Garry k wrote:
Please post lots of pix

It's a weird situation at NYFW right now, with different companies trying to take a market share of fashion shows from IMG... there is a lot of infighting and maybe also politics going on...

I won't shoot as many shows as I used to, and I may post some here, but probably just some of the bigger shows... not sure yet.

You are anyway the only, or one of the really few guys who are actually interested in the fashion industry.

Btw., how did you like that podcast?

I found the contributors rather interesting... and especially Liz, you should google her... Emmy Award nominated journalist and creator of Decoded Fashion, a global network...  www.lizbacelar.com   

I think that MM'ers that are interested in the fashion industry and especially NYFW, no matter where they are... this segment is very interesting about fashion marketing and presentation and the changes within those fields.

udor wrote:
It's a weird situation at NYFW right now, with different companies trying to take a market share of fashion shows from IMG... there is a lot of infighting and maybe also politics going on...

I won't shoot as many shows as I used to, and I may post some here, but probably just some of the bigger shows... not sure yet.

You are anyway the only, or one of the really few guys who are actually interested in the fashion industry.

Btw., how did you like that podcast?

I found the contributors rather interesting... and especially Liz, you should google her... Emmy Award nominated journalist and creator of Decoded Fashion, a global network...  www.lizbacelar.com   

I think that MM'ers that are interested in the fashion industry and especially NYFW, no matter where they are... this segment is very interesting about fashion marketing and presentation and the changes within those fields.

As you know I shot 24 seasons of our fashion week ( which is a smaller version of NYFW - buy still has achieved 100 plus shows per season ) before retiring last year

So obviously I have a strong interest in fashion . the showing of it and the whole scene involved ( from the preparations to the shows to the after parties )

Wnen I started out there was not a lot of other photographers interested in shooting this sort of event in my city but over time it became all the rage

I started out as one of 2 photographers covering the event - and went on to become the DOP - ( a role that i basically defined on my own terms ) screeing the photographer applicants , orientating them , settingi up a drop box system for media photos , assigning the various shooting duties to the photographers chosen , riding herd over them as they did their thing , and cracking the whip to ensure we got pictures as soon as possible for next day international media release

...while trying to shoot as many shows myslef as I could ( i was able to do about 90 percent of them )


So after about 15 years of doing this I got pretty tired and disenchanted wth it all - so I left and vowed never to shoot another fashion show

However tomorrow night a local hospital ( that has saved my life a couple times in the past 2 yrs ) is putting on thier preview of a gala ( fashion show ) fundraiser being held later this month

And I am suddently interested in shooting fashion shows again ( at least for a good cause )

And Who better to talk with  about Fashion Show Photography in the MM Forums than my friend Udor

Garry k wrote:
Please post lots of pix

udor wrote:
...

You are anyway the only, or one of the really few guys who are actually interested in the fashion industry.

...

He's not the only guy, udor.  While i'm for sure not a fashion shooter, I really enjoy your reports and pix.
So, to quote Garry k, please post lots of pix.

udor wrote:
It's a weird situation at NYFW right now, with different companies trying to take a market share of fashion shows from IMG... there is a lot of infighting and maybe also politics going on...

I won't shoot as many shows as I used to, and I may post some here, but probably just some of the bigger shows... not sure yet.

You are anyway the only, or one of the really few guys who are actually interested in the fashion industry.

I'm interested. I still work here. And day one of NYFW is another year I'd been working in New York, up to nine years now.

udor wrote:

It's a weird situation at NYFW right now, with different companies trying to take a market share of fashion shows from IMG... there is a lot of infighting and maybe also politics going on...

I won't shoot as many shows as I used to, and I may post some here, but probably just some of the bigger shows... not sure yet.

You are anyway the only, or one of the really few guys who are actually interested in the fashion industry.

Btw., how did you like that podcast?

I found the contributors rather interesting... and especially Liz, you should google her... Emmy Award nominated journalist and creator of Decoded Fashion, a global network...  www.lizbacelar.com   

I think that MM'ers that are interested in the fashion industry and especially NYFW, no matter where they are... this segment is very interesting about fashion marketing and presentation and the changes within those fields.

I'm interested as well. Someday I'll have work good enough and be able to go do fashion week. I don't necessarily want to do it every year, but just once. It's a photography bucket list item I guess.

Garry k wrote:
So after about 15 years of doing this I got pretty tired and disenchanted of it all - so I left and vowed never to shoot another fashion show

However tomorrow night a local hospital ( that has saved my life a couple times in the past 2 yrs ) is putting on thier preview of a gala ( fashion show ) fundraiser being held later this month

And I am suddenly interested in shooting fashionshows again ( at least for a good cause )

And Who better to talk with  about Fashion Show Photography in the MM Forums than my friend Udor

Thanks for sharing Garry!

I know the feeling of being burned out for a while... I felt like this for a few seasons, but not because of shooting the shows, but the treatment of IMG of the seasoned shooters (as I described in that podcast).

Let me share something that no other than Dan Lecca told me, when he offered me to share his box on the media riser, about 10 years ago. For those who don't know, Dan is considered "the king of runway" and is for several decades the most sought after runway photographer in the world, who had at times up to 90% of the designer accounts in every fashion center on the planet.

