Evaluation

I have loved every minute of the fashion photography unit. I think I have found another type of photography I really enjoy. This unit was a very fast paced which kept me on my toes. The feedback I received from the client and the models have been really positive. Chelsey was ‘extremely happy’ with the images I captured and enjoyed collaborating with myself. Both of us felt it met the brief set out and Chelsey used some my images in the look book which she created for her final project. For me it was a exciting seeing my pictures in her look book, it made me feel a sense of pride and achievement. However, saying all that there was a brief moment when I thought that Chelsey did not care about the shoot because she was asking me to do the location recce on my own and wasn’t putting in the effort. Looking back I think this was a bit unfair of me as she was very stressed and under pressure to finish her outfit before the photoshoot, without the outfit we would have had nothing to shoot. This was a blip and in the end it was a real pleasure working with her.

I have learnt so many aspects of the fashion photography industry, from the impact of fashion publications to the boring bits like contracts and terms and conditions which protect the photographer and his work.

I enjoyed working on my own during the location shoot as I was in total control of what I wanted to shoot. This did put a bit more pressure on me but I did thrive under it. When you work on your own you do not have anybody to bounce ideas off and that is one of the things I missed. I did enjoy working with Maggie during the white dress carousel as we did just that, bounced ideas off one another. I feel working in a team really helps push each other to achieve more.

The night of the white dress carousel was very hectic with lots going on. I think this is what the fashion industry is like, you do not get much time with the models, the  time you have to shoot is very short. For me the research and preparation I did for both shoots was the key to two successful shoots. During the location shoot the lighting kit didn’t work  and because I was prepared for every eventuality, I still managed to capture some really high quality images. You have to always make sure you have a plan b.

The biggest thing I learned from the unit was Marco’s tip about shooting in thirds. Where the first third is about striking a relationship with the model and making them feel at easy, the second third is when you capture your main images have them in the bag and the final third is your chance to experiment and try something new.

The most difficult thing for me was making sure I had the right location for the client as she had trusted me to find it and shortlisting the hundreds of images I had taken. It is very difficult to make the right choices especially when you to choice 2 from a few hundred but I think that comes with experience.

This has been a great journey into the fashion industry and working in collaboration with fashion designers.

 

 

Final 2 Images – Studio

Image 1 from the Studio Shoot – I felt this image worked really well with the evening dress theme. The settings I used on the camera were ISO 100, 1/125th, F/8 and a focal length of 35mm. This was shot using my 24-70 2.8 lens. I placed a key light using a soft box with a honeycomb attachment at 45 degrees on the right hand side of me and used a second strobe light with honeycomb lighting up the background to create a halo effect around the models head and shoulders. As the models hair was black I wanted to separate the hair from the background. I accomplished this shot by getting the model to twirl so I could capture the flowing nature of the dress. I feel I have really captured the model having fun and have managed to capture her looking straight at the camera with a lovely smile. By getting her to twirl I feel it took her mind off the shoot and encouraged her to have fun. You can also see the detail on the front of the dress, especially the pocket. The model was very shy which can be seen in shortlisted images but I have managed to capture her looking very confident in this shot. I must say I think I got lucky with this shot!!!

Any improvements – The models right hand is slightly dark, I could have used a larger reflector to pump some more light in that area. I am not sure what else I could have done to improve this shot to be honest.

 

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Image 2 from the Studio Shoot – This is one of my favourite images.  The settings I used on the camera were ISO 100, 1/125th, F/8 and a focal length of 42mm. This was also shot using my 24-70 2.8 lens. I used a 4 light set up, 2 lights lighting the background and metered at f/11 and 2 beauty dishes lighting the model which were metered at f/8. The model was great to work with as she knew what she was doing and kept changing her look after each shot which made it a lot easier for me as the photographer. The shoot just seemed to flow better. The model was very confident and this shows in the image.  Even though she is not looking at the camera you get a sense of the mood. This really shows off front of the dress and the detail in the head piece. I think her make up adds another dimension to the image, especially as I was shooting white on white. This image also captures the models very strong jawline.

