When beginning photography my mind was spiraling with different styles that I liked and tried to master. It took me a while to learn if I should have one definitive style or be able to offer multiple types of photography. Now, I see that it’s better to master your own personal niche instead of trying to do it all and spreading yourself too thin. For me personally, I’m drawn toward natural, bright sunlight, real life, fun loving moments and colorful settings. I did this prompt when I was trying to figure out who exactly I was trying to attract with my portfolio and it was a game changer for me. Below is are a few prompts to help guide you in finding your own style that you feel most called to and brainstorming which brands would align with your style.
1) On Instagram, create a collection and save 50 of your ALL time more inspiring photos you’ve see others create.
2) Now, to make this even harder, lets narrow these down to 10 photos that are your ultiamte favorites of the 50 favorites. These photos are your personal aesthetic inspo.
3) Let’s reflect on these 10 photos. What do they have in common? What is the lighting like? What is the location? What is the overall mood and feel the photo display? Are you drawn to a certain type of model? Are props being used, if yes, how?
4) Now, make a list of 5-10 brands you think would admire this style for their own photoshoots. A mix of smaller brands and larger brands will do. Hold onto these brands because we are going to revisit them in our pitching lesson!
Next, lets brainstorm a thought out test shoot together. These don’t have to be decided on in any particular order so you can start with where you’re feeling most inspired and add on from there.
1) What location are you envisioning? Is it in your hometown? If not, can you build out a little set inspired by this location to give the over all feel?
2) What props will you need to put the cherry on top of the theme? Where can you purchase (and maybe return) these?
3) What models do you have in mind for this shoot? If you’re from a smaller town, is there an agency you can ask for new face models? If 100% no, you don’t have access to agency models, is there someone in your town who seems to have modeling experience on her Instagram or at least knows how to pose? That’s a fine starting point but I do suggest working with agency models eventually even if you have to travel to them.
4) What are 3 keywords of the mood you’d like to capture in this shoot? Is it playful? Is it sultry?
5) What directing notes can you tell a model to help her envision herself in this mood? Are there certain poses you demonstrate for her to recreate for you? Get comfortable looking silly!
6) Will you need a hair and makeup artists (HMU) for this shoot? Or are you okay with the models doing their own makeup? If you want HMU, make sure to pull inspo photos to show the HMU artist in advance
7) How are you styling this test shoot? Will you be collaborating with a stylist? Are you going to pull the looks from a local boutique? Buy and return from a store? Ask for gifting from brands?
8) What time of day do you want to shoot this?
9) Bonus: After the shoot, do you want to send the images to brand or magazine, if so, which ones?