10 Outdoor Fashion Photography Ideas & Inspiration 2024

To make a shoot stand out, a photographer has to think out of the box.

From lighting to location, when it comes to outdoor fashion photography, a photographer has to make the best out of the given situation.

That being said, it’s always good to know what the end result can look like.

A hunch on how to advance and what can be done. This is possible when you have a starting point to think about and then add in your creativity.

To help you with the first step of getting started, we are sharing 10 outdoor fashion photography ideas and inspiration. Let’s get to them right away.

10 Outdoor Fashion Photography Ideas & Inspiration 2024

Identify useful locations

Outdoor fashion photography is an opportunity for you to find the unexplored parts of a city or a town. So, go beyond your usual spots and look out for natural frames.

Countryside, Downtown, Underground, Vintage, and maybe Abandoned parts of the city. Exploring these sites might give some of the most unique frames and backdrops for fashion photography.

Also, make sure you complete the exploration part before the shoot day.

For a successful shoot, it is important that you are aware of your location and know how to use it effectively.

Make sure you visit the location and plan out different shots and ideas for your outdoor fashion photography project. It would also be great if you take some casual sample shots to communicate your ideas with the model better.

Experiment with time, weather, & lighting

The beauty of the environment is such that you never see the same sunset ever again. This for sure can be challenging but a learning experience for a photographer.

It is highly advised to experiment and learn about how to use a different environment to your advantage.

For outdoor fashion photography, sunlight and shadows will be the biggest challenge along with the weather.

But if used to your advantage, you might end up capturing iconic. Golden hours will give you warm, flattering light that enhances the subject’s features. In harsh midday light, photographers can experiment with shadows and highlights.

Keep your skills sharp by regularly testing various times and weather for shoots. If you find a good shot, it will always inspire and guide you to use time and weather to your benefit.

Look out for composition

Outdoor fashion photography is often complemented by the backdrop or environment of the shoot. However, the composition of the image is one element that is not talked about much.

For outdoor photography, if using a simple background—testing different photography compositions can drastically improve the end results.

Rule of Third and Symmetry are go-to styles for many beginners.

But taking a step ahead and trying styles like Frame within a Frame, Golden Triangle, Golden Ratio, Filling The Frame, etc can help put forward a new style of fashion photography.

Pre-plan models look

If you are working with a client, understand their requirement and use case of outdoor fashion photography for them.

Once that part is done, finalize the location.

Now comes the important part. When working with a model, pre-plan the look from clothing to make-up. It must cater to the goal of your client and stand in the location that has been finalized.

Maybe you are going for a monochromatic style or something stands out—the appearance of the model aligns with your vision. 

To communicate better, collect ideas from Pinterest and Instagram to share with the model, stylist, and makeup artist to curate the perfect shot.

Also, take their input as well. It might help in improving the output and carrying out successful outdoor fashion photography for your client.

Integrate your environment

Outdoor fashion photography allows you to add a unique element to your backdrop.

Not just a wall or a scene—but elements like depth, people, banners, architecture, animals, situations, and more.

These are part of our daily lives, some noticed and some unexplored. Using them in fashion photography gives a taste of familiarity that an audience can connect with.

But this doesn’t mean you always aim to make a scene familiar. Using an environment and creating a contrast is another way to make a scene stand out.

Choose your style of presentation and experiment with it. This will surely improve your skills and help you improve as a professional fashion photographer.

Go for cultural fusion

We talked about integrating elements of your environment and culture is a big part of it.

From the culture of an individual to the culture of localities and nations, outdoor fashion photography allows you to explore everything.

This culture can be heritage, or it can be a community. You can also find culture in a cause as well as in the memories of the past.

Using this part of the outdoors allows a photographer to connect fashion with people. Moreover, it brings culture to your photographs which can add a story or a cause that one often aims for.

Try new perspective

One of the best questions that you can ask yourself as a fashion photographer is, “How can I present this in a new way?”.

Answers to such questions always allow you to find a new perspective that always catches your attention.

This can be a perspective shared from the point of view of a bird, a kid, a hand, a statue, etc. The goal will always be to present and highlight fashion products.

But if you can add a new perspective to its story, it will help carry out an outdoor fashion photography shoot like never before.

Compliment through editing tones

When we are talking about outdoor fashion photography ideas, let’s not forget the importance of fashion photo editing.

When you are carrying out a shoot, it is advised to keep the tone of your end result in mind. Today, with high-end software and professional retouchers—you can create an image in multiple tones.

Some of the different styles of tone that you can explore before getting started with outdoor fashion photography are Black and White, Sepia, High Contrast, Pastel Tones, Vintage Film, Duo-Tone, Matte Finish, and HDR.

Learning about these tones will help you further understand the possible outcome. Additionally, choose a scene where you can use these editing tones to your advantage.

Try day-to-day props

We have talked about doing something different and finding something new to complement your outdoor fashion photography.

That being said, using a simple backdrop, a day-to-day prop can also help you feature some amazing fashion products.

And this is not limited to a location or things in the frame. Showcasing a usual activity can speak words through your image. All you need to do as a photographer is choose what you want to feature.

More importantly, choosing what will share your message in the best possible manner.

Align with your goals

When you are curating a scene for outdoor fashion photography, you are often doing it for a purpose. This could be for showcasing the product in a new light or in action.

When that’s the case, you can always align your goals with the scene you are curating. For example, a streetwear shoot in a skating arena can surely bring together a community.

Similarly, showcasing dresses at weddings can connect with the targeted viewer. Understanding the goal of the shoot and integrating it into the photos is one of the easiest ways to build connections.

And this is exactly what fashion brands generally look for. That is, building connections with their audience.

Conclusion

Getting started with any new style of photography is an opportunity for photographers to break the norm and create something unexplored.

Outdoor fashion photography challenges you to take a product and highlight it as an environment beyond the studio. Above we have shared 10 ideas on how you can explore and experiment with fashion photography outside your studio.

If you are looking for a fashion photo retouching partner, PixelPhant is a leading fashion photo editing service working with photographers, studios, and ecommerce to fulfill their retouching requirements.