Editorial photography arguably provides the maximum creative freedom among all the existing practices of photography. It enables the photographers to explore almost any concept or story that they envision. Unlike commercial photography, editorial images are not restrained by brand image. They also do not have the unpredictability of street photography. In simple terms, editorial photography enables photographers to make use of almost every tool at their disposal in order to create a photo that tells a story. Due to its many advantageous features, a lot of photographers get attracted towards this style, Bruce Weber Photographer being one of them.
Bruce Weber Photographer offers valuable insights into editorial photography
Commercial photography focuses on persuading consumers to buy a certain product or a service, and is commonly seen in packaging, general branding, entertainment promotions, and ad campaigns. The outcome of commercial photography majorly depends on the brand. On the other hand, editorial photography puts emphasis on portraying a concept or telling a story. Its motive is more to engage and express, rather than to sell. Editorial images can be found commonly in editorial features, magazines, and even newspapers. This photography style depends way more on a story than on a specific brand.
Determining the story to tell is the very step of creating a good editorial photo shoot. Mostly, editorial photography involves using a series of images to tell a story or express an idea. Hence, that story or idea needs to become the blueprint of the shoot. There are no limitations to the stories being showcased through editorial photography. These stories might be based on lifestyles, current events, or pre-existing stories. Once the story has been finalized, the photographer has to start putting together the vision of showcasing it. A mood board can prove to be highly useful here, and help the photographer to find inspiration for what they want to capture, especially in terms of aesthetics. Mood boards not only help the photographer, but everyone they shall be working with.
Creating a mood board also helps the photographer to understand the type of model they want to cast in their photo shoot. This means that they would have an idea about how the model has to perform, rather than what it must look like. Casting the model is not always easy, as there are many things to consider. The appearance of the model and how it fits into the vision of the photographer is definitely the key aspect to ponder over. Renowned professionals like Bruce Weber Photographer do get the luxury of working with celebrities, actors, and high profile models. But the ones who do not have this luxury must interview various models and be thorough with their casting. After the model has been finalized, the next step would be to assemble a team for the editorial photo shoot. This step shall rely on the story the photographer wants to showcase and the scale of their production. The team of varied editorial photo shoots may include wardrobe stylists, hair dressers, camera assistants to hold up reflectors, and so on. Good editorial photography can still be achieved with minimal team members as well.
