easy for someone to come along and cut the image.

Photo cut from Vogue Magazine

Google Images- portrait photography

Portrait photographs are very different, they are all about the person or people in the image. These are often of you or your family as you hire a photographer for special occasions. You will also see this type of photography in art galleries as most professional photographers like landscapes and portraits. You are not trying to make the person or their clothing look good like fashion photography, you are trying to tell people about them. You have to capture someone as they really are not staged poses. Most photographers like to add mystery and emotion into their photos as it created a story about that person. For example the picture, right, of the woman isn't a typical picture you would see in the family album. It has emotion in they eyes and wonder that brings you in, it makes you think about what she has seen.

To conclude, the two photography styles are very different however they both can be taken anywhere, studio or outside, and they both need the right lighting to create the image they need. The purpose of fashion photography is to make the clothes and accessories known, its basically advisement. On the other had we have portraiture which is to make the person or people in the photo have emotion and is also used to advertise the photographer so people will know him/her. Both photography styles end up being used for advertising purposes however the way the photographer takes the picture (eg lighting, background) and the creativity (eg some or a lot) is different and that's what makes them so different but at the same time so similar.