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Read This BEFORE You Pick the Clothes for Your Next Photoshoot

Photographers, learn how to think like a stylist with this Q&A...

By Claire PetersenPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Alan Toye styled singer-songwriter Naoise Roo for the Black Hole music video

As a photographer, you're focused on getting the shot. You're thinking of the composition, lighting, what kind of edit you'll do later...

With so much to consider, you'll be forgiven for forgetting to consider what exactly the model is going to wear. However—unless you're shooting nudes—styling is another vital aspect of the shoot that you should be thinking about.

You probably can't work with a stylist for every photoshoot you do, but you can think like a stylist on every shoot. I spoke with Dublin-based stylist Alan Toye to find out how photographers can style their own shoots on a budget.

Q: If a photographer wants to do a simple portrait photoshoot, focused on the face rather than the clothes, how should they style this?

A: If you're styling for a portrait shoot, keep it very simple clothing wise. Avoid any sort of accessories. Use neutral tones like black, beige, some browns. White you can use, it can look very fresh, but I sometimes recommend against it because it can look like stock photography.

I would advise using chunky knitwear, like a roll neck, as it gives character to the model without taking anything away from the shot itself. It's not going to distract from the model's face.

Avoid graphic prints or bright colours or anything bold because, again, it will completely distract from the subject matter, which is ultimately supposed to be the face.

Q: How can the photographer source these clothes?

A: A lot of stuff you might already have yourself because you're only looking for something basic. You might already have it in your wardrobe, or ask a friend.

You can also, of course, ask a model what they have in advance. If you're doing this, ask to see it in advance because it's not their job to supply the clothing. You need to make sure that you know what you're working with in advance and how it's going to look.

Q: But what if you're a male photographer shooting a female photographer? Can you still delve into your wardrobe in this case?

A: If it's just for a portrait shot, you can use men's wear. It's not going to make much of a difference. If it's a simple v-neck or like a crew neck top, it doesn't matter if it's men's wear or women's wear. If it's too big, you just pin it at the back. If it's a portrait shoot it's supposed to be all about the face so it really doesn't matter what the clothing is.

If you don't have anything at your disposal, I would recommend using charity shops or second-hand stores because you can find something simple and versatile for super cheap.

Q: At a certain point, I think a photographer needs to start building out a team and collaborating with different people. If they're looking to work with a stylist, how should they go about this?

A: In advance of even contacting a stylist, you need to be aware of what you're looking for from them. You need to know, are you looking for a stylist just to style, or do you want them to come up with the concept for the styling as well? Do you have a preexisting moodboard or do you just have a setting and you want them to run with it?

You just need to be aware of what exactly the expectations are and let them know too, so that nobody is overstepping the mark and everyone knows what is expected of them.

You need to be aware of their strengths as well as your own. Are they used to styling shoots? Are they used to styling for a particular brand? Do they usually do TV spots, or are they a personal stylist, or do they do fashion shows? Because they don't always cross over that well, so you need to be aware of what their strengths are. Your stylist might pick up on certain areas where you're lacking and vice versa. It's always important to pick a strong collaborator for that reason.

Pictured: Musician Naoise Roo, styled by Alan Toye

Q: And how should they even contact you? Would you find it unprofessional, if someone slid into your DMs?!

A: No, definitely not. Nowadays, Instagram is the biggest calling card for so many people in the industry. It's such an easy way to find someone whose style you really like.

I don't think that nowadays—especially not in a creative industry—anyone would find it unprofessional to reach out to someone via Instagram. It's the easiest way for you to show your work, for them to show theirs, for you to access each other.

Q: On the set of a photoshoot, what kind of problems might arise?

A: A photographer needs to be aware that what they see through the lens, is not what the stylist is seeing. So if the stylist is off to your right or left, they're not seeing exactly how it's framed. You need to let them know, okay, this is sticking out or this doesn't look right.

Q: When it comes to the styling, is there such a thing as too perfect? Can an outfit look too rigid or artificial?

A: If I'm doing an editorial, I might want it to be a bit more raw because the edginess might give it a bit more authenticity. In this case I'm not trying to sell the clothing, we're trying to sell the story and the mood more than anything else. If you're not trying to sell clothing, I wouldn't worry about a wrinkle here or there. You want something to be a bit more creative and for your shoots to stand out; you want bolder styling.

If everything looks very neat and proper, it can be boring. Whereas if you have a jacket with the sleeves rolled up and the shirt that's a little unbuttoned, it's already more interesting. It's not going to look as polished, but it will probably be more interesting.

Thank you for all those amazing tips, Alan!

For more styling inspiration, be sure to follow Alan on Instagram or Twitter @alantoye.

You can also follow me @shotbyclairep.

For more tips, check out my course (with a 14-day free trial of Skillshare): How to do a Street Style Photoshoot: Finding a Model, Location Scouting, Styling & the Shoot Day.

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About the Creator

Claire Petersen

Berlin-based fashion photographer from Ireland

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