Photographer drags 'fashionistas' kicking and screaming into the 21st century

ALISTAIR COWIN, the international fashion and beauty photographer, will be explaining the advantages of digital imaging and demonstrating its use in a professional fashion environment by combining actual fashion shoots with a series of hands-on seminars at the Worx Studios in London during April and May 2003.

Following a 15 year stint working in the USA, Alistair started shooting with a digital camera in '98 and was quickly converted. He has recently returned to the UK and has made it his mission to convince UK fashion and advertising clients about the efficiencies and economies to be achieved by switching to digital photography.

Electronic imaging has been around for so long now that Alistair was surprised to discover on his return that an industry that is so quick to promote new trends is being so slow in embracing new technology. Kodak has estimated that in Europe only about 15% of photographers in the fashion field are shooting digitally whereas at least 55% in the US are using it on a regular basis.

Alistair says, The old excuses given to clients about lack of resolution, poor colour consistency and problematic image storage are no longer valid. The benefits of shooting digitally such as creative immediacy, fast turn round, instant selection and greatly reduced production costs are such an obvious advantage that clients reluctance to change astonishes me. I suspect its because a lot of photographers are either afraid of the new technology or just want to hang on to the sizeable profits traditionally earned from buying and processing film. Incidentally the printing industry also has a lot to lose with the general acceptance of digital input because it dispels a lot of the myths that have surrounded the printing process."

The few companies in the UK that have seen the light and have pioneered digital technology since it started have seen it improve to a point now that it is the equal of analogue in almost all respects and even exceeds it in some important areas.

The French owned group REDCATS, who produce a wide range of mail order catalogues in the UK, are one of the companies that made the brave decision to change the way they work. They used Alistair specifically to research and develop their digital image capture in the fashion area. All sections in their catalogues are now shot and printed digitally and Janet Bunch, their Senior Catalogue Manager says We are delighted with the shorter lead times, the considerable savings in related photographic expenses and the significant overall reduction in production costs. The project has been a great success".

Alistair has established a reputation as one of the leading exponents in digital fashion photography and his seminars will provide a fascinating insight into what is currently happening in the photographic arena of fashion. (630 words)

# # # # #