Colors often play a major role in fashion photography projects that call for it. Therefore, I consider being able to use them effectively as a prized skill in the field.

During my recent portfolio searches for fashion photography inspiration, I came across this striking editorial by Los Angeles-based Ekaterina Belinskaya. I’m a big fan of vibrant colors and conceptual approaches to the genre, so the entire collection easily caught my attention.

The Moscow-born art director and photographer was initially drawn to the sciences as a young girl, but she unexpectedly found her creative side during her studies. She eventually specialized in portraits and fashion photography, with her works featured in noteworthy magazines like Elle, L’Officiel, Rogue and Forbes.

A dream world built on colors

As someone who is typically drawn to impressive use of colors for fashion photography, I find Ekaterina’s work a visual treat. She considers her work as a fairy tale, and the elements of this collection fit that description really well — from her chosen location for the shoot, to the quirky wardrobe and styling.

It’s not enough for the colors to clash or mix and match; they should complement each other. Ekaterina executes this really well throughout the set with her use of bright, complementary colors. This is also why a great collaboration is crucial for a chosen palette to work. That said, the wardrobe by Residency and makeup by Olga Voronova for the shoot work really well to bring out Ekaterina’s fun and quirky ideas to life.

Painting surreal imagery through fashion photography

I find concept-driven editorials shoots to be among the most challenging but also impressive approaches to fashion photography. Themes that explore surrealism and quirky imagery have been increasingly popular in the recent years, and works by imaginative photographers like Ekaterina easily show us why. They stand out from the mainstream style we typically see in advertising campaigns and look books, and expand our creativity with the storytelling.

This series encourages us to experiment with visual elements like wardrobe and styling to create something different, playful and out of the box. For this particular set, Ekaterina was going for something dreamlike to catch the viewers’ attention. I think she even let the concept shape the fashion elements themselves, not the other way around. So, if you’re stuck in a rut with your own portrait or fashion photography, I’m sure trying out this approach to get your creative juices flowing.

If you also enjoyed this creative series, make sure to visit Ekaterina Belinskaya’s website and Behance page to see more of her beautiful fashion photography.

All photos by Ekaterina Belinskaya. Used with Creative Commons permission.