Anyway, we talked and I asked him some questions and he said the is not doing this for the money, (although the fees for him and his team are steep and only designers with deep pockets can afford him), he could have retired 10 or 15 years ago, but he just loves that job of runway photography and he always returns to it, because he loves everything about it.

Now, of course... he doesn't have to stand in line anywhere and his spot/s are always reserved and if he wants you to be removed for whatever reason, you are gone!

My first encounter with him was on the riser at my first NYFW, when I asked my neighbor (a shooter for Wire Image) who that guy is who acted like a general. That Wire Image shooter almost freaked out for me asking this question and whispered to me that this is Dan Lecca, the King of Runway and I shouldn't ask that question so loud and better not mentioning his name while he is close, etc.

I didn't get that paranoia of his, as I thought that the question was perfectly normal.

Anyway... Dan and I became familiar over the years.

Long story short... I am not surprised that you are getting the itch again...


P.S.: The CFDA calendar shows 650 shows during this fashion week...

Managing Light wrote:

Garry k wrote:
Please post lots of pix

He's not the only guy, udor.  While i'm for sure not a fashion shooter, I really enjoy your reports and pix.
So, to quote Garry k, please post lots of pix.

I don't think I will post a lot, but a few will have to do...

I am not shooting as many shows, five so far, but all as house and I am shooting on the "house team" for a bigger designer later today.

Tom Linkens wrote:

I'm interested. I still work here. And day one of NYFW is another year I'd been working in New York, up to nine years now.

Hey Tom!

Yeah, you are one of the veterans by now!!! 

Stay Young Photography wrote:

I'm interested as well. Someday I'll have work good enough and be able to go do fashion week. I don't necessarily want to do it every year, but just once. It's a photography bucket list item I guess.

It definitely is an experience!

However, your regular fashion photography doesn't prepare you for runway shooting at all!!!

The only thing that prepares you for shooting runway is... [drumroll]... shooting runway!

Shooting runway is an entirely different animal from, e.g. editorial fashion photography, etc. It's almost like sports photography, because your subjects are moving, sometimes really fast and you have to develop a feel for it.

A few years back, I actually taught a workshop on runway photography for Adorama Pro, with really good results, and if you want to know more about this, check my MM profile, as I have posted interviews and other stuff on that matter.

Start with smaller local shows... they are difficult from several perspectives... no lighting and a lot of self-important amateurs using flash... that's a good way to start out and then increasing the level of the shows you shoot...

udor wrote:
It definitely is an experience!

However, your regular fashion photography doesn't prepare you for runway shooting at all!!!

The only thing that prepares you for shooting runway is... [drumroll]... shooting runway!

Shooting runway is an entirely different animal from, e.g. editorial fashion photography, etc. It's almost like sports photography, because your subjects are moving, sometimes really fast and you have to develop a feel for it.

A few years back, I actually taught a workshop on runway photography for Adorama Pro, with really good results, and if you want to know more about this, check my MM profile, as I have posted interviews and other stuff on that matter.

Start with smaller local shows... they are difficult from several perspectives... no lighting and a lot of self-important amateurs using flash... that's a good way to start out and then increasing the level of the shows you shoot...

I've done a few but they've been last minute "hey, we're desperate" kinds of things and never seem to hear about the local ones in advanced. It's my own fault for not looking either. I tend to not put myself out there but that's besides the point. It's not much different than shooting dressage (equine). I'll def check it out, thanks!

How was the podcast?

udor wrote:
New York Fashion Week
Spring/Summer 2017 Collections

Designer: Nancy Vuu
@nancyvuu

I have been the house-photographer for Nancy Vuu's show.

Here I am assisting Nancy with the rehearsal:

I was sitting on the runway cover at about the spot where the models have to stop and pose. We had two different spots, one for children and one for the adult models, taking under account the huge difference in heights between both type of models.





The shot below is from my house position of the actual show. We had 48 looks and one of the longest runways I shot.

Had to use my x1.4 teleconverter, to be able to reach the end of the runway.

The model is my friend and (neighbor, she literally lives 1.5 blocks from my own apartment) Heather M, (Agency: Elite New York).

Also, this was shot while she was still in the first half of the runway... yeah... it was long!

Just curious, what lens(s) do you use for something like this? Love these shots by the way.

Stay Young Photography wrote:
Just curious, what lens(s) do you use for something like this? Love these shots by the way.

Thank you!!!

The workhorse lens of the international press corps at the major fashion weeks, is the 70-200mm f2.8 lens, mostly Nikon or Canon.

Most colleagues have a teleconverter at hand, commonly a x1.4 factor extender. Which I had to use in the picture above, as I am using a full frame camera (D800e). I don't need that extender if I am shooting with my D7000, as it is a crop frame camera, which is awesome, btw.

Occasionally, you see photographers with 400mm and I have seen a guy shooting with a 600mm lens (both prime lenses)... They are usually members of a team, where each focuses on something specific and often includes a videographer..

A few years ago, I was on the house team for Falguni & Shane Peacock, and I was assigned to shoot wide from the side, while others focused on accessories, hair/makeup and straight on classic runway shots.

I had to shoot from this position... the runway was also not a single lane, there were three (or four, don't remember) and the model's path was in a slalom type arrangement: