Shutter Sisters

stylin’

By

I’ve had a revelation.

I see photography on Pinterest (oh my loving holy stars, THE PINTEREST) that, like all good photography, makes me scrinch up my nose and lean in and wonder how, what lens, what time of day, what exposure, what skill, what luck. Lately, though, it’s been occurring to me that exposure, gear, skill, and luck are only half of it. Well. Alright. Three-quarters of it. But still.

Well of course it’s pin-worthy. They have hot air balloons, a matching dress, and a bow-tie. The perfect swoop of a proper umbrella, the long white-blonde hair, the tight black trench. They’re wearing matching hunter boots, bloomers, and vintage Chanel. The harmonious tones of twin cupcakes as well as twin dresses. A dress like that.

It’s true. A photograph can be made thanks to a visionary pause — an eye for crafting an image. A flash of specialness, character, something out-of-the-ordinary. Or even just an elegant sort of plainness, the sort of well-crafted neutrality that keeps all the viewer’s attention on soul and light (as opposed to a Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt that says GIT YER NERD ON).

Sometimes it’s more than a visionary pause that makes a photograph. Sometimes, it’s a visionary blueprint. There are people out there who seek out props, hats, flair. They watch for it and they know how and where to apply it. They see a kid with the most fantastic curls ever and instantly they think LOOSE COTTON SEERSUCKER + C. 1930s FISHING KREEL + BEACH = PERFECTION. And they do it. Like those obsessive-compulsive math people who can’t stop counting stairs, some people are obsessive-compulsive about the mechanics of scene-setting. They see inspiration everywhere.

I love seeing that care, but now, let’s talk about you and me and the everyday. How do we take a page from the stylist-photographer’s book? What’s all this mean for spontaneity? Do you craft your images, even on-the-fly? Knowing your camera’s accompanying you for a day, do you dress or prop you or your subjects with a photographic eye? Could you?

 

Comments

  1. Wonderful shot! Love it.

    I can't recall a particular photo at the moment from my collection. I'll look later today as time allows, but I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

  2. Personally I usually shoot images that I feel a draw to and don't typically set up a scene. The only images that I stage are the products for my online shop. Some people definitely have a knack for this type of photography and create some amazing images.

  3. funny that this is the post today! i'm planning on going out for my daughter's fifth birthday pictures for which i hunted down The Perfect round, giant, balloons, a paper parasol, a cute simple dress, oh, and of course, sunshine at the right time of day, and a cool location to go with it. i'm not usually one for props though. however, i am little bit picky about what my kids wear on a day-to-day basis, because i'm always aware that i want them to look decent if there just so happens to be a perfect photographic moment. just a little picky though!!! promise, i'm not militant about it, and they definitely don't look like catalog models. 🙂 it's just something that's always at the back of my mind.

  4. I don't often, but I keep it simple. On birthdays if the cake is primary colored, I keep the bday kid and sibs in primary colors or white. I knew I was bringing my camera to my girl's last riding lesson so I had her wear a matching ribbon for her shirt. ( http://whatisdone.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/walk-on/ ) I'm not a matchy matchy fan, but there are just times where the right color, texture or collar of a shirt just adds something. The shot above w/ a character tee or a baseball cap? Totally messes up the sense of place, yk? Well…of course *you* know. 🙂

  7. For actual sessions the moms talk to me about what clothes they should buy, and we pick location-most of the time they bring along props, but I show up and put it all together–picking the spot, checking the light and getting a vision for everything the mom has put together.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5726294298/in/photostream

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5726293942/in/photostream/

    When it's up to me–visions of what I want to capture come and go-some people I am with/locations/weather–I know exactly the look I'm going for, the image that I am wanting to get, and I set them up–and we wait for the the wind to blow the leaves by them while they kiss, etc…but then other times it's just all candid-which I adore.

  8. Hi Kate,
    For me this revelation came when I read your Shutter Sisters book, particularly the chapter entitled, "Table." 'Hmmmm," I thought to myself, "I will never be a good photographer because I would need to do too much housework to make it happen.' Clutter is only quaint when balanced by light and space and I can never seem to find the latter in my domestic surroundings. This might explain why so many of my shots are forced close-ups–that and having a child who seldom affords me the physical distance to shoot her entire body in one go.

