5 Tips for Gorgeous Costume Photography
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Loading... - Liam Jones
- 06 Feb 2023
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There’s been an explosion of interest in costume photography over the last few years. From movie cosplays to historically-inspired portraits, there’s no end to the kind of costumes that need photographing – and these images can inject plenty of variety into any up-and-coming portrait shooter’s portfolio.
Additionally, capturing someone who is playing a role will add a whole new dimension to your images; when people are pretending to be someone else, they often lose their discomfort about being in front of the camera, which can result in surprisingly genuine photos.
But how can you ensure stunning results? In this article, I share my top five tips to create amazing shots. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll be ready to capture – and process – beautiful costume photos!
1. Be inspired by history
Since the early days of photography, artists have created portraits based on historical clothing and characters. Julia Margaret Cameron was a 19th-century British photographer who used to shoot people dressed up as characters from Shakespeare, while her contemporary, David Wilkie Wynfield, photographed his friends wearing fancy dress in the style of the great 16th-century Venetian artist, Titian.
So take a look at the work of other photographers and see what you can learn. You might even be inspired by certain costumes, lighting styles, and moods, all of which you can try to incorporate into your own photos.
And don’t just look at photography, either; there are thousands of years of painted portraits to take inspiration from, too. For this next portrait, I was inspired by a da Vinci painting called La Belle Ferronnière:
I’ve also been inspired by other painters; if you’re not sure where to start, try viewing Rembrandt’s portraiture and see if you can recreate the Rembrandt lighting pattern, which tends to look amazing.
By the way, never be afraid to try self-portraiture when you’re experimenting with different lighting techniques and looks. It can take a bit of practice to get a good result, and you can be your own most patient model. The shot above was the result of an hour spent in my studio experimenting with light! Read More…
