One of my favorite things to tackle as a blogger… styling photo shoots! The flowers, the tableware, and all of the little details are usually planned out to T. I get asked a ton “what does a stylist do?”. Weeeeell we do quite a bit! We are like the little elves in Santa’s workshop. Or the magic makers behind Disneyland. Basically anything you see in a photoshoot is styled. From the flowers in the vase, to Whitney’s dress and shoes.
I mostly started styling for my own blog content but every now and then I get contacted by a brand or company that needs a little magic working. The starting point to any good photoshoot concept is usually the product or the subject. Most stylists / prop stylists you find usually work on a freelance basis. This type of work I usually take on a few times a year. In this case we were working with Cheeky Home and Whitney Port’s line of paper plate products for Target. (You can check out other work I’ve done with Cheeky here!).
They’re new line releases this month in Target and really is a treat for spring! The collection consists of paper plates, plastic cups, wine tumbler cups and napkins. For every product there needed to be a range of lifestyle scenarios where each piece would fit nicely. We did about 7 different shots or “scenes” so there would be quite a bit of material to show case for the line.
So you wanna know about the nitty gritty?! Styling has a lot of pluses and just like any work it’s got some tasks that I don’t love so much. Styling for the most part is great. You show up to a location and you’ve got one job. Pretty much make the space absolutely gorgeous. For every scene my goal was for Whitney to walk in naturally and do her thing in a great space.
A few weeks before I make some inspirational documents to use as a back bone. These are usually carried through out the whole planning process. They include different mood boards, palette examples and photographs of similar concepts to reference. The next step is sourcing. This can usually be enjoyable but sometimes can be challenging. Like trying to find a pink flamingo pool floaty in the middle of February #thankgoditsalwayssummerinCA
As a blogger I have a pretty extensive collection of tableware and home items and it REALLY comes in handy for these shoots. Next I make a pretty intense check list and be sure I’ve got everything from props to scissors to food and duck tape. Oh yes, you best believe I’ve got some duck tape always at the ready (the wind is not your friend people).
The night before a shoot my car is usually packed to the rim. Full of props, flowers, linens, and probably a little overboard with selections but you just NEVER KNOW if you will need a few golden pineapples! The day of a shoot is usually quite long. Filled with quick scene changes and perfecting every small detail to get the “shot”.
Afterwards it all gets packed up and I usually have quite a few shopping returns to make. The whole process sort of feels like shopping, decorating and celebrating Christmas in under a week. It can get quite tedious returning items for a shoot but alas I don’t need hundred different throw pillows of all shapes and sizes (not going to lie the pink furry one was tough to send back). The life of a stylist is glamorous for the most part and it most certainly pushes you out of your comfort zone when you’re so used to working from home.
You’re amazing! Looks gorgeous!