Anatomy of a Photo Shoot

Often when I tell people I am a Photo Stylist, they are not quite sure exactly what that means. So, on a recent shoot, I took some pics to help illustrate what a day in the life of a stylist is.

This particular shoot was for Crown Point Cabinetry; we were taking pictures of a  recently renovated kitchen that features their cabinetry for use on their company website and literature. 

I am very lucky to work with the talented and fabulous Kelly McGuill on these shoots; please visit her page to see more of her extraordinary work.

We arrive on site, usually very early, armed with everything we may need, and hundreds of things we may NOT need, but better safe than sorry! We set it all up on tables so we can see and grab quickly. 

This was a kitchen shoot, so we needed food props....

And flowers.....ALWAYS flowers.

And lots of white dishes, glassware, pitchers, etc.

We survey the space we are going to photograph, and remove all of the homeowners items (carefully!) taking pictures of their things in situ so we can put them back just where they were. 

In this case, most of the items were put in an adjacent room, where our lovely friend and marketing guru from Crown Point was trying to work....this photo shows the chaos that is lurking just behind the pretty pictures!

A pretty display cabinet and counter before styling

The stove before

The pantry before

The Photographer then sets up his shots, and we get to stylin'

Once we know his angles, we set our props. The idea is to make the shot look pretty and inviting, while also highlighting and enhancing whatever the client wants to focus on - in this case, the kitchen cabinetry.

A fully styled counter top. You want to sit here while I cook for you, don't you?

Yes, you know you do.

Me? Oh, I've just come in from my cutting garden.  Just give me a minute to take off my wide brimmed gardening hat and put these in some water..

The display cabinet really just needed simplifying..so that the pretty bead board back could be better seen and admired.

It's pasta tonight, care to join us?

Do you think the homeowner would notice if the stove is missing at the end of the shoot? Sigh. Stove envy. There is one known cure (and I can't afford it).

Dessert anyone?

And coffee?

(these styled shots are the same angles as the before shots above, for comparison)

This may seem easy, but the time it takes to get each shot exactly right is quite surprising. A pitcher may be too big, a flower arrangement too small, a napkin not the right color, move it left, move it right, take it out. But it is also creative, fun (usually), rewarding, and as Kelly and I always say, better than a day in a cubicle.

Visit www.crown-point.com if you'd like info on the pretty cabinets.....