What Is Fashion Photography, Really?

Photography is the art of realism, or perhaps is it deception? With so many technological advancements and the ability to digitally manipulate images beyond recognition from their original, it’s hard to decipher whether photography, and fashion photography in particular, are as realistic as the art form once intended.

Still a relatively new art form in the scheme of the art world and its multitude of mediums, photography, in the format we understand it to be today, didn't rise until late in the timeline of art history, circa 1790.

Just as the technology adapted and changed the medium, fashion and the moral of the art form was altered too. With the introduction of computers and the digital age in the late 80’s and adobe releasing its photo editing software, Photoshop in the 90’s, truth has slowly been removed from photography. A method of digital alteration causes illusions from the original work, to what we see splashed across billboards and magazines. Airbrushing and photo manipulation has been slammed by the media and other various outlets of the past few years, with some magazines such as Seventeen Magazine, Marie Claire and The Australian Women's Weekly even turning to releasing issues featuring “no airbrushing” and “real models” (perhaps an indication that society is finally realizing that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes).

However the business of fashion photography has always been filled with illusions, this is the method of sales that the industry pushes; “Buy this dress, look amazing and score that man you've had your eye on!” or better yet “Get a tan, false lashes and this overnight miracle cream and look 10 years younger in less than 10 days!”. The propaganda of the industry has not been assisted with the advancements and increased use of photo manipulation; however it’s not all bad.

Photography, and its vast supply of flexibility and creative diversity offers a niche for just about anyone these days with image sharing over the internet made a breeze (unless of course the issues surrounding Australia’s NBN remain unresolved), and digital formats allowing all creative channels to include and deduce their own interpretation of the form. Traditionalists will still use their film and dark rooms, which offer an authentic touch that no amount of manipulation can truly replicate, but so too are there previously unsought opportunities; citizen journalists use their mobile phones to capture images of events as they’re on the scene and we can upload all those holiday snapshots for our friends to see on social media instead of spending hours passing around the printed, and seemingly long forgotten photo albums.