4 Types Of Fashion Photography – Everything You Must Know About Them

Updated on October 31, 2022 in Photography by Nishant Shrimali

Most creative types of fashion photography have diversified extensively into many industries. Some of which are eCommerce, advertising, magazines, social media, and more.

And based on all this as well as their use case, we can categorize these styles into 4 types of fashion photography.

But what are these styles and what are the different use cases of these types of fashion photography? Well, this article is sharing just that here.

Hence, without taking any more time, let’s dive right into it.

Everything About 4 Types Of Fashion Photography

Catalog Photography

Catalog photography is a type of fashion photography where the main focus of the whole shoot is to sell the clothing that the model is wearing. It is one of the simplest types of fashion photography among all four as it is about being neutral & straightforward with the audience.

This is usually done for eCommerce or brands that are looking to sell their fashion product to their customer and want to present them online. In simple words, it’s actually product photography with the only difference being the model in the frame. Still, the focus remains on presenting the fashion product.

Here the model usually stands straight or natural which allows customers to look at the product and not get distracted by any motion. Sometimes, in order to flaunt some part of the product like pockets, chains, etc a model may strike a pose or two so that customers can have a better look.

Among these types of fashion photography, a plain background is used (mostly grey or white), with minimum accessories and props in the frame. The lighting is kept natural in order to ensure the color accuracy of the fashion product.

High Fashion Photography

High fashion photography is a type of fashion photography that is commonly used for magazines. It is the one where you see supermodels, with all the high-end makeup, hair, and the most distinct poses.

The purpose of this style is to grab the attention quickly and create curiosity within the viewers. Saying that it is also a style of photography that requires a lot of attention to detail as well as a model and team that aligns with the vision.

If you want to get started with High fashion photography, the first thing that you have to do is decide the mood or the vibe that you are looking to capture. This might not be the final decision that can’t be changed during the process, but it surely is the best point to get started.

Once you know what kind of mood or vibe are you aiming for it’ll be much easier to find the right model, choose the location, and overall look of the model with the makeup, hair and pose.

Here you’ll also have to consider the various technical factors like the lighting you are going to use, the camera, other equipment, permit for the location, props, and everything to achieve the final look that puts an impression on the viewer’s mind.

Street Fashion Photography

Street fashion photography is a fashion photography style where you capture regular people on the street with their personal fashion choices and candid expressions. Consider it as the complete opposite of high fashion photography.

In Street fashion photography, the model wears regular clothes like jeans, shirts, T-shirts, jackets, etc. And the focus here is not on what they are wearing, but rather on their expressions or the way they carry their outfit.

You’ll often see that street photography is about confidence and sharing the raw life of people. 

If you are looking to get started with street photography, it is recommended to use long lenses to capture your model from distance, so that they don’t get super conscious about it. Also, make sure you have consent to take pictures of people on the street.

Editorial Fashion Photography

Editorial Fashion Photography is a type of fashion photography that is used to tell a story, share a message or aware people of something that you’ll find in magazines or editorials. It is usually accompanied by a text, but even with the text that image is capable of telling a back story.

Editorial fashion photography is a fashion photography style where we use professional models, makeup, camera, equipment, and a location all to our advantage with one goal tell the story.

Here, everything is pre-decided and the scene is laid out to the model so that they can express it accordingly. The use of tone, filter, camera angles, and various editing tools is very common in order to achieve the desired result.

Bonus Read

Understanding different types of fashion photography allow us to have a clear end goal. Be it the regular Catalogue photography or the Editorial Fashion Photography. As a photographer, you are able to work much more effectively when you know what the client is looking for and what steps you’ll have to take.

That being said, we cannot ignore the role of image editing here. A professional image editing can literally bring the gold out of your amazing images. Makes it much more authentic and eye-catching.

PixelPhant is a professional image editing service, that works with some of the best photographers to enhance their images with expert editing. Be it editing for the eCommerce or the editorials. You can rely on PixelPhant to deliver the best results within your set deadline.

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