Alternative Genres

Every episode has an extra bonus tip that we give only to newsletter subscribers. For the show about fashion Marcus’s tip as if you want to shoot fashion, don’t shoot fashion. And now Marcus has a whole show on this principal.

 

When Marcus was working in fashion lecturing, students would come up with great fashion work. But he would say remember editors commissioning this work see pictures all the time. So if you want to get noticed, do something different. Sam says this reminds him of the interview with Joe Giacomet. He spent ages making football cards as a personal project and it was almost these that made his name.
Marcus thinks that if you shoot fashion then getting out and doing street photography. This is so different to fashion. You have to be much quicker and be in a much less controlled environment. It will really improve your craft. It then means you have some photos to show to the fashion editors as well as your fashion work. This can help to get you noticed. Marcus spent a lot of time taking street photography which he really loved.

Richard Avedon was one of the first photographers to get the models out of thestudio and out into the streets of New York, which at the time was quite radical.
Marcus suggests that portrait photographers should think of trying still life as an alternative genre. Still life photography is all about the lighting, composition and attention to detail. The skills learnt here can then be applied to your portrait photography.
If you are product photographer perhaps try landscape photography. When you are in the studio with a product you can control everything, while you have no control over the environment, which makes it very different.
Marcus and Sam discuss that wedding photography has changed greatly over the last ten years with it becoming much more documentary style. Marcus suggests that wedding photographers should go and try fashion photography. Fashion photography is all about style and making the models looking great, which are perfect skills for wedding photographers.

 

Marcus’s other suggestions are:
Street photographers try portrait photography.

Landscape photographers could try art photography, the sort of thing in galleries and museums. Marcus suggests looking at Jem Southern, Beckers (Bernd and Hilda) John Davies, Edward Patinksky. These are people taking images with a political message.

Family photographers could try painting. Looking at them for ideas, styles and light.