Archive for January 2012
Dress Up Games and Fashion Shows
Fashion shows are dressup games at their very finest. Some of the many games online include virtual fashion shows, but you can have even more fun creating your own version of a fashion show – especially if you have friends over or a sister or two to play along.
Start with the Dressup Games
You can not have a fashion show without something new and exciting to wear. Dig through your dress up clothing in your play room and then go through your closet, bags your friends brought and perhaps your mom’s closet to find fun items to wear for the event. Plan out your fashions ahead of time and look for all of the accessories and detail you will need to make it a success.
Hair and Make Up for Dressup Games and Fashion Shows
Your next step is to get your hair and make up finished for the big show. Of course, this means that you will be doing each other’s hair and applying make up. If you are working with plenty of time to spare, perhaps at a sleepover, go wild with hot curlers and flat irons to make this a truly special event. Apply make up like the stars do with much glam and glitter. After all, you have to shine up on the stage.
Preparing for the Fashion Show
Speaking of stages, you will want to be sure that you have a stage to walk down as part of the show. You can set one up using tape or yardsticks down the center of a room. If you have a long hallway in your home, you are in even better luck. The stairs might also be an option, but be careful walking on stairs if you are wearing shoes you are not very comfortable in. It is probably better to walk the “catwalk” in the living room or wherever everyone is most comfortable.
When it is time to actually start the show, someone should turn on the music and the fashion show begins. The first person marches down the catwalk in their stylish dressup games outfit and then she is followed by the next individual. You take turns walking down the runway with your various outfits on until you have run out of things to wear.
You will need to change fashions quickly just like a real fashion show and do as much as you can to make the entire event seem real. Pretend there is an audience ready to review your walk and your style. Perhaps one person can even be the designer and dress everyone. You will want to take turns with this role, of course, to give all party guests a chance to be in charge of the dressup games.
Recording the Fashion Show
If you want to enjoy the fashion show more than once, you can easily record the whole thing using your video camera, or even a phone if you get it propped up just right. If you are at a slumber party, let one person volunteer to become the director and videographer. When it is all said and done, the best event of the evening might be watching the final product of the fashion show together – the video.
Behind the Scenes at a Fashion Show
Ever wondered what lies behind the glitz and glamor of a fashion show? If you watch fashion shows on TV, no doubt the grandeur and style of the whole event would have impressed you. If you were lucky enough to watch the action live, the atmosphere can be overwhelming. If putting together a fashion show looks easy then, it is all thanks to a hardworking, 24-hour event management team that is usually the brains and hands behind such a glamorous do.
Before the concept for a fashion show can be decided upon, the designer has to decide on the kind of collection he wants and then create an initial portfolio. Designers get inspired by anything and most of them weave the designs and patterns in their clothes around a single theme; for example, symmetric patterns with earth colors for an autumn collection. Whether the collection featured is going to be Ready to Wear or Haute Couture also needs to be finalized. Once the collection is ready, the next decision to make is where to feature the collection and when. Cities such as Paris, Milan and London have been called the world’s fashion hotspots for many years. Most designers have their favorite places, depending where the bulk of their clientele comes from. Once the city is decided upon, setting up the stage and ramp for the event comes next. Location is of utmost importance- halls or stadiums which offer the latest in lighting and other facilities give creators the freedom to plan a great theme. For instance, chandeliers and other fancy lighting can help jazz up a room immensely.
The theme often sets the tone for the collection and for the evening as well. What’s a fashion show without music? The genre of music played can help bring out the best in the collection and set the tone for the evening. Those who can afford it even hire live singers or DJ’s. Needless to say, the music changes with the mood of the collection and also for the intended clientele. Deciding on the models is next. Of late, a lot of designers venture to create fashion for ‘real women’, and so models who aren’t exactly a size zero are quite common. Make up artists and hair stylists work tirelessly to create a new look or hairdo to match the clothes and style quotient. The guest list is important too. After all, no designer wants to miss out on inviting his best clients to his show. That’s where the paparazzi and the media come in too. After all, more the media coverage, the better the exposure the designer and his collection gets. The front row is where you are most likely to see fashion editors and other style experts, jot down notes, shake their heads or just observe. Fashion shows of veteran designers like Valentino or Versace however, are bound to get a full house no matter how small or big the collection really is. Cocktails, a lavish buffet, live TV appearances and interviews are the preferred norm to end such a star studded event.
Fashion Show Photography Tips
Photographing a fashion show is a lot of fun but there are steps to follow before you get on the riser and join the rest of the press photographers.
First and foremost, you want to make sure you’ve identified the event, and by this I mean research as to what typically takes place at the event you will be covering. Perhaps a place to start is the event’s website. Images from previous events host by the same title in previous years or events hosted by the same production company. This will help you formulate an idea for how things will go that day. Needless to say, there are times where all preparation goes down the drain and you must improvise on the spot.
Once you’ve gathered as much information about the event and, if you are lucky, have gotten some glances as to what is to come you may want to start selecting the gear you will be using for the event. This will take multiple determining factors such as lighting, distance, speed, and post production needs.
It is typical that Fashion Shows are at night, yet their main purpose is to showcase a line of clothes. Most of the time designers choose a very well lit venue or location to showcase their garments and “most of the time” there is no need for an added flash. A hot shoe flash unit is helpful for the coverage of the event where the models are getting ready (make up and dressing up, etc.).
Be sure that if time is permitted to cover the “getting ready” portion of the event you have allotted enough time to return and secure a favorable spot on the riser. There are times where the space on the Press/Media riser is limited and overload of photographers or cameramen are forced to move to less desirable areas where direct sight is limited or impossible.
On the riser space, once again, is limited and most people that secure a spot are strong about protecting their territory. Be respectful and courteous to others line of sight.
For fashion shows it is important to achieve the best “white balance” possible. If a fashion show is coordinated by a seasoned production company, there will be a press conference where designers will meet and greet the press. This segment wasn’t just designed to meet and greet the designers but also to make sure lighting scenarios are tested and a “while balance card” is displayed for photographers to adjust their gear accordingly.
Once the show starts, I typically adjust my camera settings to approximately: f.5.6-7.0 1/250 at about 800-1600 ISO. I tend to shoot fashion shows at JPEG + Raw in order to de-mark and process images quicker. The final selection will make it to my clients in high-res. The rest is eliminated. I tend to make any image selection during the show because I simply can’t trust a 3.5inch screen, I rather see everything from a monitor.
As a marketing tool, I upload my images over to Facebook and share them with the models, designers, production company. I watermark them for copyright protection and allow them to purchase the images they like.
I hope this brief article is helpful to those interested in Fashion Show Photography. If you have any questions I may be contacted via Facebook.