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Fashion Photography 101 Book Release

 

For those that still read my blog (I know, I’ve been a little slow at getting things together on here.. let’s ignore the fact that the last post was in January!) you’ll be happy to know that I’m now going to be actively blogging again – sharing behind the scenes, experiences, events and new releases!

I’m excited to share with you my first ever book, ‘Fashion Photography 101‘! My goal when writing the book was to create a workshop-style guide that would be easy to follow and catered to every level of photographer (from the technicalities – camera settings, lighting techniques, studio and location environments to the organization – model direction, casting, retouching and marketing!). My inspiration was clear – referencing back when I was keen to start as a fashion photographer and trying to find guidance. I found that there were a limited number of resources on how to get started within the industry, what tools and tricks you needed to know, and most importantly – noticed. Whilst I referenced as much as I could and put it into practice, I found a lot of what I learned was through self-teaching, experimentation and picking myself up when I made mistakes (and believe me in the beginning there were a lot of them!). When the publisher approached me to write a book over a year ago, it took me some time to think about exactly what I wanted to share and how I would inspire an audience through the content. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that a clear, concise guide was exactly what I would have needed to help me avoid those mistakes in the beginning, and give me a clear vision on what I needed to do to start making my mark within the photo and fashion industry.

There’s a lot of fantastic technical and fashion photography guide books on the market, but with ‘Fashion Photography 101′ I’ve tried to share as much personal knowledge as I can whilst also trying to simplify modern techniques that are overwhelming to many at first.

Thank you to everyone involved in the making of the book & to those that are featured amongst the pages (models, styling teams and assistants). This could not have been possible without your hard work!

If you’re interested in grabbing a copy of the book for yourself then head on over to Amazon, or your nearest major book store (WhSmiths, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and Chapters, just to name a few, all stock the book in stores, and online). Please note that the cover featured is the UK edition.

  1. KiaraBlack

    I simply love the book. It’s not only written for beginners so each photographer can learn a few things. You did a great job Lara

  2. David Lara

    Hi Lara Jade, this is the “other” Lara :) Congrats on your book and the upcoming CreativeLive workshop (wanted to submit a video, but wasn’t sure if i’d get picked since i’ve already been to one of your workshops).

    Anyhow was wondering if you are planning on having this book as a digital download/app/book?

    Best wishes.

  3. Mariela Feliz Fernandez

    I’m soon ordering it soon! Can’t wait!

  4. Clipping Path Outsource

    Lara you are really doing great.
    I like it too much.

  5. Ayla Shaw

    Hi Lara, My names Ayla. I am doing a project in my photography class and my project is about you and I have a couple of questions to ask. Could you please email me or comment back? Thank you (:

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The Pikto Experience

This December I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Toronto, Canada to teach two fashion photography workshops at Pikto Studios, based in the picturesque Distillery District.

Pikto Studios was the perfect place to host an event: bright, spacious; flooded with natural light and the space had a clean, modern layout. The backdrop of the studio location reminded me of my hometown and the abandoned/urban spaces I used for the backdrops in my starting photo shoots, which I think I was so drawn to using it when I first set my eyes upon the images of it! … and not to mention the space! The open layout enabled my styling team, models and the attendees to interact and collaborate freely throughout the day.

As usual, my workshops opened many opportunities for me to meet some fantastic and inspiring people from all over Canada. If it’s one thing I love about teaching workshops – it’s the networking! It was great to see how many of the attendees and my styling team started to network with one another.

A big thank you to my styling team Shawnna & Tasha & models on the day Marta & Michie. Also a big thank you to Spot 6 Management & Peggi Le Page model scout and finally Kim Akrigg, Tawni Bannister & Cammy Jones for your assistance!

In addition to being a fantastic studio/event space – Pikto studios is also well known for its photo books. I managed to pick up my own photo book whilst working in the space and I’m very happy with the outcome so I thought I’d share my two cents on the Pikto photo book Experience!

We all know the feeling: we share our work online, viewing them on digital screens and applications – but what we would really like to see is a finished product. There’s nothing like seeing your work in print and printing a photo book is a great way achieving this. With a photo book you can tell a story, share a journey, or share your experiences with friends and family! A photo book is also a great format to use to create a unique portfolio to share with potential clients.

To get to the final product, users must first download an easy-to-use application called ‘Pikto BOOKit’. The application’s layout is extremely easy for any user to figure out as well as to upload your photographs with. I found that the best way to upload was to re-name and organize all of my files into one single folder (in order I want them to appear in the book). The other great thing about ‘BOOKit’ is the ability to choose between creating a book from a template or entirely from scratch.

The book featured above is the Pikto 11×14″ portrait Hardcover leatherette option with an embossed ‘silver’ name print on the cover.

