Photography helps me connect artistically with people, which has led to wonderful growth for me. Collaborating and creating larger projects that involve others is a great passion: I love to get involved and plan the entire process of my shots.
I always take care of styling or help with styling in my fashion services, in order to create the right atmosphere and aesthetics; also my love for clothes led me a lot to become a photographer. Urban street fashion is my favorite photographic genre to photograph: I love the intensity of the colors and the creation of images that are more than just the subject within it.
• How to become a fashion photographer
Street portraiture creates a pictorial result every time. And luckily for me, living in Bristol (the home of the UK graffiti scene) I am never unlucky to find an interesting place to shoot.
I am always eager to keep my eyes peeled for new works of art, as new art can change the same position into something completely different from a photographic point of view. I usually shoot in the same places; however the perspective always changes due to the graffiti.
See more of Sophia’s work on her Instagram.
Sofia’s top 5 tips for urban fashion photography
01 Shoot low and wide
I found that using a Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f / 2.8G ED wide angle lens I can get very close to my subjects, allowing me to shoot in some tight situations without objects like cars getting in the way. This also offers a rather unique angle for the final shot.
• Nikon’s best wide-angle zoom lenses
02 Use pockets of light
Bright light can be problematic, but I have learned to use it to my advantage. It could mean that the outer areas of your shot are darker, but the key elements are your models and you can use pockets of light to make them stand out.
03 Use dark backgrounds to bring out your colors
Contrast is another important aspect in photography. Blended light and dark areas create impact and make your colors, patterns and clothes the most eye-catching parts of your image.
04 Shooting settings
I typically leave the aperture fixed around something in the middle, like f / 8 or f / 9. I’ll also leave the shutter speed around 1/125 of a second, making sure the patterns are sharp. All that remains is to adjust the ISO: depending on the light, I go between 100 and 500.
05 Bring inspiration
In the wonderful world of cell phones, we are never too far from the information we want. Even though I have my own style, it’s really useful to have an album made up of poses you like, which you can easily share with the group to convey a certain style or vision.
To know more:
The best Nikon D750 deals
The best Nikon portrait lenses
How to take edgy fashion portraits in one light
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