Fashion appearances

Abstract

Almost everywhere you look you see fashion. To some people it's an obsession to keep abreast of the development in the fashion world and know the latest trends. Although it may seem that such an obsession came into being with the onset offashion photography, it actually was there from the birth of dress itself. Long before photography was invented, the language of dress and dress accessory had grown into a sign system, transcending the idea that clothes were made for our protection or as a token of modesty. Fashion is now an expression of our taste and a form of communication. The wardrobe one wears can tell others about one's age, status, taste and profession. It even reveals to some extent how one feels about oneself(Harrison 1991: 7; Khornak 1989: 8). Fashion photography presents an idealized world. Some photographers; like Helmut Newton; live out their fantasies in the photographs they take. Fashion can also be seen as a barometer that gives one an idea of the social and political changes in the world (Khornak 1989: 9 & 10; Turner 1987 : 181). Today's leading fashion photographers do not have an obsession with costume at all, they are more concerned with the feel of the photograph. As Richard Avedon said "Fashion photography must be about something. ", and as Susan Sontag once said "The greatest fashion photography is more than the photography o/fashion." (Harrison 1991: 7 & 14). Martin Harrison suggested that fashion photography has a great tendency to be like performance art. The performance is directed by the photographer and created out of three main things. These are the model (actor), the garment and gesture that are then frozen in time by the camera. It is this gesture that can makes the photograph a successful one (Harrison 1991: 21). In this script an attempt is made to give an impression of where fashion photography came from, where its going and how one is likely to get there. It will consist of a chapter on the history offashion photography so that one can see where fashion photography comes from. Then the divisions in fashion photography will be highlighted. A study of some of the equipment used in fashion photography will also be looked at. An outline of the role models play in fashion photography will then be dealt with, as well as a look at the actual shoot. Finally a look at twelve items of personal work will be discussed. Although location work is more exciting, studio work is deemed to be just as important, due to this a combination of both studio and location work will be found in the script. Fashion photography is not only about clothes, it goes deeper and shows a kind of lifestyle and attitude in the clothes that is not always directly apparent. When shooting fashion photographs one can let the imagination run wild, a million stories can be told relating to one outfit. What this script hopes to achieve is to give a brief insight into the world offashion photography.