Fashion Life | 5 Tips for Photography from Louis “Ziggy” Tucker

October 4, 2012

As we all know, photography plays a HUGE part in the fashion industry, especially if you’re interested in being a personal or streetstyle blogger. No matter how stylish the outfit might be, if you don’t know how to get a great OOTD or street shot, not many people are going to tune in.

Outside of smiling, posing, and having a decent camera, one needs to know how to both set up the shot and edit it. KP Fusion reached out to photographer & friend Louis “Ziggy” Tucker (Fomoloop), and asked him for a few tips on shooting self-portraits, beauty, and fashion looks. Here’s what he shared:

Befriend the light

Lighting is everything in photography. Without light there would be no image. If used improperly, it will not flatter the subject and make an overall boring photograph; however, if used properly, it will enhance, flatter, and aid to hiding imperfections of your subject.

Don’t fear the dark

Although you are embracing the light, it doesn’t mean that you should avoid darkness and shadows like the plague. Some absence of light actually makes an image more interesting by shaping the figure and adding depth as well as hiding some imperfections.

Practice

As with every other skill, great images just do not appear over night. It takes practice and a lot of trial and error. Eventually — if you are paying attention — you will learn from your mistakes and begin taking greater photographs. No photographer I have met has had consecutively stellar photographs in their beginnings of photography. The talent may be there at times, but that means little without consistency.

It’s the photographer, not the camera
What you study, how you see the world, how you deal with people in front of a lens, and your understanding of basic photography & light affect the overall outcome of a great image. You do not need a $3.5K camera + lens combo [although they do help in certain situations] to take a great photo. It mostly goes back to proper understanding of light and image composition. You should be able take a great photograph with a camera phone or even a disposable camera you can get at Walgreen’s.

Find a style

So you have all the basics of photography covered: camera settings, lighting, composition, etc., and you stop there — no no no! Anybody can take a great photo with practice, but not everyone can do it with style. Having your own style is what separates you from the pack. Finding your style can come from a lot of different places you would least expect. It could come from reading your favorite book, music, photographers you admire, or even how you view the world.

Take time to really think about and explore what you like so much about these things, and more than likely you will see a pattern. Thread this into your visual storytelling and your style will begin to shine through.