 The choice of options for the book is fantastic – Pikto offers nine layout sizes (ranging from 5×7″, 8.5×11″ to 12×12″), a page count option (between 20 up to 90 pages) and various book cover materials (from leather, leatherette to linen) to “give you the look of a traditionally printed coffee table art book” – and that’s exactly what it is, each book tells a story and you can custom each part to make it your own. There are also further presentation options, such as text embossing on the cover and spine in a variety of colors – perfect if you’re using the book for presenting, or if you want to add a custom title option for a client.

Visual print quality is complimentary to the ‘real’ image and works extremely well on colorful and lighter images. On my particular images, the dark tones were slightly darker, but this isn’t that noticeable (or so it wouldn’t be to someone that didn’t thoroughly know my work). The paper is hard-wearing and heavy, and the binding is done by a ‘floating’ spine enforcing the ‘quality’ you get from Pikto overall – they do not cut any corners with any of the book options.

Let’s take a closer look at the book…

Pricewise – Pikto is neither inexpensive nor expensive, they charge an acceptable amount for the quality and options they offer. The usual turnaround time from submission is just one week (they got mine finished within two days!), and you can have your book mailed to you, or you can pick it up yourself from their Toronto store.

Overall, I think Pikto offers a very satisfying service to the general public and working photographer alike – their range of options make it easy to chose a book that’s unique to the individual and the customer service I received upon my order was impeccable (which of course was great since I am prone to making mistakes upon orders, sorry Pikto!)

For more information on Pikto and to view their services, visit the official website: www.pikto.com

  1. Andrew

    So cool :D
    That book definitely looks nice :D

  2. Casey

    Wish I could have been there. I knew you would do well in Toronto and at Pikto.

  3. Darina Boycheva

    Dear Lara,
    Happy New Year to you! Thank you for sharing such a great experience you had at the workshops in Canada. I also love the look of your folio book.
    I recently heard about another company making very inexpensive small books which can be great marketing materials so I ordered a copy and am waiting to see the quality of printing. They are called EdiBooks. I will also check the Pikto books now that you recommended them.

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2011, A Retrospective.

2011 has been an incredible year for me.

Most important of all, I finally made the move from my hometown in England to New York City after many visits the previous year. The change of location has been refreshing for me and I’ve been able to pick up the pace of my work life and also settle down personally. I believe that surrounding yourself with an inspiring environment (especially as an artist) and with other creatives helps encourage you in your career path without you even knowing it! I live and breathe what I do, so I need to be around like-minded people and in a city that never sleeps.

This year has also opened many doors to travel opportunities  – I have been honoured to be able to visit some beautiful locations this year, Hawaii (twice), Toronto and of course re-visiting London and exploring New York which have all been productive and eye-opening. Seasoned travellers will understand me on this one – I feel like I now have the travel bug! In 2012, travel destinations already include a workshop in Australia and possible trips in the US and in parts of Europe. I have decided to give myself a unique travel destination every year and find new experiences.

Work-wise, I found an incredibly supportive London agent, Balcony Jump who have encouraged my personal and commercial work within Europe, and I’ve also developed my editorial portfolio extensively – working closely with my new New York and London connections and challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and shoot more stories in the studio.

As some of you may know, I just released a collaboration DVD ‘Lara Jade Vs Joey L: Photographer Shoot Off’ with my arch-nemesis Joey L which had been in development over the past two years – it felt great to finally release something after such a long production cycle, and Joey and I are very happy with the outcome. Teaching and sharing knowledge is still new to me (since I only started teaching workshops last December), but I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge!

It’s still under wraps, but I’ve been working on a new fashion photography guidance book through UK publisher ILEX Press. I am pleased to say it is FINALLY finished and it’s nice to know that all those weeks of writing have not gone to waste. I feel like the whole process of writing it and researching was like going back to school and re-visiting my much-loved two year photography programme. Not to say it will be all educational-based, it’s going to be jam-packed with my photography and my personal knowledge as well as technical information for an all you need-to-know photography hand-book. Unfortunately (as I know some people will ask to order) I don’t have any details on the publishing date just yet, but I will let you all know as soon as I have the details!

To all of you reading this now, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your continued support of my work – your comments/messages/faves/emails/likes etc. are ALL appreciated. Even if I don’t get time to respond to all of your messages, you should know I do try and read them all.All the best in the new year, 2012 will be a productive one!

LJ xo

I am going to leave you with some of those ‘special’ 2011 moments, those oh-no-you-didn’t-I-caught-it-on-camera moments and some special highlights for fun and giggles. Thank you to everyone that works with me for making my working year a blast!

The creation of the beach shoot for Material Girl Magazine. It’s amazing how easy it is to brighten a dull day by entertaining yourself with childhood activities… and yes, I thoroughly enjoyed making those sandcastles. Photos by Oscar May.

The creative team on set at the beach in South England. Photo by Oscar May.

