Anyone who has ever watched television shows such as America’s Next Top Model and films such as The September Issue will know how important photography is to show off great fashion. The way the model wears the clothes and how the photographer captures the mood can make the difference between the outfits flying off the shelves and what’s in the bargain bin at the end of the season.

Fashion photography is a bit different to artistic photography, although many feel that it blurs the line. When chookie asked What is the difference between a commercial and an artistic photograph?, mike1942f responded with a very interesting answer:

A commercial photo is expected to show the product or the business in crisp detail and well lighted, etc. Usually.  An artistic photograph may be crisp or blurry, have an off centre focus, be a colour study. If very crisp and clear, it is expected to show some story or narrative or reveal something (“barrenness”) about the place. Some commercial fashion photos in recent times have been artistic. (excessively to my mind) Usually this means you have to hunt down in the corner to find the brand unless you know clothes to the point of recognising them. More

But maybe that is the point? As fivetoze says: “a picture is worth a thousand words… it sells you the idea before you see the pricetag” More. Therefore the more romantic and beautiful the picture, the more desirable the product will be to you, particularly when it comes to high end clothing.

So if you want to get into fashion photography, how do you get your break? Abe H recommends starting out by getting some schooling in fashion.

You need a art photography degree. and maybe a minor in fashion. You need to build you portfolio with great fashion shots. You need to spend every dime you can get your hands on and maybe money you’ll have to borrow on a camera and equipment. More

Teknodogg recommends putting your ideas into action:

Set up a photoshoot and snap away … you’ll find your direction through your view-finder. Plus it’ll build up your profolio and it’d be super fun to do especially with your friends as models. More

Paul Green is a Sydney based photographer who has worked with Sony, Vogue, GQ, Good Weekend, Disney, Saatchi and Saatchi, and Fairfax & Roberts Jewelers. When getting together a portfolio, he recommends:

1.  Preparation is key. Understand what you are shooting and what results you want to achieve.
2. Know your equipment. Experiment with your camera and find out what all the functions do. You may discover something very cool that you can apply to different situations you photograph.
3. Have fun. Let yourself be loose when you shoot and watch what is going on around you. This is when you find that interesting light or can capture that amazing look.

For more great tips from Paul Green and other photographers, visit our specialist Yahoo!7 Photography site thanks to Sony.

Caitlin
Community Manager

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I’ve always enjoyed the excitement of the Oscars, however this year I enjoyed watching it more than usual. This year, instead of viewing it alone in my lounge room, I watched and discussed the ceremony with millions of Answers friends. When the boring bits were on, I turned to my computer to see the general consensus of the ceremony within Answers. I learnt more about the nominees and the films than any year before, plus I got to discuss outfits and celebrity relationships with other people who care about these things!

Want to know what I mean? Here’s my abridged account of watching the Oscars:

“Awesome red carpet fashion. Oh wow Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. They look a bit uncomfortable, I thought they were having marriage problems? Didn’t they break up? Oh wait, I’ll have a quick search on Answers. Here it is:

kellie.annne: he cheated on her and it became very public knowledge. More

“Oh damn I missed Kate Winslet, she always looks so good. Hold on, I’ll go onto Yahoo!7 Red Carpet and check out what I missed.  Wow that’s a gorgeous dress.

“Ok ceremony’s starting. Oh that’s awkward; Jennifer Aniston is announcing an award and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are both in the front row. Is she crying? No she just looks really really nervous. At least Brangelina aren’t all over each other. And speaking of the front row, who are those people next to Meryl Streep?

Regina Phalange: Her daughter is to her right and I believe it’s Amy Adams to her left. More

“Best Supporting Actress is Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona! So that leaked email with the Oscar results wasn’t true as it predicted Amy Adams would win for Doubt.

“And of course Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor. His role in The Dark Knight was brilliantly portrayed, and it seems the Answers community agrees with me.

Air-Force Falco: I’m glad he won this award, he hit the persona of a psychotic and dangerous criminal right on the dot. He absolutely deserved and I am glad we can honour him one last time with his win. More

“That’s a shame that no Australians won for the production awards. Catherine Martin, Ben Snow, Kirk Baxter and Lee Smith all missed out. Oh well, good on them for getting so far! One Australian that certainly hasn’t been shy is Hugh Jackman. What a star! He’s actually funny, who would have thought? My fellow Answers users seem to agree –

Phoenix – I thought he saved the Academy Awards! Each year they seem to get more boring and I keep telling myself I won’t watch the whole thing but usually do hoping it will get better. This year I was actually able to look forward to the show. I was still disappointed in most of the categories but I thought Hugh did a terrific job! I loved the dance numbers and the opening jokes. Especially the part about downsizing to New Zealand next year.

