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After being in the business since the early 80’s, first in the fashion business and then being hired as a photographer, I have seen more than a few style changes come and go. While browsing online, I saw this Pantone post and I thought that it might be a good idea to mention and share the importance of color and style that often is overlooked by photographers and models, especially in the glamour photography industry.

A school of thought says that since most of our models are minimally clothed, wardrobe isn’t import. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it’s even more important that you give some thought to not only your color choices, but also your style.

When photographers shoot for a job either on spec or assignment, you should think like an editor and be aware of the fact that most publications are being prepped four to five months ahead of time in order to be ready for the following season and holidays usually covered by magazines and ad campaigns. This is why it’s not that unusual to get assignments for Christmas photo sessions in summer and bikini shoots in January.

With the lead-in time being so long, you really must have the photographer’s equivalent of a crystal ball when shooting. Not only will you need to be aware of what’s currently in style and which colors are being used, you’ll also have to anticipate the direction of future fashion trends. In addition to the usual prerequisites of getting a good shot, you’ll also have to incorporate publications photo production requirements, their deadlines, seasonal demands, and other criteria.

This means not settling for just any kind of clothing articles your model might bring with her to a shoot and trusting their judgment as to what’s in and what’s not. This is where being educated about current trends really come into play. What worked six months ago might not work today. (Yes, it can change that fast.)

Seemingly, minor details like this are actually very important. Having the edge on your competitors has always been among the top topics discussed by Playboy photo editors on almost every single shoot. Editors don’t only look at your photography, they look to see if you have an eye on the latest trends and styles that drives the visual world forward. They can’t afford to have their magazine or product look “old” and behind the times.

Also, a big mistake is to use those clumsy old-looking shoes that might be only few years old, but still look good. The actual truth is that they are most likely already yesterday’s news in the editors’ eyes, who have eagle-sharp eyes for style as well as the latest fashion and color trends. And not only shoes, but shooting styles as well. By this, I mean seeing models being shot in the same style. While classic poses will always remain fresh, you always have to be looking for a new angle. They say genius is looking at something old in a new way; this very much applies in the world of photography.

In my career, as important as it has been to find new models or camera equipment, it has also been just as important (if not more) and time consuming to make sure that the styling and wardrobe in an image also works well as a cohesive unit. To a knowledgeable photo editor, this is something that sets you apart from the wannabes. It lets them know you’re on top of things and serious about delivering a viable image or series of pictorials to their pages. It’s means you’re likely to be re-hired when the next photo call goes out.

So, why not hire a stylist for your shoot? It’s a great idea as long your budget allows you to do so. Still, it’ll be on your head if it does not look right. Stylists will give you anything you want, but you are the boss and the one who has to make the decision and get the praise (or the blame if something does not look right). That’s what it means to be in charge. It’s important to remember that you not only hold your own success in your hands, but also the success of your model, your stylist, and your crew if you have one.

Jarmo Pohjaniemi

Forecasting Color

“We are in the business of actually forecasting color,” says Leslie Harrington, director of the Color Association, a nearly century-old organization based in New York. “Pantone is in the business of selling fabric and paper samples – all their reports are done in order to sell more paper and color samples.”

Who’s more accurate? It’s hard to say. There are no analytics measuring success of color forecasting – how would one even accurately measure such a thing?

Complicating things are the sweeping structural changes that have rippled through the world of fashion and media. Where color used to begin with the fiber producers and the color spinners, then trickled through a whole chain of trade shows and production processes, this arrangement was first upset by the rising power of retailers – who, as Shah describes it, “went right to the beginning of the chain”—and then by fast-fashion chains like Zara, who shrank the lead times that had long made forecasters useful.

The forecasters have an intense ceaselessly twitching antenna for color, but like meteorologists, they can’t make the weather, all they can do is try to read the signs in the air – a whisper of street fashion in Shibuya, the tides of unsold jumpers coming back at Uniqlo, the onset of a consumer mood darkening like clouds – to see which way the wind will blow. And the collective effort to look ahead is a burden forecasters take seriously. At one point, as he presented his collection of whites, the Italian colorist spoke of the book The Black Swan – that he had mistaken for the inspiration for the film of the same name. “It’s a nightmare; it’s all about the unpredictability of events. We can’t do any prevision with intelligence. That was my anguish, my anxiety.”

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