Any improvements – I could have straightened the collar on the dress. I think I could have cropped the image from the bottom. At the moment in is neither here or there as I have cropped it in the middle of the hand. I believe if I had cropped it from above the wrist I would not have lost anything and made the viewer not even think about it. The question is where is the right place to crop the hands? I think depends on the image you need to make the decision by cropping do we lose anything.

 

 

Final 2 Images – Location

Image 1 from the Location Shoot – The shot below was my best image from the location shoot, I captured this image using 1 speed light on the right hand side of me and a reflector on the left. The settings I used on the camera were ISO 100, 1/125th, F/5.6 and a focal length of 44mm. This was shot using my 24-70 2.8 lens. I think the image is very strong and with a great connection between the viewer and the model. The eyes really draw you into the image and then you start working down the hand, which leads you to the legs and the lovely the effect the mirror ball is having on the legs and the ground with the reflections. I am really pleased with the way the top of the outfit looks and it shows how flared the sleeves are. I am also with the models pose, it has a bit of attitude which the theme asked for. Considering I only had 1 speed light I am over the moon with the result.

Any improvements – I could have used a longer lens to throw out the background even more as there are some distracting things on the left hand side wall. These could have been edited in photoshop but I wanted the image to have a bit of the environment.

 

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Image 2 from the Location Shoot – The shot below is taken using 1 speed light on the left hand side of me. The settings I used on the camera were ISO 100, 1/100th, F/5.6 and a focal length of 33mm. Again this was shot using my 24-70 2.8 lens. It is very easy when doing portraiture that you always take a lot portrait images and not many landscape. I wanted to a landscape image using the pillar on the right to position my model and capture the environment around her. This was done deliberately so when the image is submitted to the editor they have a choice to use it as a double page spread and use the right hand side of the image for the text. If they didn’t want to do this then they would have the ability to crop the image and use it as a portrait given them several editing choices. I like the pipes running at the top of the image which gives a sense of the environment and the models shadow on the ground. I love how you can see the whole outfit with the lines down the sleeve and the blue foil glitter under the top. I made sure I got the whole pillar in and didn’t crop it further otherwise you would not have been able to tell if it was a pillar or a wall. I feel both of these images I have chosen would not be out of place in Dazed fashion magazine.

Any improvements – I think again I could have used a longer lens to make sure the details in background like the windows outside could have been thrown out a bit more. The reflection in the white wall could have been eradicated by additional lighting.

5 Shortlisted Images – Studio

Since shortlisting 5 images from the studio shoot, I have been busy post processing them using Lightroom. I have used the functions within Lightroom to edit the RAW images and then export them in a JPEG format. From the experience I gained editing the location images I used the same technique here. I tweaked the exposure, white balance, highlights, shadows, removed blemishes and soften the skin. Professional fashion photographers would carry out the same edits in the industry to make sure the image is a high quality and ready for publication. I have to choose 2 images from these 5 for submission which is going to be a difficult task.

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Invoicing and Charging

When you first start up as a photographer the most difficult question is how much do I charge. If you charge too much then you might not get any work and if you charge too little then people will think why you are too cheap and very difficult then to put prices up.

A good starting point is to work out your overheads and costs of running your business. These will be the essentials like your camera and equipment these will be an initial purchase but with the way technology advances these will need to be replaced at some point. Consumables are another cost things like batteries, chargers, memory cards and hard drives. We need to total these elements together and divide it by the life cycle of when they will need to be replaced, say 3 yrs for a yearly cost figure.

Once this figure is calculated then you will need to work out how many paid jobs you will get over the year and divide the annual figure by the number of paid jobs. This will give a cost per job to breakeven without any profit to cover the overheads, replacement of equipment and cost of consumables over the 3 years.

The big decision then is how much margin you place on top of this figure and this will be your PROFIT!!!

