I know a lot of wedding pros roll their eyes at the mention of the words “styled shoot” but I have to say, I LOVE them. And here’s why...
For those not in the industry, styled shoots are basically fake weddings. They evolve when wedding professionals decide to get together to show off their work. A florist creates beautiful bloom arrangements, models get to add beauty shots to their portfolios, gown designers get new images to showcase their new lines, you get the idea. Most pros get a little burned out on these shoots because they see them as a lot of unpaid work. But that's not how I see them.
As an artist, styled shoots are pretty much the pinnacle for expression. I love capturing weddings, but in the end, those are shoots envisioned and brought to life by the wonderful couples I work with then captured by me. Styled shoots are mine :) All mine! Well, at least partly. I always try to collaborate with other artists in the industry that are interested in creating art, not just in grinding out bookings. Which brings me to the other reason I love these shoots so much.
Collaboration is pretty much your life blood in this industry. If other vendors don't know you, don't know your work, and don't know your vision, they aren't going to recommend you. And the same goes for venue coordinators. It's wonderful to be able to shoot a stunning vision at a venue and then share that work with those liaisons, who are responsible for booking future brides and grooms. You see? They are just amazing, wonderful projects to be a part of! You network and you create. You feed your little artist's soul AND you create fabulous marketing material for the entrepreneur that keeps you in the game!
So here is a look at my latest obsession; our styled shoot at the Forum in Chandler, introducing the "Cosmic Energy" Shoot! The Forum is a new, funky venue that became an epic canvas to work on. The oh-so-talented Karen Podrasky of KDP Events helped me work through the vision for this one. When she showed me the elevated ceremony platform, and I saw all the gorgeous sky surrounding it, my mind started to play with the concept of light. Light in the clouds, light from the stringed Edison bulbs in the courtyard, cosmic light beaming from the circular lighting fixtures in the main entrance and of course, fiery light coming from the retro, sphere-piled fireplace. So why not use light as our theme and motif? I'm thrilled with the results. Check out the list below for all my fellow artist collaborators!
