Shooting Stories for a Stylist's /Fashion Editor's Portfolio

[softgrey]

i like the styling...
same dress twice though, right?...




edit-nevermind..i just re-read the post...

 

[RedRach]

The photographer liked the dress so much he asked me to come back the second day for a test he had scheduled...

 

[softgrey]

i agree..it's a very nice dress...
who is it by?

 

[RedRach]

Attr@ttivo Specific.

 

[softgrey]

never heard of it......
i like the test very much...
how many looks did you do for the story and how many for the test?...

 

[RedRach]

Three full looks for the story...not including simple changes (like removing a jacket). I just didn't have the time or the budget to do more.

Five looks for the test.

I liked the model in the "Angel" shoot. I would like to work with her again.

 

[softgrey]

hmm...i think i actually like the other model more...
but it's hard to tell from only one shot...

fyi-a 'story'...should usually be four to six pages...
for practical reasons...
you want 'spreads' in your book... a page on each side....front and back..
so even numbers work best...
four is usually enough and more than six can be boring...

*it's also usually a good idea to shoot at least one more than you think you need ...
because there is usually one that just isn't as strong as the rest...
and then you can drop that one...

 

[RedRach]

...with more time and money

Thanks for the advice Softgrey. The choice to do 3 instead of 4 or more was for quality over quantity reasons. Because I'm not getting paid for the shoot and only had 3 days to pull the clothes (on top of my current full-time job) I went with what I thought would look strongest.

In the future I will plan for more.

The model standing on the sand is more commercial but she only really has one "look" and she has small eyes.

One of the weaknesses of being so far "east" is that there isn't much access to cutting edge clothing too. It's a shame. You can imagine something really beautiful but pound the pavement all week and only come up with half of the look. I'm sure this will get easier but I can only imagine how lovely it would be to do this job in Paris or New York instead.

 

[softgrey]

it's actually much tougher in paris and ny for different reasons...

you talk about having only 3 day...try 3 HOURS!!!...

i was once called at 10am to do a cover shoot (and inside pics)for australian vogue with milla jovovich THAT AFTERNOON at 1pm......

 

[stilista]

that is short notice!! Although, I'm sure for Italian Vogue, Milla Jovovich (and you! ) the pr's would have done their best to help!

I usually have 3 days to do 8-10 looks for 2 shoots. I think any longer to prep for a shoot would give me too long to think and re-think and change my mind and get confused. Short & stressful prep time makes for better shoots!

 

[softgrey]

australian...!!...
...

i ONLY WISH it was italian vogue....*sigh*...

 

[stilista]

oops, I read Australian and typed Italian (it's like Italian and Vogue just go together automatically) I would have thought for Australian Vogue they'd still pull out all the stops! Any Vogue is Vogue!!

I have done strange, strange editions of L'Officiel and everyone falls over themselves to help. It's like they see past the Uzbekistan part and only see the bit they want to

 

[RedRach]

Oooh...I love L'Officiel. You're so lucky! How many years have you been working Stilista?

Fun to work with Milla, Softgrey. What lousy editors or production staff to give you such late notice. It seems like a famous face deserves better treatment. Here the stores would bend over backwards to help for an international talent I'm sure. Maybe it's not the same in Paris though. A big fish in an even bigger pond.

...

Well, I guess I shouldn't complain about only having three days...but still I'm exhausted after this week and still have the ubiquitous returns to do on Monday. I do disagree that the stylist has the worst post-production work to do though (as stated in other threads on TFS). The photographers I know spend hours taking film to photo labs and retouching in Photoshop.

I'm also curious...do any of you have other day jobs, not involved in the "business"?

 

[mishahoi]

hmm...i think i actually like the other model more...
but it's hard to tell from only one shot...

fyi-a 'story'...should usually be four to six pages...
for practical reasons...
you want 'spreads' in your book... a page on each side....front and back..
so even numbers work best...
four is usually enough and more than six can be boring...

*it's also usually a good idea to shoot at least one more than you think you need ...
because there is usually one that just isn't as strong as the rest...
and then you can drop that one...

*sigh* i so want to do full "stories" with quite a lot of looks..but i have to take all the clothes home with me...carrying them on the train an hour out of the city... taxis would cost hundreds of dollars...and messenger services get the clothes to their locations smelling like ashtrays i realize i need to move into the city..buying a car is out of the question its funny...i have a lot of male models asking me to style for them now... but i dont want to do menswear... before the test i just did i read a million editions of mens magazines because its so foreign to me but i agree it was so much fun, this stuff can really get addicting.... too bad i have school to conflict with what i want to do

 

[softgrey]

this IS my day job..

 

[softgrey]

Fun to work with Milla, Softgrey. What lousy editors or production staff to give you such late notice. It seems like a famous face deserves better treatment. Here the stores would bend over backwards to help for an international talent I'm sure. Maybe it's not the same in Paris though. A big fish in an even bigger pond.

it is precisely BECAUSE it was milla that the schedule was so tight...
getting time with a celeb is very very difficult...their schedules are so busy that very often you can only get a couple of hours and everyone basically has to do it whenever it is convenient for THEM...

this can mean flying to where they are, etc...