Photography is inherently vital to the fashion industry. Fashion relies heavily on photography to connect with other sectors it needs to exist, including its customers. Fashion catalogs and magazines are filled with beautiful images. 

Clothing websites are as well. Advertisers rely on images to sell clothes. And yet, there's a good chance you have given this symbiotic relationship - between photography and fashion - little consideration as a photographer. But perhaps you should, particularly if you're thinking of venturing into that genre for future projects. 

If you're interested in fashion photography, you should understand the numerous ways in which fashion relies on photography and photographers. That knowledge can provide insight into where and how you can enter the industry.

Let's examine three ways photography works with or affects the fashion industry. 

Connectivity & Connection

The invention of photography allowed fashion designers and advertisers to introduce their designs to the world using photographs. In other words, photography opened a new avenue for displaying and selling fashion, nothing short of revolutionizing an industry. It directly connected those in and outside the fashion community.

Where buyers once had to attend fashion shows or rely on hand-drawn sketches to see a fashion designer's creations, they could now rely on pictures to connect with brands across the globe. Photography helped introduce fashion to the masses.

More recently, modern technology further revolutionized the industry through smartphones and social media, which made fashion images even more universal. Photography has literally opened the world to designers of all levels. 

Fashion Week

Thanks to press corps photographers, you can almost attend fashion week without actually attending. Photography allows fashion designs to travel the world almost instantaneously, allowing people to follow fashion shows and current trends.

"Man or woman on the street " images also give viewers a glimpse of what Fashion Week attendees are wearing as they arrive at the shows around the globe. Photographers capture the latest fashions from places like Milan, Stockholm, and New York City. You can see them wherever you are - without the need to travel. 

Blogs

The popularity of fashion blogs has created an additional need for fashion images. Some fashion blogs have a huge following, sometimes hundreds of thousands of followers. Without amazing photos, it's doubtful that a fashion blog would succeed.

And providing images for a successful blog can offer a photographer some great business opportunities. Selling pictures to a popular fashion blog can garner exposure and followers while earning money. It's also an excellent way to build a portfolio. While the photographer makes up one element of a blog, another is the fashion enthusiast who uses a blog's images to stay abreast of the latest trends.  

Then there's the fashion-forward photographer who writes and photographs their own fashion blog, using their own photography to build a community of followers. As you can see, photography benefits the fashion industry through blogs. It creates a win-win for the blogger, follower, and photographer. 

Conclusion

Photography is integral to the fashion industry and its success. Modern technology has further revolutionized both industries, as images can be viewed almost instantly. And photo editing is easier - and faster than ever. Photography has "democratized" fashion by making it the most accessible that it's ever been.

What happens in Milan can be seen in Miami in seconds. Catalogs filled with beautiful clothes are available online or in print. You don't have to imagine a designer's style. Thanks to photography, and the easy dissemination of images across the globe, you can see it for yourself.