We've been a fans of Lara Jade... probably not as long as we should have been.
While many fans of her work came across her mighty talent through one of her editorials or in recent years commercial campaigns, we actually came across her very early this year, during the peak of Vogue Italia's Photo Vogue Project.
We were immediately struck by the strength of her work, as are many. She has been a part of what we would call the online generation, holding a huge fan base across social sites such as Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. Not that this is what has gotten her to where she is, the girl has been glued to her camera from the age of 15.
Now, after a meteoric rise, amazing editorials, a DVD with american photographer Joey L., shoots shoots and more shoots, travelling the globe teaching workshops, a slot speaking at last years' Canon Pro Solutions Event, a Lavazza campaign all over London Underground Stations, and a move to other creative fashion photography hub NYC, she has released a book.
Fashion Photography 101 arrived on the doorstep last week in a pile of 6 books. It was the first one snatched from the pile, and the one we were most looking forward to (no procrastination on that html & css book... really).
We're confident the office bookcase is full of almost every book worth having about fashion photography, but it didn't take long to be shouting - "Why wasn't this book released 2 years ago?!". Granted that's selfishness and wanting it published at a time when we needed every page.
Fashion Photography 101 gives the immediate impression that this was the main reason Lara had put it together. The feeling pours out of every page in fact, the distinct message "Here's everything I think could have helped me get a step ahead when I first started".
We don't need to tell anyone reading this, Fashion Photography is an incredibly competitive career path, and because of this it breeds two types of photographers. Photographers so worried about the competition, they will give as little away as possible in fear of what is in fact inevitable - other rising photographers. And the second kind: Lara Jade. A photographer not only confident in her skills and photography style and approach, but also someone literally trying to give as much to the reader as possible to help them on their way. The kind that would relish a bit of competition, accompanying it with something endearing like it's always good to feel you need to up your game.
This book will take you through all the specifics that up until now you have needed to buy about 5 books to obtain, and have spent another 5 hours sifting through until you find the bit of information in each book that you need.
It proves an ideal purchase for anyone looking to embark on the journey towards Professional Fashion Photography, and given the amount of young fashion photographers emerging onto the scene at the moment, also gives a relatable voice in comparison to some now outdated books, speaking about things more relevant to when they got started 10-20 years ago.
In Fashion Photography 101 you'll find everything covered.
From the initial stages of inspiration and shoot prep, to casting models and in depth info on each crucial member of a team for a great fashion shoot.
This book comes from a true photography approach, first we need to talking about lighting, how different lighting set ups can make a photograph look different, feel different, and tell a different story. Rather than doing what other books do of starting with each light, this comes later, so as not to put you off by showing you there's so much to learn before you've even begun.
Using her own shoots - which make for very inspiring examples - there is a run through of the different types of light you'll end up working with at some point or another, and how to make the best of each. In addition there are 13 different lighting set ups, which I've only seen in one other book solely on Fashion Shoot Lighting Set ups, and that doesn't even give what you're given here.
The scenarios section gives pages of types of shoots and the different approaches to them (editorials, beauty, group shots, fashion portraiture) and then sets assignments for you to complete.
Then of course, what I'd say is just a snippet from some of the workshops Lara has run are the sections of organising and retouching. I'll leave those for you all to be pleasantly surprised with the help provided in these you won't find in any other book that isn't solely about retouching.
The working photographer and marketing sections go hand in hand, giving a mass of advice on everything from production through to pricing, model releases to branding and marketing strategies.
At a ridonkulously affordable £10.49 on amazon, this seems like it will be one of the smallest monetary investments and one of the largest knowledge investments to be made in the world of fashion photography at the moment.
So, it's another win for Lara Jade, to add on to the list of reasons why we and thousands of others are looking to her as a leading figure of this generations fashion photographers!
- P.T
xx
For more of Lara Jade:
Website:
http://www.larajade.co.uk/
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