Clarefying Fashion: Clare Din Delves Into The World of Fashion Photography with Tony Ward

I created my production company, Gorgeous Girl (GG) Productions, in 2001 to represent all aspects of music production, sound design, and audio reproduction. Over the years, GG Productions has added additional services to its core business model, including photography, web design, and brand management. Our client list includes MTV, KPMG, Khyber Pass Pub, Larsen Design Associates, Catwalk Records, RD Network, American Chemical Society, and the Regional Laser and Biomedical Laboratories (RLBL).

Monday, September 12, 2011
Tony gave us an overview of the fashion industry in Fashion Photography class today. Here are some key points: Conde Nast publishes all of the leading magazines in the fashion industry: Vogue, Vanity Fair, Bazaar, W. Fashion is a big business controlled by corporate giants such as Conde Nast. All of the famous fashion photographers are really corporate photographers because they work for Conde Nast. They get paid lots but receive little control over what they can do with their work. We, as artists, have more artistic control over our work because we are not bound by a corporation, but we still have to adhere to the rules set forth by Penn. As new media artists, we have to keep abreast of all of the latest social networking and blogging tools (Facebook, Linkedin, Wordpress, Coursekit) to keep fashion current and at the cutting edge. Pictures reveal but do not describe. Tony expects us to produce two layers for each image we submit: the fashion image itself and the description in words. The subjects can author/coauthor/be interviewed to talk about fashion. This adds an interesting element to the images that the photographer may not see. Be mindful of what you capture. Helmut Newton, one of the world's greated fashion photographers, didn't shoot like crazy. Editorial/fashion photography is all about the narrative. Steven Klein creates complex scenarios. Backgrounds should be simple. The context/locatio is really important. The proportion and aesthetic of the model is important. When you show your portfolio, always show your style, your edginess. French and Italian Vogue set the bar and often have much more erotic and risqué content than American Vogue. UK is more conservative. Later in the class, we will learn about branding and how it's all about shifting energy to where you want it to be. Everyone can create a brand. Ask all your subjects to sign a model release. Photos are a legal proposition, a contract, otherwise your pictures are worthless and you can't move them forward. Models come in all shapes and sizes. A model should never let anyone tell her what she is. If you believe you're beautiful, then you are. Tony said this to model Justina Bakker one day and she went on to become a top European model.

Monday, September 19, 2011
In Fashion Photography class today, the students took turns taking pictures of Expressions model Jennifer Cole. The object of the lesson was to learn how our professor studies his surroundings and shapes it and the model to create his brand so we could start developing our brand.

Monday, September 26, 2011
Atelier Shawn Baron Pinckney was the guest lecturer in my Fashion Photography class tonight. Fashion model Charisse of Expressions Model and Talent Agency modelled part of Shawn's fall collection. Students were given an opportunity to photograph the clothing as a still life, the model wearing the clothing, and the model with her entourage in a paparazzi style.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011
GG Productions photographs model Clare Din in Philadelphia.

Monday, October 4, 2011
Guest lecturer Kevin Stewart gave us a lecture on his twenty-year history as a fashion and style director for Men's Fitness, ESPN The Magazine, Details, Vibe, Gear, Savoy, and Essence. This man is basically fashion royalty, a fashion maven.

Monday, October 17, 2011
In Fashion Photography class, Collette Snyder, a photographer and assistant to Tony Ward, demonstrated retouching techniques commonly used for fashion and beauty images. Tony showed us one of his portfolios that he used to promote his work. The second half of the class was devoted to one-on-one guidance to help us edit our images down to the final six to turn in for the first assignment. Collette and Tony were very helpful. I felt I bonded with my teaching assistant, Tara, as we showed each other our photographic works. Her works explore genderqueer topics using color, form, and artifice.

Monday, October 24, 2011
We exhibited our final prints for our first assignment today in Fashion Photography class.

Sunday, October 30, 2011
GG Productions photographs model Kristyn King for Passional Boutique in Philadelphia.

Monday, October 31, 2011
In Fashion Photography class, celebrity hair and makeup artist Paul Mojica gave us some insights on thr fashion industry while working his beauty magic on Expressions model Alison Mastrangelo. Alison looks a lot like my friend Lena, a transwoman who could easily be a model. Paul was coined one of Philadelphia's hippest kids by Philadelphia Magazine in 1999 and knows all of the clubkids I knew in New York and Philly, such as Kenny Kenny, Phoenixx, and Mortimer. He was surprised that none of my classmates were going out for Halloween. I mentioned I was going to the Henri David Ball, which he instantly knew. "I won Most Beautiful back in 1995," I said. "Well, you are beautiful!" he said. I thanked him. We took turns photographing Paul and Alison in the studio. Here is a rather poignant little moment I captured.

Monday, November 7, 2011
We exhibited selected images for our second assignment today in Fashion Photography class.

Sunday, November 13, 2011
GG Productions photographs models Clare Din, Wiggy, and Rika Stiles in Philadelphia.

Previous Blogs

September 10 to December 14, 2009 - Body, Gender, Me - work related to my Body and Photography class as well as my exhibit at the William Way Community Center.

January 6 to May 3, 2010 - Lighting and Portraiture - work related to my Lighting for Editorial Photography and Portraiture classes.