I’ve recently enjoyed the pleasure of receiving questions regarding my photo styling career, and I’m happy to share my experiences — and a few photos from my fashion styling portfolio!
Until recently, stylists were underrated and rarely credited outside of the industry. Most people I meet think I’m a hair stylist when I tell them I am a “stylist.” Thankfully, with additional exposure from celebrity stylists, as well as the blogsosphere, a photo stylist’s behind-the-scenes work has been more widely acknowledged.
With that said, Jess (who will be sharing her lovely favorite vintage things soon!) recently asked a few questions:
“How did you get into styling?”
My journey to becoming a photo stylist was quite serendipitous. I actually started in the industry as a teen model, and when the photographers and art directors liked the clothes I brought to the shoot more than the stylists’ choices, I took that as a sign that I should work behind the camera. I started building my portfolio, and since I was lucky enough to already have connections with photographers and art directories, the transition was quite natural for me.
“How do you find jobs for that?”
Finding styling jobs requires diligence in putting yourself “out there.” For example, if you see a photographer whose work you like, or who you believe has a synergistic style with you, then you contact them to see if you can put dynamics in motion. There is no central repository of jobs, and the industry is “traditional” in the sense that networking plays an important role. Some stylists are repped by agencies, while others manage their own bookings.
“Do you do interior styling on a freelance basis?”
By trade, I am a fashion stylist. Being in California, most of my work is commercial, with the occasional (b-list) celebrity styling gig. I am transitioning into prop styling, and if the opportunity presented itself, I would enjoy styling shelter photo shoots.
I thought I would also share the answer I sent to Jackie, who recently asked, “What’s your styling job like?”
No two styling gigs are ever the same. One day I find myself styling a risque bikini calender photo shoot, while the next day, I’m styling models to look like Fortune 500 types for an ad campaign. The week afterwards I may be lugging trunks of clothes down to the desert for a spec shoot. But to generalize, I work with the client to understand their goals and vision, and then I pull or purchase the appropriate clothes for all of the models, prep the wardrobe, and then dress the models. During the photo shoot, I ensure that all of the clothes look great on the models — by any means necessary, even if it includes sewing the models directly into the outfit!
If you have more questions about the world of photo styling, please feel free to ask!