I'm pretty excited about this. I honestly didn't think I'd have another opportunity to teach the LUCIMA Fashion-Editorial Photography Master Class (a.k.a. Magic) so soon. Without getting into any specific details, after Magic II there probably won't be another workshop until (maybe) July and then October. There are some things outside of my control that will make the LUCIMA fashion photography workshop scheduling extremely limited for the rest of the year.
But you're more than welcome to take a private fashion photography workshop with me!
So other than whorishly promoting the upcoming LUCIMA Fashion-Editorial Photography Master Class (a.k.a. Magic), what is this post about? It's about the perspective of Magic and the value of that perspective.
In my journey as a fashion photographer, I've worked with different talents of different roles. Each talent has a different perspective and values a different result. For example models care that they look "skinny". Makeup artists care that the makeup looks good. Wardrobe stylists care about the fit of the clothes and how the clothes "sit" on the models. Hair stylists look at the hair. Modeling agents want images of the models in their most "sellable state". Photographers worry about lighting and composition. Retouchers care about post-processing.
Who's at the top of the totem pole? None other than the editor-in-chief.
When it comes to imagery, what does the editor-in-chief worry about? They worry about whether or not anyone will give a rats ass about any particular image. Because at the end of the day, the editor-in-chief is evaluated on advertising dollars. If she can't sell ads, she's fired. To sell ads, you have to have readership/viewership. To have a large subscription base, you need to give people a reason to "look".
Magic is that reason to "look".
When it comes to imagery, the editor-in-chief cares not that your composition is perfect, or that your lighting is spot on, or that your post-processing is flawless, or that your makeup is perfect, or that the clothes fit just right, or that the models look "skinny", or that the hair is well done, or that the images represent the models in their most "sellable state". Sure those things matter but if the image is deemed boring, none of those things mean a damn.
When it comes to imagery, the editor-in-chief wants the audience to look and keep looking and maybe even stare at any given image. A magazine full of Magical images increase the value of advertising space. And advertising dollars are how the editors-in-chief keeps their jobs.
And that's the point of Magic. It's not about fulfilling the needs of the models, agents, MUAs, hair, wardrobe, designer, photographer, retouchers, etc. It's about fulfilling the need at a human level, an emotional level, a level that allows a viewer to "connect" with the image. Because Magical images bond with their audience. They get burned into people's minds forever. And those lasting impressions coincidentally sell ad-space. Which is why at the end of the day, the editor-in-chief knows best when it comes to imagery.
The editor-in-chief possesses the most valuable perspective in all of imagery and image selection.
On April 28-29th we'll get another chance to examine Magic in great detail. Please click on the huge banner above or click here to see the details for the upcoming LUCIMA Fashion-Editorial Photography Master Class (a.k.a. Magic).
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