Examples of Concept to Creation from Working Fashion Photographers
Hey FashionPhotographyBlog.com readers.
Thanks for joining us on our “Concept to Creation” series where we walk you through the process of taking an idea into an image. If you were with us last time, we discussed how to turn your inspiration into a concept. Today, we’re going to dive a little further. I’ll help you out with some examples of how working fashion editorial photographers pull their inspiration and translating them into concepts.
Miles Aldridge for Vogue Italia:
Sure, there is a concept in the styling: spring time flowy dresses. There’s continuity between the images because of the bold use of color. But anyone that knows Miles Aldridge’s work knows that’s his style. What ties all these images together? Cats! Without the cats, none of the images would appear to be from the same editorial.
Mert & Marcus for W Magazine:
All the images are shot in the same room. A room that has been flooded. Bingo! There’s your concept.
Knowing that these guys often pull inspiration from artwork, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were inspired by Pre-Raphaeliate “Ophelia” paintings. I especially wouldn’t be surprised if a big piece of their inspiration came from photographer Gregory Crewdson’s interpretation of these Ophelia images.
Ophelia by John Everett Millais
Ophelia by Gregory Crewdson
Granted, these examples are more on the extreme end of the spectrum. However, I think it drives the idea across. These images aren’t united because of what the model is wearing. They’re not united because of a dominant color (although, it helps). They’re united because of an idea which brings them together. It takes them out of the real world and brings them into a fantasy land.
This is extremely hard to do on a limited budget. That’s okay! No one is expecting someone with no budget to pull off a shoot like the ones pictured above. Just because you don’t have funds doesn’t mean you cant create a concept on a low/no budget that ties everything together.
Melissa Rodwell for Kurv Magazine:
Not something that would require an extravagant budget like the images pictured above. However, they’re all united in their lighting, clothing, hair, makeup, location and way in which they’re shot. Melissa brings you into this whimsical, etherial world with a simple concept. White.
I know, I know, I’ve said it shouldn’t just be a color that holds your images together. But In these images, it works! Melissa brings you beyond the color white and creates a fantasy world out of it.
Concept – crucial to binding your images together. You’ll find that any high end magazine only published editorials that has a concept holding the story together.
Hope you all enjoyed the examples of working fashion photographers and their thought processes behind turning inspiration into concepts. Stay tuned because next time, we’ll be discussing the difference between editorial and campaign shoots and how these relate to your shoot concepts.
Until then –
IMAGE SOURCE:
Feature image: Mert & Marcus for W Magazine
Images 1-3: Miles Aldridge for Vogue Italia
Images 4 & 5: Mert & Marcus for W Magazine
Image 6: John Everett Millais
Image 7: Gregory Crewdson
Images 8-10: Melissa Rodwell for Kurv Magazine
Related Posts:
- Concept To Creation: Turn Inspiration Into Concept You have an idea, great. How do you turn that idea into a set of images? Can it be turned into a picture narrative/story? Now that you have your base idea, it’s time to do some research!
Concept To Creation: Editorial Versus Campaign Concept – crucial to binding your images together. You’ll find that any high end magazine only published editorials that has a concept holding the story together so today we are going discuss the difference between editorial and campaign images and how these can affect the concept for your shoots.
Concept To Creation: Finding Inspiration We’re going to look at something a bit more conceptual. I can give advice and guide you, but ultimately it’s your job to really dig in and put it all together.
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