How would you change direction

Maria, generally speaking, the work of most of the photographers who shoot models in clothing on this site, it is at best commercial fashion.  The work that I see elsewhere is either extremely well styled and produced print magazine quality (Behance), or straight out of the BA course at Anywhere Uni (Instagram).   There are levels in between.  The on-line version of some magazines tend to lean towards the Insta model and the print versions the Behance. 

I never saw the casting and couldn't see it just now but perhaps the best thing to do is to define the style rather than say "Fashion led" and link to a moodboard.

The Ghost I have shot with photographers who don't even do human subjects much and the results were fabulous, because they have a basic understanding of creating an image that is not purely documentation of what's in front of the lens of the camera

MaristarOxley said

The Ghost I have shot with photographers who don't even do human subjects much and the results were fabulous, because they have a basic understanding of creating an image that is not purely documentation of what's in front of the lens of the camera

Real fashion is difficult and expensive. 
One reason I don't really attempt it (other than a bit for my daughter's outdoorwear company).
No point doing it badly.

As you said, "girls in their best party dress" gets confused with fashion on here, by models and photographers alike.

By the time an outfit is printed in Vogue, it's already two months out of date....

Out here in the sticks, I could shoot huntin, shootin, fishin stuff successfully, but not much else.

MaristarOxley Thank you. I am aware that I don‘t understand fashion very well (I lack that feeling) but would love to experience it.

I think PP must be the wrong place for it. When I look at most viewed images, there is not much room neither for attitude, nor for fancy clothing.

But who know, maybe thanks to this conversation, people like me would be interested in trying.

Starglider Photography said

To be honest, I don't think it would have anything to do with your casting. It's perhaps down to one of two things:

1. As much as I hate saying it, the probability is that the majority people who contacted you are essentially chancers, GWCs, people who probably didn't read the casting properly, looked at your portfolio pics and thought that they could get not just fashion but higher levels too (not saying nude or adult or anything, but perhaps swimwear).

2. The photographers who contacted you for the most part may want to do fashion, but simply either hasn't uploaded many, or shot much and want to expand, or chose to post less fashion because, to be honest, more people here like seeing higher levels pics than fashion pics, and the photographers who contacted you wants more traffic on their portfolios.

At the end of the day, even if a photographer replies to your casting, but doesn't have much fashion on their portfolio, it is still worth seeing the quality of their work, along with their references etc... They could actually be very good for fashion shots but just don't post that much, and could still be worth your while*

*Except the one who wouldn't share examples. That's just stupid.

I hadn't seen the casting never mind applied for it, but I got my handle on hear because of the nudes I shot, and still shoot a lot nudes. But I'm interested in some models who only shoot with the clothes on.  I wouldn't class much of port as fashion though: it pictures of models who are dressed and looking interesting, rather than pictures of the clothes on a living breathing clothes-horse.

So I'd put myself in (2) and would probably not have been welcome if I had applied. So I don't get to add fashion to my port and status quo rumbles on. 

MaristarOxley said

Guys love Peter Coulson for some reason. My references are the photographers like Sarah Moon, Lindbergh, Avedon, Tim Walker, Lategan...

My approach to Fashion is that it's an attitude. The clothes are part of the shoot, but you can have a fashion nude. The attitude overall is the key.

Yes ! Fashion is attitude, with or without clothes.

It's funny because the togs you refer to here (apart from Lindbergh) are more into their own photographic style and the emotion they convey than trying to capture the model's attitude. Also their most famous works are mostly based on stylists or designers' work where the model could be anyone... Unlike Lindbergh and Coulson (who have a lot in common) whose work is precisely about the models and their attitude, their personality and their natural elegance...

I truly think many women, not only men, love Peter Coulson's work because he highlights women brilliantly and respectfully. And he is a genius for light use (which is another topic).

In terms of my casting, which I'm not looking for answers to , I don't think the mood board would have any meaning if the photographers themselves are not interested in it.

I agree... I could not find and see your casting call so I did not know if you had examples or inspiration images that could help understanding your expectations... Even if your folio here speaks for itself... I checked your profile though and I know you are an agency model

Edited by Guillaume de Lafontaine - DWAMPIX

Huw said

Real fashion is difficult and expensive. 
One reason I don't really attempt it (other than a bit for my daughter's outdoorwear company).
No point doing it badly.

As you said, "girls in their best party dress" gets confused with fashion on here, by models and photographers alike.

