Question by Jessy: How can i use a simple digital camera to create a high fashion photo to post on lookbook.nu?
im just a teen but i love to dress up and model, but i only have a digital camera. how can i make these photos look more profeesional and high fashion? any tips @ all would be great, thx
Best answer:
Answer by Creative Rainbow
I love lookbook! I would suggest the setting is the main thing, also good lighting. Make sure your photo is sharp too.
What do you think? Answer below!
angles and lighting are key to giving a photograph a certain feeling or look.
these things take practice. thank god we don’t have to pay for film anymore.
play around with different light environments and camera placements…don’t be afraid to take some bad ones. that’s how you learn.
try taking different pics in a plain setting/neutral background and simple clothes so you can really see the differences you are making with these factors… without being distracted by different props and such.
with modeling specifically, the pose of the model has alot to do with it. there are loads of rules on joint and limb placement, head tilt, line of vision….etc.
there are tons of sites that give tips for the model to create any kind of look you want.
a more simple less time consuming easier to learn trick is in the cropping.
try cropping off center of the frame. don’t crop limbs at the joints. crop only a portion of the subject.
google the rule of thirds regarding photography..that should give you some good tips
good luck1!
When you say “I only have a digital camera” I am going to assume that you mean something along the lines of a pocket, point and shoot type of camera. Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes. And they range from just point it and shoot, to change you lens, focus, set this and that, then shoot.
Most digital cameras today, can give very good results.
First, get a tripod or something that will keep the camera steady.
Next, read up on composition. Learn the basic rule for composing a good shot. This can seem a bit overwhelming as anything that is in your picture, is a part of composition. This includes: subject; lighting; contrast; posing; backgrounds; props to name a few. But until you have a firm grasp of composition you will have a hard time making any shot look “professional”.
Next, I’d say look at lighting. Don’t use the flash that is on your camera. Or if you do, use it along with other lights off to the side. Try to light yourself to reduce shadows behind you. Try it with shadows being cast to just one side.
Use sharp light, use soft light, use reflected light. Sharp light comes directly from your light source. Soft light comes from putting a defuser in front of your light such as a white bed sheet hung in front of the lights. Reflected light comes from pointing your lights away from the subject and reflecting the light back with a light colored or reflective surface.
The types of light you use will make a difference as well. Incandescent bulbs give a different tint to the picture than florescent bulbs.
Backgrounds help too. These can be something as simple as a solid colored, or printed bed sheet, all the way to a painting of the stair case on the Titanic.
I shoot wildlife and scenery so I can’t give you all the specifics of studio lighting. You can do a Google search on “studio lighting techniques” and go from there. Another thing you can do is stop by one of these in store studios like Olan Mills. Most of these places are staffed with people who are not busy all day long and love to take a break from doing nothing by explaining a few things to you. So stop by and, if they are not busy, just ask them “Can you explain how to light a subject to me?”
Outdoors can be another way to make your fashion pictures look more professional. An evening gown can be very well set off by the model standing in a well cared for landscape. Flowers the same color as the outfit, or contrasting colors. And just because you are outside, does not mean that you will not need additional light.
This is a lot, and it may sound like more than you can handle. Right now it is. But as you learn, you will one day look back at this time in your life and think something like “Boy, was I dumb.” You are not dumb, you just have not learned yet. You are a teen. And your life should be filled with learning. And you have picked a good subject to learn.
How does a person walk from New York to Los Angeles? The same way they walk across a room. One step at a time. The first trip just takes a little longer is all. The same thing here. Learn one step at a time. Your pictures won’t become what you want overnight. It will take time. But after time, you will see the change, and learn how to make the changes you want.
Good luck.
Peter’s answer above is very good.
Good photography takes study and practice. Many people today are fooled by television ads which depict celebrities taking cameras out of the box and immediately taking National Geographic quality shots. That doesn’t happen.
To Peter’s list, I would add that its important to learn about software as well. Almost all digital photos need some sharpening and/or color correction. If you want a high fashion look, learning how to smooth skin and highlight eyes in software will be necessary.
THere’s lots of teens who are photographers, and lots of teens who are on this side of Y!A. There are also lots of teens who like to dress up.
The camera is only going to help you make these photos look more professional and high fashion. A lot of that will depend on the lighting in your room, and how you compose your picture.