The beautiful Diana R on set for the cemetery shoot in London. Photo by Oscar May.

Hair stylist Tomo and wardrobe stylist Krishan making magic. Photo by Oscar May.

The Maui, Hawaii Workshop Team & Attendees – loved this two day workshop in paradise!

Mr Matthew Alvarado & Mr Kevin Garrison – my two right hand men on my Maui April Workshop

NY Workshop – all I remember this day is how bad I felt for everyone with the heat! That rooftop was like working upon a giant baking tray! Note to self: don’t book workshops on rooftops in the summer again.

The creation of the ‘Velveteen Rabbit’ editorial shoot. Me & the creative team on set. Photo by Nicole De Waal.

Shooting the ‘Velveteen Rabbit’ in the studio. If it’s one thing I love about shooting editorials, it’s bringing long term shoot ideas to life! Photo by Nicole De Waal.

Deborah, Me & Nicole on set at a Brooklyn beach in October. A cold but picture-perfect day!

On set: If it’s one thing everyone knows about me, it’s the way I treat the models – here I am encouraging the model to go into the water at a beach in October (I’m joking, but she did it!) Photo by Nicole De Waal.

Deborah Altizio is a woman of many talents, she isn’t just known for her excellent make up artistry – she is also a bird whisperer. Photo by Nicole De Waal.

Maui the second-time around, except thirteen people less than before (phew). Me & the team looking out over the North Shore. Photo by Megan Jolie Photography.

On top of Haleakala Mountain, Maui at too-early-oclock. Also, don’t look twice – this is the only time you’ll ever, and I mean ever see me in such awful attire again. I think the last time I wore sweatpants was when I was half my age now. My excuse (as always) is that I thought the top of the mountain would be warmer and Valerie came to the rescue.

Editorial Magazine shoot in Brooklyn. I love this team & I love these kind of shoots! Ally, you still need to take me to yoga, don’t let me say no. Photo by Chris Davis.

Shooting for clothing brand The Fold in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Photo by Kait Robinson.

Just because we always need a group photo at the end of every workshop! This is my Toronto workshop team (day 2) – incredibly nice to teach. You make my job easy! Photo by Cammy Jones.

…and it’s amazing how quick a second changes a group of people? Why, just because! Work isn’t work.. it’s fun. Photo by Cammy Jones.

  1. THERESA

    wonderful BLOG POST! YOU ARE AMAZING AND i HAVE LOVED WATCHING YOUR CAREER BLOOM OVER THE YEARS! i HOPE TO GET YOUR DVD WITH MY TAX RETURN MONEY :d

    ps YOU ARE GORGEOUS (AS ALWAYS) !

  2. Andrew

    Great post :D
    Best wishes for 2012 :D

  3. amanda

    sounds like a very productive year, lara! ita about living in inspiring places… I am working on that :) I’m looking forward to reading the fashion book. best of luck for 2012 :)

  4. Brandi

    I have observed your work since you started on DeviantArt. You are around my age and I am so happy for you and jealous of you. You have came such a long way in your work and I am so glad you are experiencing so much success. I would be so honored to be able to attend one of your workshops so that’s on my wishlist. Congratulations and have a fantastic new year!

  5. Amelia

    I loved reading this blog post, you are such an inspiration to me! I am so happy to see that you have gained so much success in your photography. You truly deserve it. I hope I have the money for your next workshop in London! Hope 2012 is a great year!

  6. david

    Well done Lara Jade.
    Great to see someone who has genuinely found themselves in their element. All the best in 2012 Disappointed you chose not to work with my brother and I though http://www.david-procter.com/blog/experiments/we-never-told-you-about-peter-procter/

  7. Miss M.

    I really ADORE you. You are so beautiful, gorgeous, .. just breathtaking. Wow, this was a really good year for you & I hope, that 2012 will bring you again many wonderful expieriences. And I think you should make some books – some with photographs taking by you and one book just with manymany photographs of yourself, because you are SO talented, I love it!

  8. Deea

    Wonderful blog post, I love the photos!:) Wish you all the best in 2012, may it be an even greater year than the one we’re leaving behind.

    Keep up the AMAZING work!

  9. Wonderland Avenue

    What a great year I’ve had following your adventures on the interweb and twitter etc…I love watching raw talent grow and grow and you have talent in bucket loads. Good luck with 2012 and really excited about continuing to follow your exploits.

  10. Silke

    Thanks for being amazing, thanks for sharing it

  11. iLuca

    u are great lara. i love how young and focus at the same time you are!!!!!

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Lara Jade VS Joey L Tutorial DVD Release

So, finally we can announce the official release of ‘Lara Jade VS Joey L: Photographer Shoot Off’ – our workshop-on-a-disc extravaganza that took us a whole two years in the making – blood, sweat, tears, dirty lenses and racking our brains trying to figure out how we were going to make this collaboration work!

