Although I'm becoming more accustomed to sitting behind a sewing machine, last week I styled two shoots and I have to say, I still love being a stylist! The first, a studio shoot for a formal wear company in Moo Studios over at Wynnum West. I had no idea the studio even existed!It was quickly put together and I was only given a day to scout a suitable model, but despite the stress, everyone seemed happy by the end of the shoot. It was my first paid shoot of the year, and although I felt that some things weren't being handled the way I would have liked them, there are certainly moments when it's best to shut ones mouth and just go with the flow. The photographer had issues with my direction of the model, the dresses (all samples) varied from a 4 to a 10 which proved difficult as we had a size 6 and a size 8 model and the director felt he was a little out of his depth, as fashion isn't really his thing. We were also pressed for time and as I was doing the makeup and hair for both models and had to shoot 12 dresses, not to mention a dozen suits for the male model, it was a lot to squeeze in to four hours.
The second shoot was on Sunday for my own label, the location could only be described as paradise and although this too was put together hastily, the crew worked so well together that everyone felt relaxed, organised and extremely happy with the results. The weather held off for us and the tide was low enough for us to use the beautiful exposed ship wreck in Redcliffe. The models worked perfectly together, and as they laughed and posed and guided each other, the shots reflected their comfort and produced some amazing pictures. The photographer and I were able to work together to direct the shoot as needed and I even sold one of my dresses to one of the models. Although I was once again playing hair stylist and make-up artist, I had plenty of time to work with the girls and although they had no idea what look they wanted, the results spoke for themselves. I have found that being able to do make-up and hair for shoots, despite having no qualifications in either proves really useful, not to mention time and money saving and it helps that I love doing it.
The fact that in the space of two days I can have two completely different experiences doing exactly the same thing just goes to show how diverse this industry is and how important it is to have a team that works well together. A team that gels well together produces better quality images and all round a better experience for all involved. For anyone thinking about putting together a shoot, or even a show, make sure you have people you can depend on and people that you like collaborating with, it makes all the difference!
