Lighting is the most essential variable you can control when you do a fashion photoshoot. While the hair, makeup, and clothing are all important, the lighting creates the mood for the overall look of the end product. Making stunning fashion photos starts with planning the lighting.
When you’re on location, the one thing you cannot easily control is the environment and your access to a power source. It would help if you planned for all the variables to ensure you get the best images for the fashion shoot.
While mastering lighting on the go is crucial for capturing the essence of fashion photography, the process doesn’t end there. After the shoot, many photographers and stylists turn to digital tools like the Facetune app for final touch-ups. Photo editing is essential in photography, from getting rid of stray hairs to adjusting color.
Choose Quality Portable Lighting Kits
The first thing you need are lights that you can easily take on the go. The spot where you want to do your photoshoot, whether indoors or outdoors, may not have access to the plugs that you need for traditional lighting kits. This means that you need a quality portable lighting kit like the best ring light money can buy.
Ring lights are the perfect solution for fashion photography as they cast even light across the subject. The best ones are also portable, rechargeable, and easy to set up and take down so you can get to multiple locations in a day.
Schedule Your Photoshoot for the Right Time of Day
Another way to ensure you get the best lighting for your fashion photography shoot is to choose the right time of day. A night shoot can be great, especially if you want something dark, mysterious, or broody. But if you need softer light, choosing early morning or close to sunrise will ensure you get the best lighting for that shoot.
Part of planning a fashion photoshoot is selecting the mood and then deciding how to use light to create that mood. You’ll still need a great ring light to ensure the model and clothes are well-lit.
Decide on an Indoor or Outdoor Venue
In addition to choosing the time of day, you’ll also need to decide whether the shoot should be indoors or outdoors. If indoors, does it have access to windows and other sources of natural light, or will you be relying solely on the lights that you bring?
If outdoors, how will the time of day affect the kinds of photos you can create? If you choose the right lighting kit, you will be able to take photographs anywhere, especially if you prefer something simple, portable, and rechargeable.
Bring the Right Lighting Accessories
Fashion photoshoots often require lighting accessories like reflectors and light filters to ensure the clothes look their best. Reflectors help you point to all the right places, while filters can help change the color quality of the light. An orange light filter will work if you want something warm, while blue or white light can create a cooler feel to the images.
Additionally, reflectors also help you point the sun and window light to the spots you need it. This ensures that all your images have even lighting on the model and the clothes. Since fashion photography is all about what the model is wearing, it’s especially important to create the right lighting on each fold and angle of the clothes.
Use the Sun to Your Advantage
Another way to create amazing fashion photos on the go is to use the sun to your advantage. While a lot of portrait photographers avoid the midday and harsh afternoon sun, good fashion photographers can use that light to their advantage.
While a ring light will cast even light across the front of a subject, sometimes you want a hair light or other backlight on the model. The sun makes the perfect lighting option for this. You can simply bring the one light you need and leverage the angle of the sun to make the images you want.
Final Thoughts on Fashion Photography Lighting on the Go
There are so many interesting places to complement the attire being photographed. Head to a luxury hotel when you want an upscale look for your fashion photos. When you want something more urban, an alley with a fantastic mural can be an incredible venue as well.
Let your imagination and creativity help you design the perfect fashion photoshoot. Just be sure your planning includes how to use all the light possible to your advantage, and you have something portable and rechargeable, so you don’t need to lug heavy equipment everywhere you go.
