Ranking The Top 5 Fashion Photography Websites

For those of us who admire and look to gain a foothold into the fashion photography industry, finding reliable quality resources can be invaluable. Being a great fashion photographer goes beyond lighting and encompasses understanding the genre, trends, and the ever evolving industry as a whole. In this article we rank the top online resources for fashion photographers. All of these sites can serve as inspiration and show insight for both new and established members of the fashion photography industry.

#5 - Fashion Photography Blog

The Fashion Photography Blog is the original baby of fashion photographer and co-founder of "The Breed" which shows up at #3 on this list. The site brings us content that range from news to tutorials. What I like about this site is that it feels more like a stream of consciousness that is sharing basically anything Fashion Photography that is deemed sharable. There is also original content on Lighting, Marketing, Gear, and other topics that would concern those interested in fashion photography.

What keeps it lower on the list is the un-reliability of the current state of the Fashion Photography Blog. The content is strong and in high volume, but you don't know what you are going to get and when you are going to get it. On the first page you can see that there have only been a couple of post since January and they both came in the same week in June. Generally speaking content does continue to get added to the site and I think for someone interested in that industry of fashion photography, the content is very relevant and less "fluff" than most. I recommend checking this site out and going through the archives of past content there are some real gems hidden in there. Here are links to a couple of my personal favorites:

Advertising Vs Editorial

The Falling + BTS

#4 - Models.com

Models.com is a very different type of resource from the others on this list. The site, as the name would imply, centers its content around the models. Models.com is can be broken down into three main categories: Portfolios, Directory, and Rankings. Models, Photographers, Hair Stylists, Makeup Artists, Stylists, and Agencies can all register and create portfolios that visitors and members can search and view.

The Directory section is where Models.com begins to separate itself. There are many other sites out there where people can create and post portfolios, but a directory of industry specific businesses is not something you will run into quite as often. In the directory, you can search through lists of Modeling Agencies, Talent Agencies, as well as a category entitled, "Creative Talent Agencies." The Creative Talent Agencies list includes creatives like: photographers, stylists, art directors and many other categories as well.

Finally, Models.com offers great content that revolves around telling us which models are trending in the industry in various categories. Not only is this great for finding models or for models to promote themselves, but having these current lists of talent that is trending also directs us as photographers to the styles and imagery that is trending as well. I find this portion of the site in particular to be of great insight into the fashion photography industry.

#3 - The Breed

The Breed is another product of Melissa Rodwell, and Co-founded by Marius Troy. This resource is filled with original content that is directed at those in the fashion photography industry, photographers, makeup artists, stylists, and models looking to expand there skill sets and insight into the industry. Content from "The Breed" includes interviews with industry insiders, tutorials, and articles. 

What is great about this resource (and the downfall of our #5) is the predictability and reliability of the content. The Breed has regular categories of content that is posted on a weekly bases. So viewers of the site can count on new content in similar categories being posted on a regular basis.

What has limited the growth of the site, however, is their paid business model. The site, jointhebreed.com is a paid resource, you are required to sign up and pay a monthly fee. I do however think the juice is worth the squeeze on this one and recommend it to those new to the industry.

#2 - Fashionista.com

Fashionista.com can be summarized as a large online magazine. The description may lack some luster, but what has Fashionista.com ranking in at #2 is the volume of content over a large variance of topics and the relatively consistent quality of the articles on the site. All in all, Fashionista.com stays on point, meaning the content that is on the site, is content that belongs on that site and is content readers of the site want to see. News, Style, Beauty, Business, are just a few of the Fashion Industry related topics found on this resource.

Also it should be noted that Fashionista, a lot like our #1 resource, is not a Fashion Photography or Fashion Model website, it's a pure fashion site that provides insight into all facets of the industry. The content here is strong and should serve has great insight and inspiration to photographers, what may detract the casual visitor is the lack of impact visuals that often hold one's attention on other fashion oriented sites.

#1 - Fashion Gone Rogue

If this list was purely about the "Fashion Industry" we may need to flip #1 and #2, but this is a Fashion Photography list so the "photography shoot" focus of Fashion Gone Rogue, gets it the nod for the number one spot.

Fashion Gone Rogue is the visiting spot of fashion beginners as well as pros of the industry. The bulk of the content revolves around Fashion Photography shoots that are at the cusp of the industry, offering photographers and other key members of the industry a live window into the current zeitgeist of our industry. Not only though, does the site show images from current, editorial and advertising shoots, its also shares essential imagery from major events like fashion week runways. 

The volume of incredible content coupled with the search feature on the site, make Fashion Gone Rogue an encyclopedia of the fashion industry. However, I am not a fan of the new homepage design. They have made the search feature much harder to find. Another downfall of the site, is that at times, older posts include images that are no longer linked. But all in all Fashion Gone Rogue is an incredible resource.

What are some of your favorite fashion photography blogs?