“Lara Jade VS Joey L: Photographer Shoot Off” will offer guidance and knowledge to every level of photographer and ultimately inspire to find your own style. We invite you to step inside of our vision and observe as we compete head to head in photo shoot challenges around the world. So, whether you’re a photographer just starting out or you are a professional working within your chosen industry this tutorial DVD is the tool you need to inspire you to find your own journey and vision!

 The content of the DVD covers everything how to work in a variety of shoot environments and situations giving you first-hand perspective on how we compose our shoots from start to finish – from direction, lighting and finally – the photo editing.

Get your copy today!

Feel free to visit our exclusive store [www.larajadevsjoeyl.com] for more information and to grab yourself a copy! We are currently offering the DVD at a holiday promo price at just $199 until Jan 1st 2012 (usually $250!).

One-Liner Contest

As we are in the mood for the holidays and with the content of the DVD being the rivalry between two photographers we are also announcing a little contest to help spread the word of the DVD. The contest is called “the one-liner contest”. To enter you need to think of a photography or Photoshop related one-liner joke and post it on twitter – make sure to include a link to our official website http://www.larajadevsjoeyl.com and the hashtag #LJVSJLso we can track all of your submissions!

Remember – this is light-hearted fun so get thinking of the most insulting things you can use! Here’s a few of our own examples:

“It’d only be a “beauty dish” if you wore it over your face.” #LJVSJL http://www.larajadevsjoeyl.com

“The clone tool was invented for people like you!” #LJVSJL http://www.larajadevsjoeyl.com

 So what’s in it for the winners? The top 3 best one-liners are chosen by me & Joey and will receive an amazing prize! Me & Joey will be providing a limited edition signed print and B&H Photo are giving one of the winners a fabulous $100 gift card to spend in their store!

 Me & Joey are extremely proud of this project and hope you are just as excited as us to see our work come to light!

LJ & JL.

  1. Juanmi Carcelen

    I want to know if the dvd have got spanish subtitles or, at least, english subtitles.
    It’s hard to me to understand all the spoken english words.

    Thanks for your time! You are doing an amazing work like always :)

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  4. tinacotts

    hi just registered ,, tina

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Announcement: Lara Jade VS Joey L Tutorial DVD

Me and photographer Joey L are finally excited to announce the release of our upcoming tutorial DVD “Photographer Shoot-Off: Lara Jade VS Joey L” that will be released on December 1st!

This unique comprehensive tutorial DVD features vision from my both sides of the photography industry – combining personal vs commissioned work as well as each of our individual shoot styles.

The basic concept: Joey L, rising from the advertising scene and Lara Jade – working within the fashion industry. Both photographer’s once living on other sides of the Atlantic and coming from entirely different backgrounds.

So what ties them together? The rivalry of course! Way back in 2007 on one of Joey’s first trips to England we met with the intention of collaborating on a shoot together. After shooting, we were surprised to notice that even with the same set-up and model on location we produced completely different final shots. If anything, one thing was very clear that day – photography style is entirely driven on the vision of the photographer, no two photographer’s are the same.

With this collaborative project, we decided to re-visit our roots and document the idea of a photographer’s vision. The DVD content features exclusive behind-the-scenes shoots with interviews, technical information, in-depth Photoshop lessons and also business  tips within the fashion and advertising industry. Our main goal throughout the two years of building the content was to create an educational DVD that will leave you wanting to try our our techniques in your own shoots.

So for now, please feel free to spread the word! The purchase of the DVD will be available through a brand new website on December 1st (with a surprise for the holidays, too!) Unfortunately we are not accepting pre-orders at this time but be sure to check back on the release date for more information!

LJ & JL

  1. Humza Mehbub

    I am really glad to see this dvd finally coming out. been waiting for it for quite some time, but the wait has been worth it i guess! :)

    Heartiest congratulations to lara and joey for finally making this come alive! =)

  2. AR

    Genuinely can’t wait.

  3. cristie

    looking forward to the dvd all the way from houston, texas :)

  4. Nicole

    Ahhh, you two are just too adorable, I want to hug you both.

  5. Britten

    This is amazing and I can’t wait to get my hands on this dvd! thank you lara & joey!

  6. Bibo Aswan

    YAY! CANT WAITTTTTTTTTTTT! both of yall are awesomeeeeeeeeeee. Keep us posted yeah! :D

  7. red chilli photography

    REally looking forward To watching the DVD, no two photographers are the same!! really like your work Lara. Drop me a mail when the new website is up and running.

    James

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  9. Darren House

    Wow can’t wait for it to be out :)

    Looks wks :)

  10. aki

    u have so much makeing of material… But Thats only good thing, so i like…

  11. Kristel

    I REAlly hope i can get also that DVD (im from estonia)I cant wait! :)

  12. Chris

    Your blog is awesome!

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