∴What is a Lookbook?∴

Spring’s given way to the heat of summer here in Seoul, which means lookbook season is about to get underway.

Setting the tone for my latest lookbook, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘lookbook’ neither was I when, 8 or 9 years ago, I found myself agreeing to shoot one.

A lookbook is a set of images displaying a brand’s latest range of clothing. It’s typically tied to the season: S, S, W, F or SS and FW. Lookbooks are one half of the fashion work I do in Korea, the other being E-comm (or here we call it ‘Catalogue’).

The first lookbook I ever shot was kind of intense because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. It was in a nightclub and on its rooftop. During the day. I remember rushing like crazy to finish so I wouldn’t be late for my day job.

2015. I was 26.

I couldn’t have known it then but this was more or less the springboard for how I’d be spending a lot of my time over the next (nearly) 10 years. I’ve shot dozens of lookbooks since that first one, in studio, on location, once in a while in another country. I like the work because at the best of times I feel like I’m getting paid to play.

Vladivostok, 2017.

So this week I’d like to share some images from my latest lookbook. It was shot on Korea’s west coast on a bright, hot day. I had 5 hours to cover 26 outfits, with a little walking time to get to the various locations (I’m still limping a bit from the shot to my knee skateboarding). I hope you like them.

If anyone has any questions about the fashion work I do, or how I go about working as a photographer in general, please ask! The transition to getting paid for images can be a mysterious one. I’d love to help demystify it if I can.

Cheers,

Chris