Are Styled Shoots Worth It?
Should you sign up for that styled shoot you’ve heard about…or not?
The short answer is yes. However, there are some things you might want to consider before signing up for (and spending your hard-earned money on) any styled shoot.
First off, what even is a styled shoot?
Simply put, it is a pre-planned shoot that uses models. It is not a “real-life” shoot or wedding for paying clients.
Styled shoots serve three primary purposes for those who put them together and those who attend:
1. Creativity & Practice
Styled shoots offer an opportunity to play and get creative. Photographers can sometimes become stir-crazy as creatives, constantly bringing someone else’s vision to life. They can even feel cramped by their clients’ limited budgets at the beginning of their careers.
If you plan it yourself, putting together a styled shoot is a great way to bring your vision out of your head and into real life.
Whether you plan it yourself or attend someone else’s creation, styled shoots allow you to practice your composition and posing without the pressure of an actual wedding day timeline.
Newer? You don’t have to put on a full-size styled shoot with every vendor you can think of….or invite other photographers to join in. The first styled shoot I put together was a recently married couple I knew who didn’t get many portraits (none with their beloved dog) on their wedding day because it had rained. I had her hair and makeup done and ordered a simple bouquet…from Giant! Yup!
I chose a public location and offered a few others to join in the fun. I asked for donations for the cost. Only one participant chipped in. In retrospect, I suggest charging an actual fee if you choose to allow others to join. It will save your feelings and relationship with the other photographers involved. Costs add up fast, and styled shoots are very time-consuming to put together. Your time is your most valuable resource!
Even with such a simple shoot concept, I was able to practice posing a couple with a bouquet and a cathedral-length veil without the pressure of an actual wedding day. It was stunning!
To this day, this shoot is the cover of my wedding photography brochure!
2. Portfolio-building
Portfolio-building is the biggest reason many photographers, new and experienced, pay to attend styled shoots. As previously mentioned, putting together your own styled shoot is expensive if you go all out. It is also very time-consuming. Paying even a hefty fee to attend someone else’s styled shoot is the quickest, easiest way to get some new images for your portfolio without all the hassle.
When searching for styled shoots to attend for portfolio-building, consider your current client base and decide if the styled shoot you’re thinking about signing up for would be too big of a jump from where you are right now.
One of the biggest mistakes I see newer photographers make is posting photos of their current clients in jeans and tee shirts and then posting an image from a high-end wedding-style shoot that doesn’t fit in with their current client base.
Consider, instead, signing up for styled shoos for weddings and portrait sessions that are just a step or two ahead of your current client base.
If you want it to be a little less obvious that your photos are from a styled shoot and not a real wedding or portrait session, your best bet is to put together a styled shoot yourself to take more control over how you post about it and tag those involved. When signing up for a styled shoot that you are not planning for yourself, you will post and tag by the rules the organizer lays down. Whoever is running the event will most likely have you sign a contract. Even though clients typically don’t understand what a styled shoot is, it is usually quite apparent when models and a “shoot concept” are listed.
One of the best reasons to sign up for a styled shoot is a shoot held at a venue you are trying to get into. Having those photos to tag the venue location and hashtag can be just the one you need to pop up in social media or Google searches if you decide to blog your photos to get in front of real people’s eyeballs for consideration.
3. Networking
The final and most fun reason to sign up to attend a styled shoot is the networking. You will have the opportunity to work with vendors you may not normally get to meet, shoot their work, tag them in posts, and possibly have them share your work with their audience….and make new friends in the process! I made some of my best friends in the industry at styled shoots.
WB Upstyles styling our model for another of my very first styled shoots. Whitney is now one of my closest wedding professional friends.
So, should you attend that styled shoot you heard about? Most likely, yes. Be creative. Practice! Shoot in a way to create photos you can use to build your portfolio, even if you need to hold onto them for a bit to use them! And talk to anyone and everyone you meet! Tag the vendors in your posts, contract or not! And, HAVE FUN!!!