Fashion photography is one of the most highly sought after careers. It demands high energy, quick thinking and creativity and its very fast paced. If you've ever thought about starting a career in fashion photography there are a few things you can do to build your portfolio and get a jumpstart on the competition.

It helps, in any form of photography, to organize your shoot before you go into your studio. Sketch your ideal set ups, rehearse with your models and draw up some light plots. This way, you're not wasting time before a shoot trying to figure settings out. You also want to make sure your camera settings are set before you shoot as well, so you're not fumbling with your metering. You may still have to bracket your shots to settings that may have not turned out the way you intended, but those things happen. You don't want to waste your model, your team and your time trying to meter a whole shoot. Go in to the area where you are going to be shooting and meter. If you have a home studio a cheap way to build a soft box is using a white sheet on a window to diffuse natural sunlight. It helps to keep a journal of light settings so that you can jump right in and get started.

In fashion photography, your models have to command an air of authority and your pictures need to be as professional as possible. Your shots can scream, “amateur” if you do not prepare your shoots. Take a look at fashion editorials and magazines to check out the latest stances and try to work off of that. Make your model feel comfortable and confident that you know what you are doing. Listen to their suggestions and do not belittle them for having concerns. Chances are you are working with professionals that have good ideas that you can bounce concepts off of. Let them feel they are part of the creative process and don't try and do everything on your own.

Having an assistant or a team of professionals in your studio or friends and family in your home studio can help you tremendously. If you can use someone that knows how to rig lights and artistically set up scenery, the less work you have to do. You can concentrate on setting up the shoot with your model and rehearsing.

Props can make or break a shot. They can set the mood or destroy it. It helps if you are using props, to come up with a “story line” based around your scene. Location is an integral part of your story line as well. Different locations mean different things to different people and misinterpretations can ruin fantastic shots. Make sure everything is clear to you and the model before you shoot.

Fashion photography is a fast growing career. Using these techniques to build your hard copy and online portfolio can help you enter this exciting world and make a name for yourself.

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