Behind the Scenes of an Editorial Photo Shoot
On Thursday 28 October I was contacted by an agency asking whether I was interested in styling a Nottingham based couple for a photoshoot with the Sun. I was hesitant given the short notice and being in the midst of the school half term holidays, but seized the opportunity!
The Brief
To style local business women Gemma Wilks and her partner Jamie. The article was about Gemma photographing and writing dating profiles for the lonely, through her business We Just Clicked. I was asked to source and style outfits for both Gemma and Jamie that were soft, natural , classy and glam. The suggestion for Gemma was a blue wrap dress and a top and trouser combination for Jamie.
The Mooboard
I've styled plenty of branding photo shoots in the past, but never one without having meant the client before! On the basis of a theme revolving around a blue dress I searched Pinterest for some ideas. I found the most effective pairings to have a high contrast between the couple featured, so that if Gemma was in a mid to dark blue dress, having Jamie in a light coloured top with light shoes would offer a good contrast, whilst ensuring that Gemma was the focus.
Sourcing the Outfits
Given the late notice, there wasn't adequate time to order pieces online as they would not arrive in time, so with my 8 year old son as my assistant, we headed into Nottingham to source some outfits. Before I went I gave Gemma a call to introduce myself and explain my intentions. On talking to Gemma she told me that she didn't really wear dresses and would felt more comfortable in a jumpsuit. She was also on her way to the hospital to review her broken foot so the outfit may need to incorporate a boot!
The Options
For Gemma I picked a velvet jumpsuit and hammered satin dress from Jigsaw, as well as a brown satin jumpsuit from Next. Rather than buying accessories and footwear for Gemma, I took along a selection of my own mixed metal jewellery and nude shoes which would work with any of the outfits.
For Jamie I chose smart casual pieces from Next, including blue and grey Chinos, a selection of tops and tan Oxford shoes.
The Shoot Day
Gemma liked all the outfits and was amazed that I’d got is so right having never met her! Gemma was particularly drawn to the Next brown satin jumpsuit and blue velvet one from Jigsaw. Jamie felt comfortable in all the pieces and actually ended up buying one of the outfits! Make Up Artist Charlotte Eden gave Gemma a stunning natural and dewy make up look, whilst Gemma's hair was worn tousled. Here are some of the outtakes.
Do you have a photo shoot coming up and nervous about what to wear? Let me help you find the perfect outfits so that you can feel confident in front of the camera!
