A City Center Fashion Session with Style, Confidence, and Attitude.
One of the things I have always loved about fashion photography is that it gives us room to play. An outfit can completely change the mood of a photograph, and sometimes a small change in clothing, pose or expression can take an image in an entirely different direction. My recent fashion shoot with Tara at City Center was a perfect example.
We started with a fitted black vest and pants, a simple look that photographed beautifully. Add the sunglasses, jewelry and Tara’s tattoos, and suddenly we had something with a lot more personality. It was clean, confident and stylish with just enough attitude. Tara made the look her own, which is always what I want from a fashion session.
The cool part is that Tara is not a professional model. Like most people who step in front of my camera, she just needed a little direction to get started. I gave her a few tips and tricks about posing, body position, what to do with her hands and how small changes can make a big difference in front of the camera. She caught on quickly. Before long, she was off to the races and I tried my best to keep up.
From there, we changed things up with a white shirt, black pants and a loose black tie. I loved the contrast. It borrowed a little from traditional menswear, but Tara’s posing and personality took it somewhere completely different. Sometimes she was strong and serious. Other times we played more with movement, her hair and expression. That variety gave us several different looks without needing a major wardrobe change.
City Center is one of those locations that works especially well for fashion photography because there is so much variety within a fairly small area. Brick, glass, walkways, open spaces and modern architecture can all become part of the photograph. Instead of competing with Tara, the surroundings helped give the images an urban, editorial feel.
That is a big part of why I still enjoy fashion photography so much. It is not just about documenting what someone is wearing. It is about the person wearing it. Clothing gives us a starting point, but personality, confidence, movement and attitude are what turn an outfit into a photograph.
Ready for Your Own Session?
If you have been thinking about doing a photo session, this is a great time to make it happen. Fashion, beauty, fitness and branding sessions can all be built around you, your style and what you want to create. You don’t need modeling experience. I will help with posing, expression and movement along the way, just like I did with Tara.
It is also a great time for sunrise beach sessions. Tourist season is beginning to wrap up, which means the beaches will be less crowded and the temperatures will become slightly cooler as we head toward fall. We still get that beautiful early morning light and the sunrise over the water, but with a little more breathing room on the beach. Fashion, beauty, fitness and traditional portrait sessions can all work beautifully there.
So whether your idea involves city streets, an urban background or meeting me at the beach as the sun comes up, let’s create something that looks and feels like you. Fall is right around the corner, so now is a great time to get your session on the calendar.
Photography by Mark K 