8/ Pinpointing Style

Tues 27 April

SET TASK:

• Read sheet
• Identify 3 contemporary fashion photos, one Australian based
• Analyse each style; 'what makes a specific photographic style in fashion photography?'
• 3-4 images of each photographer
• dot points of ideas

RESPONSE:

I have been asked to analyze the style of three contemporary photographers. I have chosen to analyse the work of some of my favourite photographers, Nikola Studiovski, Jez Smith and Mike Ruiz. I feel that looking at a set of images from each photographer will give me a better indication of their style rather than dissecting a couple of photographs. For each photographer I have selected images and included them in this document as thumbnails so that I can attempt to identify common denominators in each collection of work to help me define style.

NIK STUDIOS

Nikola Studiovski is an Australian based fashion photographer who has had over 15 years experience in photography, makeup artistry, styling and digital editing.

• Highly glamorous photographs selling a style and a feeling
• Glamourises fashion as a desirable lifestyle. The models in most photograph look strong and content with themselves
• Dramatic makeup and styling with use of strong colours such as red
• Strong posing in each and every frame. Sexual, deliberate, emphasizing the contours and qualities of the female body
• Majority consist of soft diffused front lit lighting in the female collection photographs. 1:2 ratio, no harsh shadows
• Heavily photoshopped – no blemishes on skin, skin has been softened. Texture has been minimised
• Majority of the backgrounds are photographed and then retouched in photoshop either adding simple graphics such as a grid, or a gradient
• The use of text in each image reinforces not only the photographer’s name but also the nature of fashion photographs traditionally combined with text as an integral element of the final product
• The female is portrayed in most photographs as strong and content with herself and her sexuality
• Colour is generally vibrant and an important element of design
• I would say that Studiovski has an identifiable signature style in that I could in most instances speculate something was his work without knowing for a fact
• Studiovski mainly works in the studio but he also has some amazing location work
• The majority of photographs do not show the models smiling

JEZ SMITH (Uk)

Jez Smith is a UK based photographer who specializes in fashion, editorial and advertising images.

• Each element of every photograph has been carefully considered – the makeup, styling, lighting, concept
• Many photographs are desaturated
• Lighting is a key element in Smith’s photographs. Many of his shots are side lit and therefore dramatic
• Smith mostly works on location. Each photograph is set apart by a distinctive setting which has been well thought out in terms of the clothing
• Contrast is a key element in smith’s work and is usually high
• Shadows (as a result of the lighting) are also a distinctive element and are used to dramatise the effect of lighting even more
• Nudity is not a common element of Smith's work but sex appeal is a strong theme. The level of sex appeal and nudity can be described as minimal and tasteful

MIKE RUIZ (New York)

Mike Ruiz specializes in high end fashion and is also based in New York. Ruiz is a famous fashion photographer who has worked for major magazines and with a number of celebrities.

• Ruiz’s portfolio consists of various series of work, which are tied together by a particular style and the same lighting. For example, the ‘leaf’ series below, where each shot shows a different garment but each photograph is a centered headshot with a black background and front lit soft lighting
• Each series has a strong element which makes the photographs stand out more than a typical headshot. Garments, makeup, posing and other props are used or exaggerated to create this
• Ruiz predominantly uses soft lighting which is further seemingly contrasted in post production
• Each image has undergone vigorous post production and is a highly polished product
• The majority of Ruiz’s work, both location and studio, incorporate the use of flash as opposed to ambient lighting

What makes a specific photographic style in fashion photography?

Style in fashion photography is a combination of various elements in a photograph which compose the final product. These elements include lighting, makeup, posing, fashion styling, props, composition, balance, texture, depth of field, etc. Style can be defined using these elements to support it. Just as in each photograph some elements are more important than others, in a collection of work by a specific photographer some elements are more dominant than others. It is these elements that set apart one signature style from another. For example Nik Studios work can be described as predominantly studio composites which incorporate a strong use of colours, soft lighting, strong feministic poses and highly retouched products. Alternatively, Smith uses interesting and distinctive locations combined with harsh directional lighting which emphasies not only a certain style but also a moody photograph. Ruiz works predominantly in series which are tied together by a particular element such as highly dramatic makeup and similar posing. These descriptions are based on a selection of each photographer’s work so to accurately measure style one must look at each photographer’s work as a complete whole. However, this does serve as a start to pinpointing a signature style in fashion photography.

These views are subjective and 'style' is not quantitative so it is difficult to define.