Fashion photography: finding your style and selling your creative vision

In the competitive fashion and beauty industry, photographers are frequently booked for their distinctive aesthetic. But how do pros refine their brands in order to attract their dream clients?

Czech art director and photographer Eliška Sky and Norwegian storyteller and portrait photographer Julie Pike have different styles yet both found their voices in a crowded market. Here, the Canon Ambassadors offer advice on developing an authentic style – and how to translate that vision into paid work.

Eliška's influences include the Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen, Swiss artist Olaf Breuning and liberal use of colour. "When I started out in photography, I did random projects, tried out different lights and shot in black and white, but over the years I've realised I really enjoy vivid colours," she says.

Light is also integral to her aesthetic, as is capturing alternative viewpoints. "In most cases, I use studio flash or continuous lighting," Eliška says. "I enjoy working with different light modifiers to enhance the mood of the photograph. I also place various objects in the scene, or between the camera and model, such as mirrors, crystals, colour gels and reflective or transparent materials.

"Before each shoot, I think about capturing different angles of view – from above, below and at eye level. I also try to be creative in terms of the focal length I use, switching between wide and telephoto," she adds.

Selling your photographic vision to clients means being prepared from the start, says Julie, whose clients include Elle, Nylon and VICE. "I never go to a meeting empty-handed," she says. "I always do my research to find out who the client is. If it's a jewellery designer, I research how many years they have been working with jewellery and what kinds of campaigns they have done. Then I will create a pitch and make a mood board, imagining they've already given me the job. I do that every time I meet with a new magazine or client. I always bring a specific plan for a campaign or editorial. I show all of my ideas and we usually end up doing it exactly that way."

Eliška opts for a very thorough mood board so that the entire team she is working with can collaborate creatively. "I try to be detailed because I want them to understand where I am coming from and the inspiration for the mood but also for the makeup, hair, styling and set design," she says. "If it's a larger-scale project, you may have 25 people on set. I try to choose great people whose visions I can trust. I definitely put forward an inspiration or an idea, but I also welcome others' input and creativity."

Alongside a mood board and being thoroughly prepared, Julie's secret to building a strong editorial fashion story lies in 'being present', which might involve getting into the correct mindset before she even sets foot in the studio. "I will always, whether it's a fashion editorial, album cover or portrait story, try to find inspiration ahead of time, perhaps by putting on the right music and images on a slideshow on my computer the night before," Julie says. "That way, I am in the right mood before the shoot. I'm not planning compositions; it's more akin to 'mood' planning.

"In the beginning, when I was more insecure, I would draw every single frame in the fashion editorial," she adds. "But now I just try to be in the right mood and be open to what might happen on the day."

Eliška, who teaches at the London Institute of Photography, sometimes combines photography and art direction, and has found that experimenting and pushing boundaries keeps her feeling excited about new avenues.

"I recently took on an art directing job for an exhibition at Prague Fashion Week," Eliška says. "I had to create plans for how the installation was going to work – ideas for the whole space. That was something quite new and really exciting."

She also believes in being proactive. "I reach out to publications and brands I want to work with, or other artists I would like to collaborate with," she says. "I also look at what is current in the world of art and fashion, which helps me to feel inspired and part of what's going on.

"You just need that first person to trust you, which makes it much easier next time because new clients see your previous work and give you more freedom," she adds. "I'm quite lucky, as the majority of my clients pick me because of my work. They're looking specifically for my style."

"I work fast, so I need a camera that works fast too," says Julie, who uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Both fashion photographers also favour one lens: the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. "I used to have three lenses – a 50mm, an 85mm and a wide-angle optic – but I found I was switching them all the time," Julie explains.

Eliška likes the lens for its versatility. "The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is perfect for capturing fashion because of its range," she says. "I love having the wide-angle and telephoto capabilities, and being able to capture people with that wide-angle distortion."

Julie now teaches at the Bilder Nordic School of Photography, one of the leading institutes of its kind in Scandinavia. She started out shooting analogue, so is familiar with creating effects in front of the camera. "I always try to do everything through the camera," she says. "If I want a soft feel, I'll put a translucent material in front of the lens. I wouldn't add a filter afterwards in post."

She also does minimal editing in order for her images to remain true to life. It's usually a case of adding a little bit of grain and slightly adjusting the colours and contrast," she explains. "I want bruises and freckles to show. I want the real stuff to be visible." Julie believes intuition is also key: "I use natural light and I don't press the shutter button 10,000 times," she says. "I wait until it feels right."