Shooting stunning fashion photography at home does not have to be difficult! With the right tools and tricks up your sleeve, even your home can look like a professional studio for your fashion photography needs. Here at Paperboat, we’re all about paying it forward and sharing our knowledge. These five effortless tips are our cheat sheet for stunning fashion photography for everybody!
1. Nail the Basics of Beauty
Like any fashion shoot, you need to keep the essentials on hand. Put together a makeup kit with the basics like foundation, primer, eye makeup, and powder for a photo finish that will look great in both artificial and natural lighting at home. It’s important to give your model a polished look, and to always remember that lighting plays a big part in changing how makeup looks behind a lens.
2. Create a Stunning Backdrop
You don’t have to rent an expensive studio just to get a stunning ambiance for your fashion photoshoot. Explore your home for creative vignettes and interesting backgrounds like scenic windows or serene gardens that can work with the theme you have in mind. Plan it out and spruce it up with a few simple props, but you can let the space speak for itself. Allow the natural beauty of your home to lend itself to your vision!
3. Props Are Your Best Friend
Even the simplest of backdrops can look haute couture with a singular prop to add flair. Buy a fresh bouquet of flowers, go through old mementos, or scour online markets for cool vintage pieces that can give your home fashion shoot plenty of character. Play around with the best prop to suit the outfit you or your model is wearing to truly let your showpieces shine!
4. Light Up Your Life
Think about the style of the clothes that you want to showcase. Will they look best in an industrial outdoor space as you near sunset? Or maybe they would look dramatic under the warm lights of an antique chandelier? Work with the lighting that you already have at home by using different lamps, windows, and outdoor spaces to your shoot’s advantage.
5. Perfect it in Post
As they say, shooting the perfect photo is only half of the equation. Invest in a photo editing software that can let you tweak your shot’s properties and fix any discoloration and lighting. Fashion photography retouching is a must, as different factors such as lighting and a backdrop can alter the look of clothes—which is a no-no as fashion photography often needs to showcase pieces as true to color as possible. Download a photo editing software and watch some videos on how to digitally retouch your shots before their final cut on social media or print.
Pro-Tip: If you are not confident in your retouching skills or simply want to spend less time in postprocessing, consider hiring a fashion photography retouching service to do the work for you! There’s no harm in sending your shots over to a professional retouching company, so you can save time and focus on the other aspects of your shoot, such as the captions and concept!
We hope that these five simple tips to fashion photography at home will help you in your journey! As the pandemic stretches on, now is a great time to try your hand at shooting some stylish shots that can give any fashion house a run for their money!
