Young Photographer: how to get started in fashion photography, with Wanda Martin

Shooting fashion in natural light

Wanda's fashion style has been shaped by classical artists. "Since my background is in fine art, my visual references are often paintings and sculptures," she says. "I'm obsessed with 19th century paintings, such as the pre-Raphaelites' work. When I'm shooting on location, I prefer using natural light coming in from the side or from a window, as in classical paintings."

For this shoot in an eclectic London terrace, she harnessed the wide dynamic range and low-light capabilities of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II to use only natural light on a dim, indoor shoot. "This camera was love at first sight," she says, having used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II for the past eight years. Both remain in her kitbag and allow her to explore a key element of her photographic style – high ISO.

"I like to shoot at high ISO, because I like the grainy, noisy effect. It has an almost filmic effect that I really like. When it's a commercial job, the client doesn't necessarily like the grain, but I like it. I regularly shoot at ISO3200, but with the EOS-1D X Mark II I have been able to use ISO5000 and, while there was a little noise, it was so different to my other camera."

By pairing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with her new lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Wanda has increased her capacity for low-light shooting. "Before, I was using the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and compared to that, you can open up the aperture much, much more [using the f/2.8L]. It just lets a lot more light in, so for shooting in low light and on location, it makes my life much easier. I also like using zoom lenses as, when I start shooting, I like being dynamic and don't want to interrupt the shoot to change lenses."

For Rianna, who has always been cautious of using high ISO, it was a revelation to see this part of Wanda's work. "I taught myself on YouTube and everyone said not to go past, say, ISO800, because it won't look professional, and she's shooting at 3200 and the photos all look amazing," Rianna says. "Grain is quite in at the moment, and I normally add grain to my pictures [in post-production], so it's interesting that I always go lower even though I'm going to add the grain later."

Fashion outside of a studio

For Rianna's shoot, she took to the streets, allowing canals, graffiti-strewn industrial buildings and housing estates to form the background of an urban fashion shoot. Snow and icy temperatures meant Rianna had limited time to get her shots, but the overcast sky encouraged her to experiment – at Wanda's suggestion – with coloured gels tied over a Canon Speedlite flash. These added a sunny orange glow to her photos of two models beside a housing estate.

Wanda Martin's business tips for aspiring fashion photographers

1. Be your own agent and champion
"When you start out, you have to be your own agent. Sometimes you send out 50 emails per day, and sometimes you get only one answer back or nothing at all. In the age of social media, you don't necessarily need to have an agent. You're managing yourself and putting your work out there. So many jobs found me through social media, and it's a very good way of finding people. You can just drop a message and amazing collaborations, and even new friendships, can come up. The most important thing, besides being talented and having all the technical skills, is networking. You cannot be shy, and you have to push yourself."

2. Use personal projects and editorial to get commercial work
"In order to get commercial work, I definitely suggest shooting editorial. It's not where the money is, but it's a very good way to experiment, improve your technical skills and find your own style. Personal projects are a good way to start thinking about what you're interested in, in terms of themes or topics. What kind of models do you want to shoot? What kind of locations do you want to shoot in? Through your personal work you develop a style that you're going to use in your commercial work, and you start building up a portfolio to show clients."

3. Create an authentic aesthetic
"The key is being yourself and being genuine by shooting what you're interested in. When it comes to building up your portfolio, you have to shoot whoever you want and whatever you want to talk about in your work – your images are your messages. First of all, you have to have a message, and it's good if you have a visual aesthetic. I'm very much inspired by 19th century paintings, and when you look at my pictures you can see that inspiration and reference. It's really important to develop a visual style of your own."

Rianna Gayle's top tips

1. Start shooting whatever you can
"Get out and start shooting. Most of the shoots I did for the first few months were of friends. I begged friends to let me take pictures of them and fell in love with photography even more. It's a good way to learn because you know them, so you don't feel embarrassed if you don't necessarily know what you're doing, take ages getting a shot or have to say, 'This one didn't come out well, can I do something else?' I think that's how I learned to be a lot more comfortable, by just shooting friends and playing around."

2. Maximise social media and online resources
"Reach out to people on social media. There are a lot of people who are aspiring bloggers or models or stylists who want images for their portfolio and will happily work with you. I've mostly shot people whose fashion I admired online and I've seen on Instagram. Watch as much as possible on YouTube to learn from other photographers. There are so many free ways to learn now that you don't have to go to a photography lesson – I taught myself photography on YouTube."

3. Invest in a good multi-purpose zoom lens
"Get yourself a decent lens, even if you have a cheap camera body. My favourite lens is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM. I find it to be the most versatile. Primes are good, but when you're on a shoot and you want to get a variety of shots, I find that it's so easy to use a zoom lens. You can go for a really tight close-up or you can go really wide and you don't have to change lenses, so I find that to be the quickest and most versatile lens to work with."