Temperatures may be plunging as we head into winter (at least in parts of North America) but that’s no reason to stop thinking of ways to elevate your swimwear photography so you can make some sales. That’s the message of Anita Sadowska’s tutorial below where she shares three top tips on how to get your swimsuit photos to stand out above the competition.
Sadowska, who we featured in a popular interview from earlier this year, is a professional swimwear, fashion and portrait photographer based in Bali, Indonesia. Here’s a breakdown of her “top three tips to elevate your photography,” which she discusses and demonstrates in the video at the bottom of this post. (To see more of her photography tips, techniques, and advice, visit her YouTube channel.)
Tip #1: Diversify Your Portfolio
“It’s super important to diversify your portfolio with as many models as possible,” Sadowska says. “You want to shoot with girls of all different shapes, sizes and colors. And I think it’s so important as a professional photographer to understand how different light affects different skin tones and how it affects the body. It just makes you elevate your work so much. Secondly, I think it’s also super important to try and use different locations for your shoots. I know it’s easy to just stick to the beach if you’re a swimwear photographer, but I think it’s so important to try and consider your backgrounds. So, when I’m planning my shoots, I try and find as many different locations as possible. I will shoot at the beach, I will shoot by the rocks, I will find greenery that I can shoot against because swimwear and nature looks really good in general.
Tip #2: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
“I know stepping out of your comfort zone is something that’s stressful and nobody really wants to do but I have to say you learn so much about yourself and your craft and it makes your work so much better. As you guys know I am a purely natural light shooter. I don’t really use flash, I don’t really like it, it’s not my jam. So, I decided to challenge myself and take some photos at night with the flash at the beach and it was such an awesome experience.”
Tip #3: Less Is More
“I know it sounds pretty simple, but it actually is. I feel like a lot of people really overcomplicate their shoot ideas, whether it be hair, makeup, styling, or the amount of light they use and so on. I find it best to keep it simple. I usually ask my girls to do their own hair and makeup. I bring some styling just because a lot of time the models don’t have access to fresh bikinis, and I do. And then we just go with it. I just want the photos to be as natural and realistic looking as possible.”
