Get the look

Six ways to ensure your shots convey a passion for fashion

01 Prepare the scene

Good lighting is vital. A home studio flash kit is ideal. You’ll need a space large enough to set up lights, and a backdrop. (We used a roll of blue paper.) Plan the lighting setup using a stand-in before the model arrives.

02 Mind the details

The clothes need to look perfect. Steam or iron them, and if they’re not a perfect fit, pin them into place. A stylist or any fashion-conscious friend with an eye for detail is invaluable. Robyn here was on hand during the shoot to adjust clothes and fix stray hairs and other details.

03 Light it right

Behind the model we positioned two flash heads, angled back and fitted with softboxes. Another flash was placed in front, above and to the left, fitted with a circular reflector. The softboxes created edge lighting on the model. The frontal flash lit the face and outfit with hard-edged light.

04 Shoot off-key poses

Look for unconventional angles and poses that will show off the garments really well. With this unusual sculptural outfit we worked out an irregular pose, with directional lighting to show the folds and contours of the clothes, and a rim light behind and to the right to light the edge of the model’s face.

05 Experiment with gobos

Gobo is shorthand for go-between – anything you place between the light source and the subject that shapes the light and creates interesting patterns. After a change of outfit we set up a single light and placed a blind in front to create horizontal shadows, giving the portrait a totally different atmosphere.

06 Tidy up

After the shoot it’s important to retouch the shots to make them look their best. Use Photoshop’s Spot Healing Brush to remove creases and tidy up marks. Spend time polishing the images – but don’t change the colours of the fabrics!