Sony Artisan Nino Rakichevich has been a professional photographer for over 40 years, and every year he goes to Paris for Fashion Week. While he’s there, he also shoots editorials for fashion magazines. “It’s the best time to photograph fashion editorials because all the newest, latest fashion is going to be out at that time,” he explains, “and all of the designers want to promote their new collections. It’s the best time to be here in Paris and why I come here every summer.” Throughout the events of Paris Fashion Week, Rakichevich aims to get those unique backstage photos. “Why do I photograph backstage? Because not everyone can get a backstage pass. So I want to be one of those very few that can get that backstage pass because not many can get those images.” Fashion Week moves very quickly, and Rakichevich says he has to mostly make use of available light and for that he relies on his Sony gear. Keep reading as he shares what you’ll find in his kit for fashion editorials at Paris Fashion Week.
Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 1
–Sony Alpha 7R V
–Sony Alpha 7CR
–Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II
–Sony TOUGH SD Cards
–Sony Z Batteries
Cameras
I mostly work with available light when I’m taking images at Fashion Week, and all of the images shown here were taken this way. Why do I use available light? Because I totally trust the dynamic range of my Sony cameras. 12 years ago I switched to Sony because of the dynamic range. Of course you have to be careful when you do that and you need an understanding of how to deal with available light, but the dynamic range of Sony cameras is what allows me to do that.
Sony Alpha 1: This is the ultimate camera. The best. In addition to its dynamic range, the Sony Alpha 1 has more than 50 megapixels which is plenty for shooting fashion editorials. When I want to go even higher for cropping or blowing up images, that’s when I’ll grab my Sony Alpha 7R V.
Backstage at the Walter Van Beirendonck SS25 fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/80-sec., f/1.4, ISO 800
Sony Alpha 7R V: I love having a lot of megapixels, and at 61 megapixels the Sony Alpha 7R V comes in on top. It allows me to crop my images without sacrificing quality. Plus, I also do big blowups of the images and having those extra megapixels makes it easy to create things like posters or fine pieces of art.
Backstage at the Julien Fournie couture fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/50-sec., f/2.8, ISO 1000
Sony Alpha 7CR: It has essentially the same sensor as the Sony Alpha 7R V, but it's super compact and great for the quick nature of Fashion Week. With the sensor in the Sony Alpha 7CR, I'm getting the same dynamic range as I do with my Sony Alpha 7R V, so I know that I can still capture great images with this camera while only using available light.
Backstage at the Tony Ward couture fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/500-sec., f/1.4, ISO 250
Lenses
Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master: This is my go-to lens, period. I absolutely love this lens because it’s so versatile. It's an f/1.4 lens, so I can blur the background with it, I can also shoot portraits and full body shots. The Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master enables me to shoot in low light conditions while staying super sharp.
Backstage at the Julien Fournie couture fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/500-sec., f/1.4, ISO 800
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II: It's absolutely amazing. The Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II is very light for its focal range and maximum aperture which makes iteasy to carry wth me during the more frenetic moments of Fashion Week. It’s also incredibly sharp and gives me the perfect range for fashion photography.
Backstage at the Yanina Couture fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 2000
Accessories
Sony TOUGH SD Cards: I use the Dual Card Slots in both of my cameras and have SD cards in each, so I always make sure to have extra with me. I prefer the Sony TOUGH cards, each of mine is 256GB so I have plenty of space for the still that I’m shooting.
Sony Z Batteries: I always carry two extra Z batteries and those are enough for a full day of shooting.
Business Cards: You’re meeting all of these people in the industry while you’re there, so it’s great to have these to hand to everyone. I know some people may think that business cards are getting a little old fashioned nowadays, but I know that they really work. You’re leaving something tangible with people and they do appreciate it.
Backstage at the Tony Ward couture fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/160-sec., f/2.8, ISO 800
Dust Blower: I bring this along just in case I need to clean my sensor.
Cleaning Cloth: I always have this with me in case I need to clean my lenses. I also wear glasses so I often need to clean those too.
Mask: There are always a lot of people at Paris Fashion Week and you are constantly around everyone. Covid was bad this year in Paris so I kept a mask in my kit.
Backstage at the MASU SS25 fashion show, Paris. Photo by Nino Rakichevich. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/60-sec., f/4, ISO 200
Portable Hard Drives: These are very important. I always backup everything on three hard drives. 2TB is enough for me for five weeks in Paris since I’m shooting mostly stills.
Peak Design 20 L Everyday Backpack (Not Pictured): This entire kit fits in this bag together with my laptop.
See more of Nino Rakichevich’s work on his Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @nino_rakichevich.
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