“Ok we’re up to the best bit – Best Actor & Actress.

“That’s different, having five of the previous winners on stage. I recognise Nicole, Halle and Marion but who are the others?

reenchilada – Sophia Loren, Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Shirley Maclane, Nicole Kidman More

“Oh dear Sophia Loren’s outfit is horrible. Meryl Streep is ageing so gracefully but Sophia Loren looks like a swirly cupcake. I’m so pleased Kate won the Oscar! I thought her performance was amazing. Actually I’ve thought many of her previous performances were amazing. Has she won an Oscar before?

Indiana – No but this is her sixth nomination so she well deserves it.
She was nominated for: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: Sense and Sensibility (1996); Best Actress in a Leading Role for: Titanic (1998); Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: Iris (2002); Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2005); Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for: Little Children (2007) More

“We’re up to the Best Actor award. Sean Penn is one of my favourite actors, I have to admit. Haven’t seen Milk though, what does he mean when he keeps saying “Commie, homo loving sons of guns?”

mcq316 – Commie, homo loving sons of guns. He’s making a joke about all of hollywood being left wing, liberal democrats.

“And who is that guy they keep panning to in the speech?

Allora – It was Dustin Lance Black – He was the writer of Milk and won for Best Original Screenplay

“Slumdog Millionaire is Best Picture, that’s not a huge surprise considering how many they’ve won. I wonder whether it’s an accurate portrayal of Indian life?

Jatina – I lived in Bombay now called Mumbai some years ago and yes its an accurate portrayal of how a lot of people live.
I can understand why some Indians do not like the film as it has touched on Hindu’s attacking Muslims, human rights violations committed by the police force and children being exploited and mutilated. You can read about culture shock and watch poverty on the tv but you really don’t feel , smell and experience it until you are in the middle of it yourself. More

“However as Been There Done That says, those sorts of negative things happen everywhere.

As for the poverty, slums, killing, mobsters, child abuse and child labour, these things happen everywhere, and exist everywhere, including India. Don’t lose sight that they are only the colourful background to the endless love this boy has for this girl and that he never gives up.”

Well there you go, all over for another year. Were you pleased with the winners of the Oscars or is there someone who you think deserved a big gold statue?

Caitlin
Community Manager

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Hollywood shined in its finest designer frocks today at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards. Although these television awards don’t get anywhere near the amount of publicity or kudos as their filmic counterparts, the Oscars and The Golden Globes, I still enjoy watching them. Admittedly the main attraction for me is the red carpet dresses but I like some of the awards and presentations too, especially to see what new shows will capture our attention in the next year.

This year there were some gorgeous dresses on women including Brooke Shields from Lipstick Jungle as well as the Desperate Housewives girls and Kate Walsh from Private Practice. Of course, who doesn’t love looking at the worst dressed list, which included Alyssa Milano among others. Considering all the freebies they get in their pre-emmys preparations, you wonder how they manage to look so bad at such an important event.

There was plenty of debate about who would win best comedy and best drama but in the end it was 30 Rock and Mad Men respectively. Other winners included Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Glenn Close and Kathy Griffin for My Life on the D List, which I guess means she’ll have to change it to ‘My Life on the A List’. Unfortunately our own Rachel Griffiths didn’t win for Brothers and Sisters.

The Emmys reminded me of all my favourite TV shows that aren’t currently screening in Australia such as Brothers and Sisters and Grey’s Anatomy. What’s going to happen in the next season of Desperate Housewives after seeing the women five years into the future? When will Supernatural come back to TV?

One thing I have noticed with a lack of my favourite American shows on TV (chances are it’s related to last year’s writer’s strike) is that there seems to be a lot of Australian content to watch. Packed to the Rafters has captivated my attention, as well as the Australian Project Runway and the new crime show City Homicide.

What TV shows do you like at the moment and what would you like to see more of?

Caitlin
Community Manager

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On the first Tuesday of November every year, Australia becomes an expert in horseflesh, betting odds, slow tracks and fast tracks, and training techniques.

The girls dress up in fancy frocks with feathers in their hair, and the boys slip into a suit, and everyone is ready to watch Australia’s most famous horse race – the Melbourne Cup.

This year there are none of the usual big names, no horses trained by Gai Waterhouse or Bart Cummings, but that hasn’t kept the punters from getting excited about the field.  Or the fashion possibilities!

And, after you’ve poured over the field guide and chosen your outfit the only thing left to do is to find somewhere to watch the race. It has to have a big screen, lots of atmosphere, and a well stocked bar.

Good luck with your tips or sweeps – may the best horse win!

When you have checked out the questions and answers on Yahoo!7 Answers, don’t forget to watch the live coverage on Channel 7 and explore the Spring Racing site.

Lynne (guest editor)

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