By the time an outfit is printed in Vogue, it's already two months out of date....

Out here in the sticks, I could shoot huntin, shootin, fishin stuff successfully, but not much else.

You're talking about commercial fashion which is part of advertizing campaigns for brands and sales... This is NEVER a job for a model and a tog alone... This is NEVER a model's project... 

Furthermore artistic fashion photography is not more difficult or expensive than other photography genres. It's different and requires different skills. It's plain simple when you understand it, when you're commited, when you like it, when you know what to pay attention at, when you have a taste for what it takes... But it is very demanding on many details that most people (including togs and sadly even most models) don't even see. For example, the main reason I throw away shots is hands...

Fashion photography is not about clothes trends (this is commerce, Vogue is a magazine to promote brands and stimulate sales, it's not an art magazine). It's about style...

Fashion isn't the easiest thing to shoot and do properly.

Take a look at Sails Chong on YT and see how fashion projects are done.

Edited by indemnity

Answering the OP's actual question, I'm not sure how I would demonstrate capability in a genre in which I had no experience.  I think it would all come down to trust, perhaps even some test shots?

Photowallah Thank you for your thoughts on this. I'm not looking for an answer to my casting, necessarily. I'm opening up a conversation about how a photographer would approach any casting that is looking for a style that the photographer has applied to. For me, there has to be a glimpse at the very least of some kind of connection between their own work and what the model is wanting to shoot.

Wondrous I do TFP on here mainly. I'm motivated by a photographer who will be excited by a collaboration and/or at least a grasp of a creative session.

B17fan I'm asking the photographer in this scenario. Indeed, how would they convince me. It does happen and I have done shoots with non- fashion photographers, who have been excellent at shooting something they've never tried before.

MaristarOxley Ah ok. In my case I'd hope my album would be enough to convince someone to give me a chance.

I have myself shot quite a few styles with models over the years, but my port does not reflect that by design.

My current portfolio is geared more to what is far more likely to interest me if a model was to approach me and to put off models looking for stuff that isn't. I also want to make it challenging for newbies, people looking for something very specific to them and people looking for general this is how I look photo shoots to approach me. 

If something has peaked my interest and I was well aware that it was non existent or not apparent, I would either upload some examples on here or IG and if I had not shot anything specific before, I would spend 15 minutes with one of my regular booked models and explore that items even if their look was not perfect and use that as a basis to consider how much I wanted to do it and as a means to convince someone else I had not worked with before.

However, I am extraordinarily focussed on what I want to shoot, so if it interests me, I will invest time and energy before making a plunge.

At the other end, I am well aware there are some prolific photographers who just enjoy taking images and don't worry too much about the style, theme or mood and will throw their hat into as many rings as possible to get shoots. Those, if they have been doing it for some time are unlikely to change. Their port may say what they are interested in if asked, or it may just be a huge sprawl of snaps taken in almost every environment. They are far more likely to apply to a casting than me - possible between 10 and 100 times more likely!

Wanting something quite specific, I find using castings attracts far more people not bothered or able to offer what it is I am looking for and it has always been the case, no matter what I have casted for. If you get 30 approaches and 29 are not suitable or totally useless and one is, then you have to weigh up whether you can invest the energy on the off chance one may be reading it! I have had some success with castings but the negative aspects are draining. Approaching people myself takes a lot of time and I tend to not message someone until I am sure first they are suitable. I have had far more success with messaging people, but you don't get to be as sure someone is really keen as you made the first approach

MaristarOxley . In fairness to the photographers on here, if this is the pool of models available, and no offence to this pool, it contains some amazing models, there are very few models who are a)suitable in look and b) suitable in style and ability.  By this, I mean when looking at portfolios on here, even the best models have a similar look and feel because they are the ones that have thrived here being shot by the photographers here who like that look.  Plus, as my earlier post, there is a spectrum of photography that can be classed as fashion.

I don't want to shoot the so called "edgy" fashion which to my old geezer eyes just looks like snapshots.  I cannot afford the styling and the models that shoot with the likes of Ben Kanarek which I do like.  What that leaves is a middle ground of commercial looking stuff with a pool of models that can look the way I want or at best, a brochure for a slightly more expensive "Top Shop".

I have I would think 3 1/2 shots on here that with a fair wind and kind seas could just about scrape into the broad "fashion" spectrum.  A dozen or so that would be ok to grace a Boden catalogue and as such are commercial and the rest aspire simply to be pretty pictures.