The Key Tips for Editorial Fashion Photography

Have you ever looked at a fashion magazine and been blown away by the intense, edgy pictures gracing its cover? The exotic locations, the over the top make-up, the glamorous outfits and the dramatic poses – all the big and small details that rivet your attention and have you poring over each page of the magazine in amazement. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Well, that’s the intrigue of editorial fashion photography!

- NITYAPRIYA KALIYATH

What is Editorial Fashion Photography?

Editorial fashion photography refers to the pictures that are featured in online fashion publications or print spread, conveying a compelling narrative or concept visually.

Unlike other editorial photography genres, editorial fashion photographs run alongside little or no text. Magazines often showcase editorial fashion photographs as multi-page spread that communicate their own style, emotion, story and/or personality.

For fashion photographers, editorial fashion photography offers a good medium to hone their skills, grow their career and explore their creativity without boundaries.

The Key Tips for Editorial Fashion Photography

Now that you have a basic understanding of editorial fashion photography, you must be wondering what the key tips for editorial fashion shoot are. Well, let us it break it down for you:

The Creative Brief

Editorial fashion shoots always start with a brief. This is the point where the editor of the magazine will communicate the idea or the theme for that particular issue. The theme could be simply a word or a whole concept. Usually, editorial fashion shoots are a six to eight-page affair featuring different outfits and location in each photograph.

At this stage, you should talk to the editor about how you interpret the theme and how you plan on conveying it through the pictures. Will the pictures convey a story of excitement, intrigue, mystery or some other emotion? Will the pictures be bold, bright and colourful or muted and sophisticated?