Styling For Photographers - 8 Tips For Easy Styling

As the lockdown gets gradually lifted, I find myself in an unusual situation: it's already safe enough to shoot (I mostly shoot on location), but not safe enough to involve the whole team - makeup artist, hairstylist, and wardrobe stylist. As a fashion photographer, here's what I can do to still arrange a photoshoot:

Brook Shaden

In general, I am now taking a more fine-art direction. Think about the human body, its lines, its interaction with light, and use unintrusive clothes to not show too much skin.
Go into techniques - drone photography, underwater photography, smoke, remote photoshoots, gel filters, UV paint - pick a technique that inspires you and practice it with simple wardrobe (or even just face and bare shoulders)

Go into props - use butterflies, mirrors, cigarette, dust in the air, transparent fabric, and piece of plastic, which are all inexpensive but effective visual tools
Color it up - flowers, fruits, hand-painted objects and backdrop, utensils suspended in the air, a hand with cotton color nails, boiled eggs - take it to commercial style or surreal direction
Go into composing - it will require new Photoshop skills, but you can draw whatever you want after you learn it.

Daniel Serva

If you have a client or your own budget, why not rent one or two start pieces. You can use model's own clothes as a base and add something from here: https://www.renttherunway.com/ or (smaller budget) here: https://www.thredup.com/
As for the makeup, most models know how to do at least one type of makeup that will work on their face, but don't ask them to do anything tricky or too particular unless they do have makeup training
Hair. I use this for roots: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08789Z4H4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I do simple things like wet hair look, braid or natural waves - again it can't be your focal point, but you can do hair well enough for them not to be a deal-breaker.

Have your own tips and tricks? Join the discussion here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272015587523623/