When you are photographing fashion, you are trying to sell a lifestyle just as much as the clothes themselves. This is something that Italian photographer Maki Galimberti does in his work, but he must adapt to the different clients and brands he works with.

One recent campaign that Maki shot was for Italian clothing brand OVS. “The courageous idea was to make real women the subjects of the campaign, instead of models. They wanted the clothes to be worn by real women in authentic, everyday scenarios so that the images are genuine and relatable.”

Set across three Italian cities, Milan, Palmero and Venice, Maki admitted there were many logistical challenges when shooting the campaign. None of the city locations were shut down for the shoot, meaning that he had to not only manage the direction of the subjects but also members of the public going about their daily lives.

“It is so much more difficult shooting in public compared to working in a studio,” says Maki. “It’s hard work to ensure the subject remains the focus of the image and avoid letting any distractions make their way into the background.”

The Sony Alpha 1 offers three key features that enabled Maki to work quickly and reliably to get the shots despite the chaos of Italian street life. The first being the shooting rate – although the 30fps shooting rate of the Alpha 1 is a lot for a fashion shoot, it does mean that you can choose the perfect moment where the movement, shape of the clothes and subject's expression create a flawless image.

Then the incredible 50.1-megapixel resolution created by the full-frame sensor allows for the creation of detailed images that the client needs to use the images, for everything from magazines to billboards.

Finally, there is the focusing speed. “The tracking AF allowed me to focus completely on the subject, whilst I carefully composed the image to keep unwanted distractions out of the frame,” Maki said.

The goal was to create a series of images showing the subjects looking natural, with a documentary-style feel. One way that Maki achieved this was by shooting with the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS zoom lens. Although the 200-600mm focal length may seem an odd choice for a commercial fashion shoot, the focus speed and versatility of the lens made it a great choice as Maki moved from location to location, finding the perfect angles and scenes to take the shots.

“Using a longer lens and standing further from my subjects was less intimidating for non-professional models. It made them feel more relaxed,” explains Maki. “The outcome of using the telephoto lens also helped the style of the image – the narrow field of view helps to minimise the amount of background seen in photos, and it enhances our focus on the subject. It also creates this feeling of a 'stolen' look, similar to a shot taken by paparazzi.”

With no external lighting, Maki relied on daylight to shoot the project. “I prefer the warm, soft, light in the early morning and the evening at sunset. It is the ideal light to gently light faces and to show-off the clothes,” reveals Maki.

However, working in public places and with different people, it wasn't always possible to shoot during these ideal times. “During these times the best solution is to take shelter from the direct sunlight and find locations that are more shaded, or where light reflecting from buildings can help create more flattering, even, light.”

Once the shoot was finished, Maki's work was not over. The editing phase is just as important and brings all the images together as a series, which was essential for this campaign. “I will go through each photo one by one,” says Maki, “pulling together a selection of two or three top images captured in each moment. Once I have that selection, I then make them look like a cohesive series, to ensure seamless storytelling.”

“But the challenge came as all these images were shot at different locations, during various times of day, so that is where raw editing software came to save me.  Alongside this and with support from the post-production team, we can add colour and contrast to images to make them a harmonious series of photos. Once the final images for the campaign were chosen, the post-production team refined them further to get them ready for publication. Then that’s a wrap!”.