6 Ingredients of Successful Styled shoots
This one’s for the wedding pros: the trendsetters and gogetters who find themselves enraptured in a world of creativity and everyone in the wedding industry trying to cut through the clutter and be seen online. You may be working on one right now or wanting to shoot at least 10 different styled shoots because ideas keep coming and you want to do a shoot with them before someone else does. In continuaion to our Styled Shoot 101 series, today we’re talking about the 6 ingredients we believe that every creative collaboration needs!
Photo Draper Gray from this Desert Oasis Editorial
Successful Styled Shoots Have:
1. More often than not, you’re going to see lots of real couples: Nothing warms our hearts more than seeing real couples interact in these settings. They’re probably comfortable with each other, their poses will be more natural and let’s face it, their emotions will be real. We love seeing diversity in submissions, so putting a model call encouraging models of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds is even better!
2. Inspirational Florals: We’re betting you have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. On the one hand, it’s an incredibly vast source for inspiration, but on the other, it can put limitations on creativity as clients call for exact replicas. We don’t have to tell you twice! Today it’s even more important to let your vision run wild in these inspirational shoots because publishers are not always looking for pretty. They’re on the lookout for something that hasn’t been done before.
Photo Greg Finck from this fine art teal editorial
Photo by Charla Storey from this architectural ruins wedding inspiration
3. A Wow Dress: You know what we mean! Color, pattern, fluttery appliqués… the dress is one of the biggest focal points and will probably be the one element that appears in the most shots. We’re always looking for fashion statements that tell a story as strongly as the decor they’re set against.
Photo Emily Wren from this modern painterly editorial
4. Unique Setting: Never underestimate the power of your blank canvas! The more unique the venue, the greater the variety of shots you’ll have. Look for venues that align with the moodboard for the styled shoot and do a walkthrough the days leading up to shoot, just like how you would with a real wedding to plan ahead for the images you’ll be taking.
Photo by Katie Harmsworth from this mixed metals inspiration
A light and airy romantic styled shoot works best in outdoor spaces or large and bright venues with a touch of historical charm. Are you going for a boho elopement? Look for venues with a wide variety of backgrounds and spots since the focus is mainly on the couple. National parks have been popular for these, but be sure to check with the park first if they allow professional photography and if a license is required.
Look for spots with clean, solid backgrounds not just for the portraits, but also for the table, cake and ceremony space and other details besides flatlays. Remember everything that’s behind the object – whether that’s the color or the texture, will add to the style of the shoot. Outdoor spaces with lots of greenery and wood can very quickly give a rustic feel to the images for example.
Photo by Kylie Mones from this mauve and apricot wedding inspiration
5. Fresh color palettes: this is a great example of when you should zag when everyone zigs! Tired of blush pink? Go the opposite direction. Pick color combos beyond Pantone’s color of the year. The color palette you choose can be your secret sauce to creating an editorial that stands out from the crowd, so don’t be afraid to go bold.
Photo by Kate Anfinson from this natural greenhouse wedding inspiration
6. A Continuous Mood or Motif Throughout the Shoot: in another words, it’s all about cohesion. One way to that is keeping textures and colors the same or similar for all vignettes you’ll shoot or style. Doesn’t have to be matchy-matchy, but having a visually cohesive set of images throughout the gallery makes a shoot stand out and be more recognizable.
Photo by Kylie Mones from this mauve and apricot wedding inspiration
Once you have an idea for a shoot, it’s time startcollaborating with a team of vendors to bring it all to life.
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