Following seeing our Instagram feeds fill with chic fashion week images, we asked New York photographer Anna Mace, who shot the below images on her iPhone X at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, to reveal her seven top tips for getting the perfect fashion week shot.
The best part? It’s all doable on your phone.
1. Do your research
Know who you’re shooting for and what types of images they like. Have a look at their aesthetic through their articles or socials and make sure you keep this in mind on location.
2. Vary your shots
I try not to get into a bad habit of clicking the shutter every second without purpose. Use your shutter with control and change the angle, perspective, or direct your model to switch up the pose. This ensures that at the end of the day you’ll have plenty of unique shots to choose from.
3. Communicate with your model or subjects
If you want to try something – just ask! People love a little direction when they’re in front of the camera. My go-to when shooting multiple people is to say “Look at each other. ‘Omg having such a great time!’” It may feel silly, but it always gets a genuine laugh and the shot always nails.
For more high-fashion shoots, explain the direction you’re taking by explaining or using reference photos. If something isn’t working, be sure to always remain positive in your directions to the model. Since I’m a booker at WINK models, I’m fortunate enough to shoot with amazingly professional talent often, but no matter who you’re shooting, it’s important to be direct and give positive reinforcement. When your subjects are confident you end up with the best shots!
4. Positivity is key
At fashion week everyone is on a mission and everyone’s mission is the most important thing to them. High-stress can lead to rude comments or pushy behaviour. Take it all with a grain of salt and offer kindness whenever you can. All of the seats were taken in the media room today, so I was working on my laptop on a camera equipment case- not the best for the ‘ol neck! Someone came over an offered me a seat next to them since her colleagues weren’t going to be back until later. Legend! The industry has a reputation of being exclusive and snobbish but it’s not always Devil Wears Prada up in here.
5. Manage your time
I always leave myself an extra 15-20 minutes per shoot just in case I’m inspired by something off the cuff and want to experiment with capturing it. If you’ve got something working great it’s always a shame to have to run off to the next show or meeting without getting exactly what you want.
6. Don’t be ashamed to learn
Sometimes photographers can get into a rhythm of sussing each other out (who’s lens is bigger, eh?) but instead of puffing out your chest, ask a fellow photographer a question. You may be surprised how much you can learn when you open yourself up to hearing other people’s advice and experience.
7. Portrait Mode on iPhone
Portrait mode mimics depth of field- so use this to your advantage and place a few different subjects at varying distance away from your phone. Select one subject and shoot, then click the second subject and shoot- this will give you two different and interesting options for the same shot in a similar way your regular camera will.
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