When deciding how much to charge consider the following:

1. Research the market – What are clients likely to pay? What will the market sustain at the bottom and top level?
2. Common sense – make sure you are not greedy, pitch at the right level.
3. Competition – What are competitors charging? Can you beat them or match their price if not them can you beat them on quality.
4. Project time and materials – Charge for both shooting time and post production. Don’t breakdown your costs too much.
5. Profitability – Goal of the business is to make a profit and you need to keep that in mind when you set your prices.

There will be jobs were you don’t charge shooting rates like nursery/school portraits and some event photography where your income is driven by sales. Also weddings where you generally sell a package.

A ball park figure is… should you be doing anything if you are getting less than £150-£200 a day as a minimum return?

Below are the resources which will helped me create my client estimates.

How to cost yourself as a freelancer

Interactive income per job calculator

Preparing a Professional Photography Quote and Invoice

Example of Photo Quote (1)

Example of Photo Quote (2)

http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/phcalc.html 

Model Release Form

‘A model release, known in similar contexts as a liability waiver, is a legal release typically signed by the subject of a photograph granting permission to publish the photograph in one form or another. The legal rights of the signatories in reference to the material is thereafter subject to the allowances and restrictions stated in the release, and also possibly in exchange for compensation paid to the photographed.’ – Wikipedia Definition

I will need to include a model release form as part of the paperwork. I have used the new form released by the Royal Photographic Society. The form is very simple to fill out and it gives you guidelines.

You can download the form the RPS website – RPS – Model Release Form

Copyright and Creative Commons

Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, usually for a limited time. The exclusive rights are not absolute; they are limited by limitations and exceptions to copyright law, including fair use.

The current act is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

• All images are inherently protected by copyright when created, the rights usually belong to the creator.
• Unless express permission is given by the creator (you) no image can be downloaded, scanned, copied or printed for use.
• Anyone who is using a photographic image that is not their own MUST assume full copyright protection applies.
• Due to expansive nature of digital a pragmatic and realistic approach is required – see post on Creative Commons.

Copyright of Artistic Works

How long does it last for?

• 70 years – From the end of the calendar year in which the author dies and the copyright is inherited.

When can you use an image?

• You own the rights
• The rights holder gives you permission
• The Rights have expired
• Under the exceptions to ‘Copyright’

Moral Rights

• The right to be identified as the author
• Right to object to derogatory treatment

What are the Exceptions to Copyright?

The following are defences and not rights

Permitted Act or ‘Fair Dealing’

• Insubstantial part of a work
• Non commercial research or study
• Criticism, review, reporting
• Education, Research and Study (very limited)
• Anonymous works likely to have expired
• Works of artistic craftsmanship on permanent public display

Please find link to Fact sheet P-16: Photography and Copyright on the Copyright Witness Website for further information on photography copyright.

 

Creative Commons are a new development in the last 6 years.

‘Creative Commons (CC) licenses are the standard for sharing free content online for individual creators, governments, foundations, and academics. CC licenses have changed the way the internet works, providing a core function to some of the largest content platforms on the web. The result is greater access to knowledge and culture for everyone, everywhere.’

‘Creative Commons licenses are not an alternative to copyright. They work alongside copyright and enable you to modify your copyright terms to best suit your needs.’

These copyright licences provide a simple, standardised way to give public permission to share and use your creative work with your choice of conditions. It gives you flexibility and protects the people who use your work, so they don’t have to worry about copyright infringement as long as the abide by the conditions YOU have specified.

Creative Commons Website

How does this apply to photographers?

• Offers a middle ground between “free for all” and “fully managed rights”
• Much more manageable language and applies common sense and pragmatic approach.
• 6 core licence statement used singularly or in combination (see below), describe the restrictions and usage rights you apply to your work. Open Media savvy.
• Nothing is intended to, in any way the law of “fair use” or “fair dealing.” modify, or qualify
• Creative Commons licenses add either freedoms or security beyond those provided by “fair use” and “fair dealing.”

