Shooting Fashion Shows | yohana

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You want to know my truth about shooting fashion shows? I don’t shoot them! Seriously. But I have shot them in the past, especially when I was first starting out in my career. The thing is, if you’re a fashion photographer, it’s going to come up. You’re going to get offered the gig at some point. Or a designer friend is going to need a favor and you won’t want to turn them down. Or maybe you really want to head in that direction with your career. For me, I’ve gotten to the place now where I will kindly refuse the gig because I just don’t enjoy shooting them.
I find them tedious and I hate standing around with a bunch of other photographers trying to get the “best shot” which ends up looking pretty much like the shots of the photographers standing to the left and right of me. I can’t help but feel that “paparazzi” thing either. The lighting is out of my control (and you know by now how much of a “light freak” I am.) The music is so loud sometimes, I can’t think. There’s no elbow room for error and it doesn’t pay that well. What’s the glory in all of it then? I don’t know. I would rather be sitting in the front row with a good view of the latest designs that will be strutting down the runway. I LOVE fashion design. Remember, I was originally going to become a fashion designer before I fell in love with photography. So for me, watching the show is way more fun than shooting it. BUT……..That’s just me! If you are planning on shooting a fashion show in the near future, here’s a few tips and links to some very useful posts and sites about the subject.
  • Cover your ass! Bring an extra camera body for two reasons: A. So you can mount two different lens to get two different shots of the same outfit. B. Murphy’s Law: if your primary camera for whatever reason on Earth decides not to work at the exact minute the show starts, you can switch to your back up with very minimal stressing out.
  • Depending on where you’re going to be standing, you’ll want to use a zoom lens with a range from between 24mm to 105mm. This is going to be a rare moment when I am actually going to advise using zoom lenses. They’re just more accommodating for this kind of shoot. Usually they place photographers at the end of the runway. You’ll want to get a full length shot of the model, a 3/4 shot, possibly a turning shot or back shot and hopefully a nice face shot, especially if the model’s wearing some great jewelry pieces or accessories.
  • Bring a mono-pod. Save your arm. You can also use it as a weapon if one of those other aforementioned photographers gets out of hand. Seriously, I’ve seen it happen. I am only joking, but I’ve seen photographers go at it with their mono-pods. Uh….in my opinion, a fashion show is not really that important to get into a blood bath over.
  • Make sure you have one of those on-camera flashes. With back up batteries. You can never count on their lighting set up.
  • Bring plenty of memory cards. They fill up fast!

A little slice of Heaven called CHURCH | yohana

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Living in Los Angeles is indeed a trip. As the famous gossip columnist Rona Barrett once said; “Pick your enemies carefully or you’ll never make it in Los Angeles.” People tend to live in a dream world here where who you are is identified by the car you drive or the celebrity’s personal cell number in your iPhone. Young hopefuls flock here by the thousands hoping to make their dreams come true and the city supports that mission by placing more importance on material and superficial gains over spiritual enlightenment. LA denizens actually believe if they jog for two hours in the morning they are morally fit. As Craig Kilbourn joked, “People here in Los Angeles are disgusted now about a sex scandal involving Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently for seven years, he carried on a sexual relationship with his own wife.” Yep, that’s my hometown, love it or not.
fashionsandmode.blogspot.com

Visual Examples to Explain the Difference | yohana

Advertising vs Editorial

So as you might suspect, I get a fair share of emails from my blog readers. I think one of the most frequently asked question is: what is the difference between editorial fashion and advertising/commercial fashion. Quite simply, as most of you know, editorial is what would be shown in a magazine. Advertising is selling a product or brand. Advertising tends to look cleaner, using simple lighting to really show off the clothing or make up. Editorial sells more of the mood and the situation the clothing would be worn in. There are less “rules” per se in editorial fashion photography because it’s a bit looser. “But what about advertising campaigns like Gucci or Prada?” one might ask. And, well, you are right! What about them??  The lighting is definitely not simple, nor the sets or the looks. They’re pretty “grand” ad campaigns. But look at J Crew. Simple lighting, clean backgrounds, and you really see the clothes. Gucci and Prada are labels known for their sexy, edgy and rather expensive clothing. J Crew sells to everyone. But Gucci sells to those who are privileged enough (or rich enough) to afford their clothes. So their campaigns depict that “other worldly” sensibility.
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And does this apply to beauty campaigns. Yes, absolutely. MAC has a whole different branding tactic than say Maybelline or Noxema. Or Ponds. They both run ads and they’re both considered advertising beauty but the looks differ greatly. MAC shows red eye make up with a purple tinted lip liner and blue-red lipstick on a punk girl with an edgy light. Ponds? No way. Clean skin, pure light, fresh, young, vibrant. Those are words to describe their ads.
fashionsandmode.blogspot.com

Honest Critiques | yohana

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Writer’s Block! It’s not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s just that sometimes I don’t know exactly how to say it. I wish I had it in me to break off some fabulous technical tips and insight on how to light for black clothing (use side light) or an insider secret on a great beauty shot (use a model with great skin to begin with) but I think I want to write about something else. I know that I haven’t been writing a lot lately.  The truth is: I AM BUSY!!! I’ve had a smashing great start for the new year! I’m meeting today with a client for a huge gig that will be a monthly contractual job for 12 months. Love those kinds of jobs!! Getting ready for Dubai in March and I’m so excited!! Just booked my plane ticket yesterday and have already done a couple of interviews for some of Dubai’s newspapers and magazines.  Shooting for my book! Shooting for CHURCH, which has now become a regular client needing me to supply monthly images for their upcoming website. Prepping a shoot for MIRRIN Magazine, based out of the UK that I will shooting next Tuesday. So, yeah……pretty busy!
fashionsandmode.blogspot.com

a lively tale | yohana



Born August 25 1987 into one of those Californian showbiz families, Blake began what will surely become an illustrious career at the ripe old age of 13, before making her big break as ‘Bridget’ in the feel-good friendship flick of 2005, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (a film that tragically, but undeniably epitomised my early teenage years).

However, it is her starring role in the TV series Gossip Girl as Serena van der Woodsen that has really catapulted her to stardom. It is hard, in all fairness, not to covet the lifestyle of this spawn-of-the-upper-east-side-elite as they go about their dramatic, privileged and often sordid, days. And while Blake herself appears about as far from the sordid and elitist that one can be, she radiates such poise and grace (sorry, had to throw in a cliché), coupled with a wardrobe to die for, that it some how separates her from the pack. And let’s face it: leaves the rest of us with a touch of the, “dammit, I wish I was her”.
fashionsandmode.blogspot.com

rihanna found love | yohana


Seems like Rihanna has found love with her Number One Sunglasses by Karen Walker.

The glam girl shows us all how to pull-off bright mid-drift sweaters (get chopping girls!) with even brighter pants.
'Sunnies at night' ??....Bono may have started it - but Rihanna has definitely made it cool again.
fashionsandmode.blogspot.com