The Migration Of Retail Stores From Malls To Smart Devices
The world of fashion photography is at an all-time peak.
Retail stores are closing left and right each day and online selling is booming. In February Macy’s closed one of its store in Los Angeles. What does that mean for fashion photographers? A new era of unimaginable opportunities.
I can safely say that 2017 is the year of the fashion photographers.
Why? You may ask. Easy, never before in the history of fashion has there been a time that granted fashion photographers such incredible benefits (and I’m truly talking about a heap of benefits).
If we take a look at the last couple of years, it is obvious that many retail stores and malls are closing their doors and moving online. Over the last years, we have seen a decrease in retail stores in the U.S and over here in Los Angeles, it has become an everyday phenomenon. There are many reasons for this, but this one change has opened a portal for fashion photographers that never before existed.
When it comes to online shopping it is all about the pictures. A picture speaks a thousand words and that is exactly what we notice when fashion photographers display their art on huge online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; and since the average person will spend nearly two hours online it is highly likely that they will search or come across an item that is of interest.
[pullquote]Fashion items for teens have the highest likability to be seen because teens spent more time on social media than any other demographic and are easily influenced by the likes of kylie Jenner who by the way is a fashion queen.[/pullquote]
As a fashion photographer, this is the time to take advantage and influence the way people purchase items. The future as of now is looking extra sunny for the fashion photographer. So I decided to take advantage of this and rake in the benefits of this new trend.
4 benefits the fashion photographer can take advantage of right now.
- Broaden your audience.
More than 3 billion people use the internet daily. These people come from all over the world. These people pass time on social media. They hang out on social media channels such as facebook, Pinterest, snap chat, and Instagram. As a fashion photographer, I make sure these people see my work whenever they scroll. By placing my work in front of these people I broadened my audience significantly.
- From shaky income to stable income
Photographers, in general, don’t have a steady income. Many photographers work as freelancers which give them tons of freedom and opportunity. As a fashion photographer, unfortunately, payments may seldom be high. If you are a freelance photographer it is best to start looking for the opportunities to display your work online.
- Opportunities will soar.
Fashion houses, magazine editors and modeling agencies, are watching talented fashion photographers like a hawk on social media. In Los Angeles, alone many fashion photographers were given the opportunity to shoot for renowned fashion magazines. In 2017 Fashion houses are not only looking for talent, they also look for a photographer with a strong social media presence; a photographer who has a huge following but most importantly have engaged fans willing to buy his/her work. These powerhouses and elite magazines want to be sure that doing business with you will result in them being seen by your followers and thus get more eyeballs on their brand.
- Less costs
Retail is dying and online is booming. What does this mean? It simply means that every fashion photographer needs an online presence. This is rather easy to achieve. All you need is a blog, a logo, a strong portfolio and some social media accounts. All this can be setup in less than a week and the cost can be as small as $350. Now think about it, in the old days as a fashion photographer turned entrepreneur would have to spend a ton on advertisement to get recognized amid other costs piling up. With a strong online platform, a couple of cheap but effective facebook and Instagram ads, millions of eyeballs will be on your art.
Conclusion
Imagine waking up and getting ready for work, this time instead of stressing about getting hired by another annoying firm, you get to sit in your comfy chair in front of your laptop and have clients rolling in. Not because you have some magical power, but because you took the necessary steps to increase your presence, display your art and become a highly sought after photographer.