The 6 Core Licences

When applying Creative Commons you would normally precede usage symbols with CC

On the left is Attribution, Non Commercial, Share Alike

I used the following college resources to help understanding Copyright and Creative Commons

Copyright + Creative Commons Presentation

Copyright Educational Factsheet

Copyright Q+A dominoes

Contracts and Terms & Conditions

When you start working with clients it is very important to create contracts as this will protect you and your work. At the end of the day you want to be successful and make money from the work you do. Part of our project we will be required to create our own client paperwork. These bits are a bit boring but essential.

 

What is a contract?

• A contract is some form of statement which records the terms and conditions agreed between photographer (contractor) and client in the provision and aquisitionof a service or product or both.
• A contract can be written, oral or implied.
• Contracts thus confirm and contribute to standards of practice

What should a typical contract include? 

• Your company name, address, contact details
• The client company name, address and contact details.
• A number assigned to the brief/proposal/project/commission – keep a record of this.
• Description of the brief
• Schedule as to how and when the work will be completed
• A quote or estimate
• A statement option to renegotiate the fee
• Agreed media usage also known as a licence to use
• Statement that general terms and conditions apply (or not!)

What are Terms & Conditions? 

The wikipedia definition is – Terms and Conditions are rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. Terms of service can also be merely a disclaimer, especially regarding the use of websites.

General Terms and Conditions should include clauses on the follow:

• Credit terms (late payment, non payment, deposit etc)
• Copyright (Intellectual Property Rights + License)
• Liability (Negligence, loss, damage, injury, insurance)
• Indemnity (protecting client against 3rdparty claim)
• Cancellation (before and during work)
• What you would do if you are unable to fulfil a contract (ill health, change in brief, extension of schedule)

What do you do if you are issued with a contract (i.e. PR Company) stipulating that they will hire you if you agree to sign their contract?

Firstly proceed with caution and check the following aspects of the terms and conditions.

• Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights do not conflict
• Media usage
• Duration of licence
• Indemnity
• Syndication

All the above will help you protect your business and your work. If these elements are not put in place you can be very vulnerable to legal action.

Below are the college resources I used to create my Terms and Conditions. I have also referred to The Association of Photographers website 

Contracts and Legislation

Sample of Photographers T+Cs

Checklist for negotiating a freelance contract

AOP – Exemplar Media usage license

 

Fashion Publications

Fashion publications are very important in the market. Magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar and GQ influence what fashion items the public will spend their money on. The celebrities on the covers of these magazines will endorse certain brands and styles which will be influential in the fashion market, we should not underestimate the power of these magazines to the industry. If you go to any newsstands and see the shelves they are full of different fashion magazines and are all targeting different audiences. The fashion industry is governed by social demographics and targets audiences based on age, income and sex.

They are very successful in attracting their audience, resulting in continual high readership and, as a result, they do not widely try to appeal to other audiences. The features each month are very similar, and based around fashion and beauty which is what appeals to its audience. Some have a variety of features which can appeal to many different audience types; including harder hitting features about global problems and events.

Many of the women who read these magazines, particularly those perhaps who are not regular readers may buy them for aspiration and distraction purposes. Although not being able to afford the clothes and products being advertised, it gives the reader something to aspire towards, or perhaps give an insight into that lifestyle. While reading the magazine, the reader can feel as if they have more money, or live the model lifestyle, reading about the lives of famous models and actresses.

The role of the photographer is crucial in the industry. Especially in this digital age a lot of the marketing is done online which means potential customers won’t see the product in person and the images the photographer captures will be the most important to represent the product. You need these pictures to do the selling for you. They have to make the potential customers want to buy the garment. This is why experienced fashion photographers are in demand and the photographs are as important as the material used to make the garment.

I am going to review 2 fashion magazines below Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. I will look at the title, target audience, their style and the work of there photographers.

Harper’s Bazaar

First published: 1867 in America as a weekly magazine. Moved to monthly issues in 1901 which is maintained today.

Total Circulation: 734,504 (June 2012)

Target Audience: Upper middle to upper class women, ‘Women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.’

Bazaar assembles photographers, artists, designers and writers to deliver a ‘sophisticated’ perspective into the world of fashion, beauty and popular culture.

It showcased fashion from Germany and Paris in a newspaper-design format. Back then Paris had dominated the fashion industry.

Past Front Covers

(1868) Illustrated Front Cover

(March 1943) Lauren Bacall

(March 2015) Rihanna

Famous photographers who have shot for Harper’s Bazaar are Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Man Ray, Diane Arbus, Richard Alvedon, Robert Frank, Inez van Lamsweerde, Craig McDean and Patrick Demarchelier.

Below is some of their fantastic work.

Article In Harper’s Bazaar, Photographed by Man Ray March 1936

Harper’s Bazaar March 1952. Photographed by Richard Avedon.

Harper’s Bazaar 40-50s. Photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe.

October 1994 Claudia Schiffer by Patrick Demarchelier

Vogue

First published: December 17th, 1892 in America as weekly newspaper.

Total Circulation: 1,259,826 (2013)

Target Audience: From inception it targeted New York aristocracy, establishing social norms in a country that did not value class and ceremony as much as England or France.

Vogue which means ‘style’ in french is a globally recognised fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 23 different national and regional editions.

The magazine back then was primarily concerned with fashion, with coverage of sports and social affairs for its male readership. Now there is a more broader appeal to audiences with articles on health and fitness. Vogue was described by Caroline Weber in a December 2006 edition of The New York Times as ‘the world’s most influential fashion magazine.’

Teen Vogue was launched in March 2003 and was targeted at teenage girls with a focus on fashion, celebrities and feature stories on current issues and serious topics such as discussions about teen pregnancy.

Teen Vogue

Mens Vogue

In 2005 Men’s Vogue was launched but ceased publication in October 2008 and is now a twice yearly extract in the main edition.

Past Front Covers

(1893) Illustrated Front Cover

(June 1950) Jean Patchett

(May 2013) Beyonce

Famous photographers who have shot for Vogue are Patrick Demarchelier, Herb Ritts. Ellen von Unwerth, Bruce Weber, David LaChapelle and Peter Lindbergh

Photographed by Herb Ritts for British Vogue 1989

Photographed by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Cover Jan 1990

Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, Madonna on the cover of Vogue Paris

Vogue have signed up to the healthy body initiative, it represents a commitment from the editors to promote positive body images within the content of Vogue’s numerous editions.

While doing my research I came across a really interesting article on Why Harper’s Bazaar matters more than Vogue.

As I missed the session on fashion publications my colleagues Gareth and Sharon reviewed Elle magazine and here is a link to there presentation – Elle Magazine Presentation

 

Studio Shoot – Shortlisted images

Today I have spent the day shortlisting my images form the white dress carousel evening. I took a total of 134 images on the night which were a mixture of 4 different white dresses. I went through the images and carrying out a technical edit, this comprised of eliminating unnatural poses, where the model blinked or eyes were shut. I also looked at lighting and how the images portrayed the clothes, at the end of the day we are trying to help the clients promote their dresses. I found this process a lot easier than the location shoot as there weren’t as many images to go through. I could narrow down the images a lot quicker because they were shot in batches and I could select the best ones from each batch.

Like the location shoot, I created contact sheets with the final 28 images i have shortlisted. I analysed these images and narrowed them done to 5 images. I forced myself to be quite ruthless with my selection and not to have another shortlist like the location shoot. I felt I had duplicated my work by going through the same images twice.

Below are the contact sheets with my annotations to help me select the 5 images. I will be post processing the 5 images I have shortlisted using the RAW image. I used the Jpegs when I was shortlisting.

Shortlisted Images 1-6

Shortlisted Images 7-12

Shortlisted Images 13-18

Shortlisted Images 19-24

Shortlisted Images 25-28

I have selected the 5 images which I feel are the strongest and I need to select 2 images for submission. Again I am not sure which 2 images are the strongest and will be looking for some direction from my colleagues.