If you’re new here- welcome! And if you’re not…good to see ya again!!!

So you’re obviously here because you want to either coordinate a styled shoot or you want to be a part of one in some way. Well you’ve come to the right place my friend. 

Styled shoots can be used for various different reasons but the main and most basic one is to bring a vision to life and a team together that can do so.

Why Styled Shoots Are Impactful

They are highly popular among wedding photographers and other wedding vendors to head out the trends that are coming in for the following season so that incoming couples can see what they can create and what the couple themselves can ask for.

But it doesn’t just live among the wedding industry…many other couples and family photographers (like myself as New Jersey elopement photographer) put on styled shoots as well. 

It is a useful tool to meet other vendors and network your business so that referrals can continue to drive clients your way- especially if it’s a successful shoot (we’ll get into that).

Many photographers will hold a styled shoot either to be published and get noteriety for their work or to be compensated by charging other photographers to be a part of it as a “content day”.

All reasons are important (some more than others) and it’s important to understand what you’re getting into and why you’re doing it when it comes to a styled shoot. 

8 years ago (WOAH!!) I knew I wanted to dive head first into the wedding industry the moment I graduated from photography school so I also knew that I needed a strong portfolio of work.

But how the heck am I supposed to have a wedding portfolio if I haven’t shot any weddings? 

That’s when I knew I needed to host a styled shoot so that I can 1. Have content to share and 2. Meet other local vendors that I may encounter at some of my future weddings. 

Steps to Create A Styled Shoot & My Experience

I started with the following steps to get myself started:

1. Decided I wanted this to be solely a collaboration rather than a paid event

2. Created a mood board (if you’re not familiar with what this is click here for my mood board blog!!!) 

3. Posted in the local New Jersey Wedding and Elopement Facebook group in search of the vendors I was looking to work with (planner, florist, venue, etc.) 

4. Find the subject (i.e the couple, family, or models you want to work with)

5. Narrowed down my vendor list and communicated very clearly my intention, my goal, and what I am looking to get out of this shoot. I also listened to what they wanted as well.

Now the first step is debatably the most important one. Many styled shoots are paid for by either the photographer or whomever is hosting the shoot.

In this case, I was just starting out so I knew I needed this to be a “collab”, which generally means no exchange of money. But I would never assume this so make sure it is clear up front.

If you are the Photographer, you want to make clear that the return is your images free of charge and vice versa. It is helpful to find other vendors who are just starting out as well because they may be in more of a position to barter their services in exchange for content and social media recognition. Just be respectful when asking in advance! 

The other important step is finding who you are going to photograph because this is 50% of your shoot. They need to be comfortable in front of the camera and willing to be posted on social media.

I always recommend going with a REAL couple or family vs. a model because you are going to get real emotion out of your images and that is what you want your potential clients to FEEL. Although models know what to do and how to pose, you’re not going to get any real life experience out of guiding them because they don’t need to be told how to look good in front of the camera.

You need to photograph real people to get real images (now that’s not to say models aren’t real people but you get what I mean) 

Once you’ve narrowed down your vendor list with who you need and what is going to be included, now it’s time to bring it all to life. Clearly communicate the details, arrival time, breakdown time, and return time on the images so that everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect. 

Whether you’re just starting out or doing this as a way to create more content, you need to hold a reputation that’s respectable and people will want to work with you again. 

Now to the final step. The shoot day is here, your gear is ready to go, and you have a good nights rest. It’s game time baby.

When you show up to the shoot- it is YOUR event. It is YOUR vision. Take the lead and own it. 

Don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid to take chances because this is the time to experiment and make art.

It is easy to fall into the trap of “oh all the work is already done now this is the easy part”. But this is when you need to show up for yourself and the small businesses you brought into this shoot to work with.

Everything may look pretty, but it is up to you to make emotion come from within. Keep a “shot list” of all the images you are hoping to create and get crazy with it.

Now is the time to take the leap and create something new. 

I hope this was helpful in walking you through what a styled shoot is and how you can start the process of creating one yourself. You got this!