Fashion photography is best displayed in fashion magazines like Vanity Fair, Vogue and Allure. It is dedicated to displaying fashion trends in fabric and otherwise, on the beautiful fashion models. Fashion photography has its own aesthetic, celebrating fashion enhanced by exotic locations and themes. The earliest show of fashion photography on record is the portfolio of a noble woman, Virginia Oldoini, the Countess de Castiglione in 1856. The first fashion model was photographed by Adolphe Braun, making him the first fashion photographer! The development of halftone printing enabled fashion photography to add color and spark to magazines. The French magazines Les mode and La mode practique were the first to capitalize on fashion photography.
The fashion photography hot shots:
In fashion photography, special emphasis was initially on ‘staging’ the shots, in natural poses at natural environments. This procedure or practice was first adopted and developed by Baron Adolf de Meyer. Fashion magazines Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar were leaders in the field of fashion photography in the earlier half of the 20th century. The fashion photography industry bigwigs still salute and pay tribute to the contributions made by George Hoyningen Huene, Cecil Beaton and Edward Steichen and Yva. They literally transformed this photography genre into an art form that thrived in Europe. In the United States of America, the contributions to the world of fashion photography post World War II came from Martin Munkacsi, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. In a way, these hot shots shaped the contemporary look of fashion photography.
The evolution of fashion photography:
Many of the earlier artists willingly abandoned their adopted forms, most of which were very rigid, for a more natural and independent style. It was in the year 1936 that fashion photographer Martin Munkacsi first photographed models in various poses at the beach. Fashion photography became very popular and became a dream for every young man who loved the widely marketed cameras after the Second World War and every young woman who had the vital statistics! Fashion photography has a huge audience and involves great pay packets today. Models are now enjoying international celebrity status and a very glamorous lifestyle. In fact, it would not be wrong to state that fashion photography is among one of the world’s most sought-after professions!
The avenues for display:
There are a number of avenues where fashion photography can be flaunted. The niche fashion advertising arena, art photography and celebrity portraiture are very paying and well appreciated. Today industry bigwigs like photo editor Clio McNicholl and agent Gloria Cappelletti agree that the industry is witnessing a new avatar! There is whole tried and tested approach and application to setting up a portfolio, effectively submitting the same to editors, the choice of the photo agency and eventually a display. In fashion photography, the most important tool is the portfolio. It helps establish a reputation in the fashion world.
