This extended project explored whether fashion photography can be considered a form of art. Through research and four photo shoots experimenting with lighting, location, and artistic influences, the student found that fashion photography feeds the imagination and pushes boundaries of how clothing is presented, making it a blurred line with art. Audience feedback guided improvements between shoots. The final shoot combined fashion with inspiration from a famous painting to represent how trends can shape identities. The student concluded that fashion photography, with its creative techniques, can indeed be viewed as a form of art.

1. Extended Project
Is fashion
photography a
form of art?

2. Project Outline
My aim throughout this project was to find out how
people view fashion photography.
Is it being considered as form of art or just simple
advertising and high label cloths which are nicely
presented on a girl or boy?
As my final piece I have decided to produce a set of
images that will reflect an answer to my question.
I will mount the pictures on the white board as I think
they will look more effective and will introduce my idea
well.

3. Research

4. I began my researching from sources in the
library. I found there many interesting books
which are referring to fashion photography and
art.
’’Such photographers were thus placed in a
position similar to that in which they had placed
painters a half century earlier and the chain of
reactions at the end of the century must have
had a profound influence on the new directions
painting had already taken.’
’’…perfection has been embodied in
images, visions of enhanced reality that
teach the eye how to see clothes, and
teach clothes how to look.’’
’’photographic description of lifestyle’’

5. Art and Fashion blurred boundary
I found some interesting views and majority of them are suggesting that fashion and art
have a really blurred boundary.
For example in the book 'The Idealizing Vision, The Art of Fashion Photography, April 1991’
Anne Hollander is saying that by ’’feeding the imagination and pushing the visual
possibilities of clothing into new emotional territory’’ audience are able to fantasy about
clothing product and by presenting cloths on photographs in certain ways the brains of
receivers are coding the message hidden behind pure photographs.
What I meant by this is that even the photograph is composing the model and cloths by
showing it in special ways the imagination of audience is working better therefore it can be
said that it is also an art piece that is inspiring customer to desire the product.
They may not receive the feeling of art straight away, because in our days they are used to
seeing the fashion photography presented creatively however at the end of the day those
photos are touching their imagination, making them want the cloths or look like model on
the image.

6. Advertising; how they use to
advertise things how they are doing
it now?

7. My Initial Ideas
To get my starting point I have researched fashion photographers, I found three which
have absolutely different styles.
To discover what audiences consider to be considered as a form of art, I created the
questionnaire which helped me to define people taste.
Then based on this questionnaire I started to prepare my photo-shoots trying to
create similar effect to the photographs they liked the most.
Miles Aldridge Tommaso Nervegna Marco Tengalia

8. Audience Response
Majority of audiences liked the
set of Tommaso Nervegna
photographs. The positive
comments I have received
about his photos were about
the use of creative lights,
shades and composition which
was quite uncommon where it
comes to fashion photography
this is why people dragged
attention to his work. As an
improvement people wanted to
see even more experimenting
with lights, they believed that I
will give the images more
artistic feeling.

9. 1st Photo-shoot
For my first photo-shoot I have decided to play around with
lighting as audiences liked the images taken by Tommaso
Nervegna and I was influenced by his work as well. He used a
lot of lights techniques to make his work look creative.
I planed to do similar shoot with my model, however my
objective was to make fashion photos in urban lifestyle, but
appearing to arty.
My audiences then would be young adults or teenagers that
are encouraged by fashion photographs on billboards and
magazines.

10. Final Images

15. Software Used
I have mainly used Photoshop to increase the saturation and colour balance
as shown below. I also strengthen the contrast to make photos look more
professional, yet quite funky, colourful and bold.

16. 2nd Photo-shoot
To develop my work to more artistic piece I tried
to focus on the location and model’s look rather
than technique used. This time I decided to
shoot indoor and I managed to find really good
location and gain the permission to photograph
there.

17. Final Images

21. 3rd Photo-shoot
Once I gather the feedback from my peers about
my second photo-shoot they gave me
interesting points to consider for my next photo-
shoot. I found out that as an audience they
would like to see more fashion and different
prospective then one view. So this time I tried to
emphasis their observations in my 3rd photo-
shoot.

22. Final Images

25. 4th (Final) Photo-shoot
So far I managed to capture really nice and good quality photos. But I
was questioning myself, do they represent fashion art photography
well? I came up with conclusion that I have to go in slightly different
direction.
I was stimulated by my teacher she told me to lake at famous painting
that other photographers used in their work. So I did found few of
them, but one particularly got my attention.
The story of Lady of Shalott; about young women suicide by drowning
herself in the water. I find the connection between fashion and this
story as young girls are losing her personalities due to the fashion
trends.
I was inspired by the prestige paintings of the lady and I tried to create
similar effect, combining art and fashion together and represent it on
my photographs.

27. Final Piece

31. Conclusion
Throughout this project I found out that art and fashion are really close
together.
Especially in our days where technology has such an ability to create
some good photos even with amateur not really specialized camera.
So the answer to my question would be yes, fashion photography can be
considered as a form of art.
Even if the people are not putting much attention to them their brains
are receiving the creative signals making them desire to look like the
models from the photographs.
The massive impact is putted on young generation as to them those
photographs are exemplar and their life style.

32. Any other question,
please feel free to ask?
Thank You! Sandra Ksiazek