Outdoor fashion photography shoots have their own charm and excitement. Different professional photographers have different reasons behind their preference for outdoor photography. Some like it as they want to capture that beautiful backdrop in their photography. Some prefer as they love the challenge of shooting at a new place. Whereas many photographers prefer outdoor shooting as its turn out be less expensive as compared to shooting in a studio.

Outdoor photography is quite tricky. If you want your shoot to give excellent results, you need to think beyond your expensive camera and a good-looking model. Detailed, systematic, and advance planning for the shoot is very important. You can always start with taking all the necessary permissions for conducting shoot at the desired location. Another thing is to plan the shoot as per the requirement of the natural lighting. Mastering the art of managing natural light to your benefit and having complete knowledge of camera technicalities is very crucial.

Let us discuss some tips which may help you in getting professional results on your upcoming outdoor fashion shoot.

Know the location well

The very first question that pops up in your mind while planning an outdoor shoot is “Where to conduct the shoot?”. Selecting the location in advance is very important. It gives you enough time to plan your shooting schedule accordingly. Visit your location, at least once before the D-day. Select the areas where you want to click the pictures. If possible, click some pictures. This would help you in checking whether you get the desired results or not. In case there is any issue you would have time to resolve it. Having a prior idea of the place as well as the locations where you want to click pictures, would save lots of your time, and you can make your day more productive.

Expressions of the model are very important

A good photographer speaks through his/her pictures. Even the still pictures express the photographer emotions and intentions through their expressions. Hence it very important to make your model comfortable and make him understand the concept and idea behind the shoot. Communication plays a very important role. Talk to your model, make them feel relaxed. In case your model is a beginner then give compliments when he/she gives a good pose. You should try to direct your model towards the desired expression or pose by communicating with them in a friendly manner.

Choose the right time of the day

In outdoor photography, clicking photos at the right time of the day is very crucial. You do not have any control over the natural light. You have to use the available light as per your requirements. Time for shooting would totally depend on the weather conditions. It is advisable to avoid the time when the sun is at its peak as your model face would lose its natural color because of the deep shadows. If you are going for outdoor photography, the best time for shooting pictures would either be a few hours after sunrise or a couple of hours before sunset.

Try ambient light, as well as, flash

To add an extra edge to your photographs, try mixing flash and ambient light. To avoid shadows on your model’s face, you may use flash as the main light source. You may even use a light modifier to have directional light. How you mix these two lights for your advantage would show your experience, expertise, and knowledge about photography.

Use the correct lens

Carrying the needed camera accessories while going for an outdoor photo shoot is very important. This includes carrying the right camera lens. Having a basic awareness about when to use which lens is used for which kind of photography would be very helpful. A telephoto lens will help you focus on the main subject while getting rid of unwanted background at the same time. Wide-angled lenses are used when you want to capture everything.

Get the best possible exposure in camera

Never leave exposure for post-processing phase. If you leave exposure adjustments for the post-processing phase, you might end up losing finer details. This actually depends on the camera which you have used to shoot photographs. A photo clicked while keeping the right exposure in mind would be much better than one in which the exposure is adjusted at the post-processing stage. Making adjustments in under, as well as, an overexposed photograph would either result in adding noise or losing details in your photographs.

Focus on the eye

Eyes of the model represents the soul of the photo. Eyes show the emotions which the photographer wants to show the viewers in his photography. Hence, focussing on the eye is very important. The ability of a fashion photographer to capture the right emotions in the eye of the model shows his talent and experience. If you can add the catch light in the model’s eyes that would take your photographs to another level.

Always shoot in RAW

RAW is always preferable over JPEG format. Pictures shot in JEPG format gets compressed. You may even lose all the data and details. Another disadvantage of shooting in JEPG format is that you are left with fewer editing capabilities. Whereas images shot in RAW format does not get compressed, and all the details are retained.

Conclusion:

To get the best shots of your model, it’s important to plan your outdoor shoot in advance. Planning shoot in advance will save time, energy, and effort. Try to get the best emotions and expressions on your model’s face and capture with your camera by selecting the right location, right time of the day, and mixing natural light with ambient light.