Calling the shots

The rapid growth of advertising and mass media has made fashion photography a great profession to zoom in on, writes Usha Albuquerque

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Do you have an eye for beauty? Do you like being surrounded by glamorous people and not just calling the shots, but taking the shots too? Does photography interest you?

If yes, then fashion photography is probably the ideal career for you. It is a career that has developed very recently in India. With the growth of advertising and the mass media, fashion photography has become a profession with great commercial value. And, as the fashion scene hots up with innumerable fashion shows and fashion weeks, fashion photography is moving into high gear. It offers good financial prospects too, though men still dominate this field.

Fashion photography, though still in its nascent stages as a profession in India, is growing in leaps and bounds. It covers photography of fashion models, clothes, designs and other areas related to the fashion and beauty business. It is mainly a form of advertising, where specialist studios or freelancers commissioned by fashion houses or advertising agencies work on the pictures for publicity. They usually work under the direction of a fashion expert

Fashion photographers work along with models and designers, make out portfolios for models, take pictures of designer accessories in studios and showrooms, and take photographs during fashion shows.

Preparing a portfolio for a model is definitely a very paying job, provided one is adept at the craft of producing attractive photographs. All aspiring models require to prepare a portfolio and the photographer’s job is to ensure that the model is made to look his/her best.

Knowledge of fashion trends, styles and colours is also important, as the photographer’s pictures should give expression to the designer’s creativity and bring the apparel to life.

Fashion photography attracts many youngsters because of its appealing coverage of glamorous models and glossy prints. But for those looking at this glamorous career, it is important to be prepared for all the financial hurdles and insecurities that every photographer has to face. Cameras, lenses and other equipment are difficult to get, and very expensive.

To make a name may take time and need a lot of expensive and valuable experience. However, for those who love the camera, all the pain is often worth it, for the creative satisfaction you get, once work becomes your best friend.

A college education is not essential for a fashion photographer. Experience is the best teacher.

Moreover to work in the area of fashion, you must have a strong visual imagination; an eye for detail; attentiveness to colour, shapes and shadows; artistic sensitivity; creativity; as well as the ability to work in difficult conditions and irregular hours.

However, formal training earns knowledge and command over a variety of cameras, lights, props, and photographic techniques. It also hones creative skills. To do a course in fashion photography, you must basically have a passion for photography, an observant eye, and a curious and perceptive mind

So, if photography is your hobby and you wish to make it a career, look for an apprenticeship with a senior photographer, or take up a course in photography.

As a fashion photographer, you can work for:

Depending upon your calibre as a fashion photographer, the remuneration differs.

Fashion photographers who are employed with fashion houses or ad agencies usually start off with Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 9,000 per month.

Freelance fashion photographers get between Rs. 8,000 and Rs. 12,000 per day. The more established ones, however, can earn a lot more.

A fashion photographer’s prospects depend entirely on talent and calibre. However, the Indian fashion industry has witnessed a major boom in the past decade, thereby creating excellent prospects for fashion photographers.

Moreover, it is not just the regular camera and the lenses. The digital revolution has been ushered in, and with newer fields like the internet coming up, even in the area of fashion, fame for photographers may be just a click away.

Institutes such as the National Institute of Fashion technology and Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi, offer courses in this field. The NIFT course is a 4-year undergraduate programme in fashion communication, which includes fashion photography and visual communication, at the NIFT centres in New Delhi and Mumbai. The diploma in Applied and Professional Photography offered by Pearl Academy is an UG programme which covers all aspects of photography, including fashion photography. Both are open to students after plus two with any subjects, and admission is on the basis of an entrance test.

— The writer is a noted career expert