  9. Great comments….. Rebecca, this is interesting – I see a distinction between styling and candidness. I don't think that making an extra effort to choose something other than Spongebob means that we're contriving a shot in a non-candid way. I like to think of it as setting the scene – choosing clothes, accessories, location, and props mindfully (even if it's quick, throwing some stuff into the car), and then letting things unfold naturally. That's the ideal, in my mind. To style in a way that's pleasing and that adds value, and then to just let subjects do whatever they want. Make sense?

  10. …and Sue, I know what you mean. Some clutter is photographic clutter – and some isn't. Most isn't. The pile of stuffies in M's playroom = good clutter. That's how things are up there. Whereas shooting a pretty plate of food with a heap of dirty laundry in the background = not-so-good clutter, even if it's authentic.

    In some cases, all we can do is look through the viewfinder and scan – as we would for other aspects of composition, like light and perspective – for background stuff that doesn't belong. And I find it doesn't take much to adjust either my position, or to swipe an arm across the table. It's not always perfect and it doesn't have to be – but it's amazing how much difference a little effort can make.

    (full disclosure: I don't shoot indoors much for this very issue of non-photographic domestic clutter, so you're not alone.)

  11. Such a timely post…I am super competitive and I do approach photography with a bit of OCD and lately I've been seeing all of these pics on Pinterest and I am left feeilng…well, somewhat inadequate. I love seeing everyone's stuff but it just seems so PERFECT that it kind of stresses me out.

    That being said, I did do a little planning for this shot of my daughter and I love how the pics turned out. Wheat field + country sundress + new boots + sunset = really sweet pictures of my almost-5-year-old that I'll cherish forever.

    http://www.11elevenimagesblog.com/2011/04/29/waving-wheat-allen-childrens-photographer/

  12. I haven't gotten to do any stylized shoot, even with my own brood — they are not cooperative enough for me. But I will admit, as you described, to making sure at least their hair is combed and their shirt is clean before heading somewhere that might offer an ideal shot. Although my daughter's favorite little jacket has GAP across the front, and wears it often, so my husband keeps joking that I should be shooting GAP ads. I try to avoid the logos when I can, but hey, they only have so many clean clothes.

  13. I just got started on Pinterest, and I LOVE it!

    As an amateur photographer who just wants to capture memories of my kids better, I rarely preplan shots. Plus, having the right props all the time can get expensive.

    I keep dreaming that "someday" I'll have the perfect setup for stylin shots, though. They're fun – and they can be pretty fun for the kids, too. It's really just preplanning a memorable time together!

  14. I've never really given it thought, but at the same time I have. I've thought about what to wear in front of a camera, but never what my subject should wear. Or heaven forbid, I ask them to change their clothes to perhaps something without dirt on it. Good lesson and I'll stick it in my tool belt.
    Maybe part of why some people make my jaw drop open is their ability to make a random scene look styled and a styled scene look random.

  15. Misty – "Maybe part of why some people make my jaw drop open is their ability to make a random scene look styled and a styled scene look random." – YES. Exactly. Precisely. Me too.

  16. This is an awesome post kate.

    I definitely dress with intention (and carry props) when I'm doing self-portraits.

    I also am obsessed with finding good props on the fly to add to a selfie or a portrait!

    I so agree with what Misty said too….totally the intent!

  17. On days when I know there is going to be good light, I'm definitely guilty of deliberately dressing my kids in stuff I won't mind seeing in photographs. Here's a particularly egregious example:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/permafrost-chaser/5620614700/in/photostream

    The sun was shining, the forsythia was blooming, and the izod overalls had to be worn sometime. There must be some sort of staged-photograph karma, though, because both my kids got sick that morning and the pretty clothes met a terrible end.

  18. my daughter definitely takes into consideration what she's wearing with photos in mind.
    i mean who wears a dress when they know they're going hiking in the woods? notice the dress has feathers on it. : )
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5726340131/

    i have a lot of instances where prop or dress was considered before going out shooting. even on vacation we'll shop at salvation army stores for particular props. in this photo she's wearing an old bridesmaid dress we bought for $5 and we were looking for a great field to do a little photoshoot..
    or this prop Taylor had my niece wear.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5561648765/
    the famous pink chair prop she used to use so much
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/3565025275/
    and here – this get up is not her usual dress style – she was wanting to look like a school girl
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4291925190/

  19. I'm only a year and a half into my photography journey, but the more I learn… I find that the raw, unplanned, unrehearsed moments are the captures that I adore the very most. And photographers who have a knack for capturing raw imperfect moments are always the ones who's work seeps into my soul and inspires me. Some of the styled stuff is WAY cool. I won't deny that. But it just isn't what speaks to me.

