In an Industry

where photographers get most of the credit, people seem to forget about the entire team of artistic minds that also play an important role in the creation of an editorial. 

Behind the final images lies an intense day(s) of shooting, filled with artists from all different sectors of the industry. While some teams are guided by a creative director who ensures that the proper tone is being set for the shoot, other teams collaborate as individuals amongst one another to decide what will work best for the desired outcome. There is an immense amount of work that happens before the photographer steps in, and too often it is overlooked. Today I'll be chatting about one of those important roles; styling, and why *I* would argue that styling is one of the most crucial tasks in the production of a high quality editorial. 

Although each team member has a well needed role, the stylist's job is the one that determines if a set of images looks appealing at first glance. If the styling is properly done, you can have zero makeup, bad hair, a plain background AND a blurry photo, and the final image still has the *potential* of looking nice. The only thing I'll exclude from this list is the quality of your model. If they can't bring proper energy and character, I don't know *what* to tell you! 

The reason styling proves to have such a large impact on an editorial is because the model is the focal point of the image (usually), and they (and their outfit) are typically the first thing that catches the viewer's eye. The way the model is styled needs to reflect everything else in the frame; you have to tell a story and continue it consistently throughout the image. If the main elements of the editorial don't tell the same story, it's an eyesore waiting to happen.

There's so much hope when you have a beautiful set and an amazing team, why kill it with a lack of creative styling?! I've seen 2 too many editorials where the set was ruined by either extremely underwhelming styling — spaghetti straps, leggings, and oversized combat boots ( all whilst the model holds a disco ball the size of a small watermelon) — or disturbingly overwhelming styling — 5 layers of multi colored Mardi Gras beads over a frilly outfit that screams "kick me". Focus on telling a story, make an inspirational mood board, and do a fitting to see how the clothes will look — they can do a complete 360 from the hanger to the model. The final thing this section needs is an encouraging quote: "Vans and a tank top don't belong in an editorial." -Anonymously written by me 

How to Style - to the Best of Your Ability

If you're just starting out in styling, or you're looking to improve your existing talent, I always recommend beginning with a mood board. You can create these with magazine images, Pinterest boards or simply copy and pasting images from google onto a blank document. Pick your favorite looks and organize them into a group, keeping in mind that they should be cohesive.

Ask yourself a few questions while you're collecting:

-What is the first thing you think of when you look at the outfits? Do those thoughts align with the theme of your shoot? 

-Different colors extract certain moods (Although, this of course changes from culture to culture). What moods do you think of when you look at the outfits? Do they fit your storyline and theme? 

-Identify the aesthetic you're going for. Should the wardrobe be: casual, avant-garde, sporty, sexy, spooky, glamourous etc. Does the aesthetic of your wardrobe match the aesthetic of the shoot? Understand the elements of each aesthetic by searching them up on Pinterest or google. Make sure the clothes you've picked out look similar to the clothes in your search results. If not, the items you chose may not match the aesthetic you think you're going for.

-Lastly, would these outfits compliment your model's body shape? 

This is a good foundation for perfecting your styling skills; over time you will build your own personal style and these questions will become second nature.

How to Select Stylists

When searching for stylists to work with, you should be looking for 3 main things:

1. Do you like their style?

2. Does their work show that they can style any type of shoot, or do they specialize in one particular style?

3. Would their style work for the photo shoot you have in mind?

After coming to those conclusions, you should have a solid idea of whether or not this stylist would be compatible to work with. Try collaborating with multiple stylists, or touch up on your own styling skills, and watch your work begin to speak for itself. But hey, don’t listen to me, listen to George Clinton: “Style is whatever you want to do, if you can do it with confidence”. Keep creating freely!

Narrated By

| Katherine Berg