Let’s be honest: look book photography isn’t glamorous. It won’t get you a Vogue cover or a viral campaign, but it will get you paid. Repeatedly. Reliably. And if you’re smart about it, it can become one of the most consistent and lucrative income streams in your photography business.

When I owned a huge photography studio in Los Angeles, I saw client after client booking my studio. I’d see the photographers create the most uninspiring lighting, and it puzzled me. How did they book that many jobs? It’s easy. It’s not about the photograph—it’s about the clothing they are pushing to department stores, online sites, and buyers across the world. That’s why I re-created the Banana Republic campaign in the studio. If you learn this lighting that I demonstrate in the video, you should be on your way to profitability rather quickly!

Look Book Photography is Profitable

Fashion brands need look books every single season: winter, spring, summer, fall. And when you nail the first one, odds are they’ll call you back for the next three because of continuity with the brand and because you are easy to work with. That’s the magic. For the look book industry, they aren’t looking for something out of Vogue magazine. Quite honestly, they want JCPenney-level lighting in a modern way.

The lighting has to be clean, minimal, and flattering. Not creative. Not artsy. Not dramatic. This is not the time to “show your range.” This is the time to showcase clothes. You’re creating a tool that helps a brand sell. That means soft shadows, even exposure, and no moody distractions that hide the garment’s details.

Let’s talk about a lighting setup that gets you 85% of the way there every time. This is my 85% rule, and it’s what I teach any of my students. You don’t want to copy someone’s style 100%. You can be inspired up to 85%, and the last 15% is your magic. Even with the boring look book photography lighting, you can bring in your own style. The video shows you how to do that.

When you get it right, you’ll see it: your client’s garments suddenly look like they belong in a Banana Republic campaign.

Fashion brands aren’t looking for lighting experiments. They’re looking for consistency, clarity, and confidence. They want to flip through a look book and immediately understand how a garment looks, moves, and fits.

If your images feel editorial or overly stylized, they can’t make purchasing decisions. Simple lighting builds trust, and it screams “I know what I’m doing.” And trust leads to repeat work—especially in fashion, where campaigns roll out multiple times a year.

Master this setup. Tweak it slightly for each brand. Learn how to keep the lighting neutral but beautiful. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. You need to be the person they call every time. Watch the video to get a play-by-play of this Banana Republic–style shoot.



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