  21. Jess and Suzie – I think we're interpreting this in different ways, as other commenters did too. I'm not referring to posed shots, or recommending rehearsed, planned moments over raw ones. That's not what I'm referring to (I've never posed a shot before). This is just a matter of the way we prepare for a shoot – the small things we do to de-clutter, how we dress a subject if we get the chance, the stuff we might throw into the car just in case, and how we focus attention on that unrehearsed moment by avoiding distracting or elements. Beyond that, subjects in my world do whatever they like, and I follow.

    To me, it's just another angle on mindful photography. Just wanted to clarify. 🙂

  22. I would say I try to style a photo every time I pick up the camera because otherwise I reject the results. Styling might
    mean heaving a huge pile of laundry to the other side of the room or quickly gathering piles from the table and putting them on another table. Since I started 365 and I pick up the camera daily I am more conscious of the light and time of day and color interplay of everything … As to getting my subjects coordinated , well with my boys I am just trying to keeP them dressed for the shot half of the time.

  23. I like to do a mix of on the fly and stylized. I've been known to buy props for photos, like the macarons for the shot below, taken for Picture Inspiration's "Dishing it Out" week

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/manifeisty/5682387976/in/photostream

    I'm also getting really into styling self portraits. I'm really inspired by people like Lori Andrews, aka The 10 Cent Designer. I've done a few

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/manifeisty/5483712530/in/set-72157626225222798
    http://manifeisty.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/stacked.jpg

    and there are others that I'd like to do, including one inspired by this Kate Spade ad (unfortunately I can't find the original link)

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7PBXumNf_hA/S60SIjXSrVI/AAAAAAAALs4/PBy768KctjA/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-03-26+at+12.57.39+PM.png

    Now that the weather is better I need to find myself some space and some props and go a little nuts!

  24. I don't photograph people much. My sons are grown, and not interested in posing for me. I do, however love to do still life photography. Mostly with my collection of vintage treasures. I'm alwasy on the lookout for 'new' things as well as inspiration for setting up a scene. I've never thought much about styling with people in the shot, but i do know how much I love shots like that. Fun discussion.

  26. Great thoughts – I have the worst time setting any scenes but I am learning after seeing so many photos that would've been great except for the messy room in the background! I take candid shots almost 100% – it seems like that's the difference between great photographers and just day to day ones like me! On many sites I see the people putting up photos and they have photo websites and companies – really they are pros. I wonder if I will always stay an amateur but I don't really mind that. I strive for authenticity and memories and evoking feelings and eye stimulation but hate competitiveness. Hmmmm- I guess you got me going….

  27. I do. I would say that 90 % of the time my photography is very deliberate. I plan every single detail and put great care into creating a mood, a scene. Now, pretty much every single time I take a picture something crazy happens to me (because I am a huge klutz) but that is a another story! 🙂

    A few examples:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5549329646

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5661034421

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5196925293

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5629713267

  28. I have been known to make entire ensembles for my kids for photos. I do have both styled and completely unplanned favorites for pictures.

    One of my recent favorites is the cover of our Christmas card this past year. I made their outfits, cleaned out a room in our house and took the photo. I've had people tell me it is the best Christmas card they had ever seen.

    http://flic.kr/p/8TAMLM

    Generally my favorites are those that I have styled. The kids bring their own attitude and posing to the photo, but the aesthetics seem to add to it.

  29. Wonderful post. I've been having the same thoughts, partly because of pinterest.
    I was going to say I don't set things up, but I guess I do often set up still lifes or I rearrange a scene to make it work for me.
    And my daughters (12 & 14) both still like to pull things out of our old costume basket for fun photos. Here's a recent vampire one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/5635369448/in/photostream
    I love that they want to do that, but for some reason they are usually inspired when the light is all wrong (harsh midday sun or too dark), and they've lost interest by the time the light's good again.
    Maybe I'll encourage them to model for me this summer by taking them on a prop/costume shopping trip.