How to design a styled shoot: my experience at Villa Cimena.

The styled shoot is a photo shoot organized in collaboration with several suppliers in the wedding industry. The goal of these shooting is to present a common theme and produce updated photographic material according to the latest trends.
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Styled shoot, a formidable tool to promote your work.

The health emergency has forced many couples to postpone the planned marriages in 2020 therefore Wedding professionals have unfortunately not had many engagements this year.

Many wedding planners considered this situation of forced inactivity as an opportunity  to create new images for their portfolio.

It’s a well-known fact that for a wedding professional to advertise their work through images is one of the most effective strategies. It is the photographic materials that help potential clients to evaluate the possibilities offered to them for the organization of the wedding.

The password in this case is styled shoot: what exactly does it mean ?

Styled Shoot: creative freedom without limits

The styled shoot is a photo shoot organized in collaboration with several suppliers in the wedding industry.

The goal of these shooting is to present a common theme and produce photographic material updated according to the latest trends.

This occasion is a “gift” that the wedding planner does to herself and to her work.

In the styled shoot you can express your personal style, your aesthetic ideas, your taste. It’s the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity, without worrying about the fast-paced pace that always defines work during a wedding.

The organizer’s imagination is expressed in the shots that will enrich his portfolio and that can be published on all channels, without worries about the right to privacy.

My collaboration at the styled shoot of Villa Cimena with Gio Bossi.

Last September I had the pleasure to collaborate at the photo shoot organized by Gio Bossi at Villa Cimena (Castagneto Po, Turin). The images that accompany this article were produced on that occasion by the American photographer Amy Mulder.

Rigorous planning is necessary to achieve a good result.I believe that the service made at Villa Cimena is the perfect example of styled shoot produced with professionalism and attention to every detail.

It all starts with the choice of the theme.

The creative process begins with the choice of the theme.

Inspiration is developed through a moodboard shared with all participants. The moodboard is the essential tool to collect the suggestions and restore the atmosphere and style of the project. The creation of the moodboard can also involve other professionals. It is also of great help the use of the right graphic software that allow you to develop every little detail with consistency.

After the moodboard it is essential to define a detailed program Spaces, furnishings, decorations and accessories must be established for each shot. In addition to this, for each shot, the exact time of the day must be determined to optimize the light that is fundamental.

The perfect styled shoot is achieved thanks to the right timing and perfect coordination. Directing is central: all the professionals involved must know what time to arrive, what to do and when their work will finish.

It’s essential to remember that this is a dynamic event.The wedding planner must organize the changes of scene and the shutter speed, calculating the time necessary for set-ups and resetting in case some materials are needed in more than one shot.

The role of the set designer.

The set designer supervises the realization of each single shot and ensures the consistency of the concrete project. His contribution is fundamental to the overall quality of the set. The best style shoots are born from the initiative of a set designer who is an active part of the organization.

I found in Giovanna Bossi a valid professional who managed to represent her vision, selecting suppliers and materials in absolute coherence with the concept. Giovanna has defined every detail in harmony with the project: models, dresses, jewelry, furnishings, decorations, mise en place, buffet, musicians.

Choose the location

The choice of the place in which to carry out the service is a delicate phase. We need to find the right spaces, real frames for our shots, but not only. In the ideal scenario the locations are properties willing to grant the availability we need at relatively low costs… or even free of charge. The images produced in fact, can be very useful for the positioning of the location on a certain type of market.

Villa Cimena (TO) – ph. Amy Mulder
Villa Cimena (TO) – ph. Amy Mulder

The beautiful Villa Cimena was selected by Giovanna Bossi, is a magnificent space that deserves consideration for every type of event.

The models of the shooting

The choice of models is an important moment. The “bride” and the “groom” models must best represent the style of the project.

The real challenge is to create authentic and credible images, shots that portray real experiences. The art of impersonification of the models  is fundamental.

The clothes will express the chosen style, as well as jewelry, accessories and makeup.

Alessandra Toso – ph. Indja photographer
Davide Dal Seno – ph. Indja photographer

The right partners and networking

The styled shoot is a project that requires the intervention of different professionals. The shooting theme will help you identify all the partners that are right for you.

The ideal partner identikit for a styled shoot? He is a professional who offers solutions and sees in the style shoot the opportunity to better present their products.

Once the partners have been identified, it is the organizer’s task to propose collaboration in an attractive way, so that each of the parties involved understands the added value of the occasion.

The styled shoot is a great opportunity for networking. Professionals from different sectors can demonstrate their expertise in the field and build partnerships for future projects.

The choice of the photographer.

What would a perfect styled shoot be without the perfect photographer?

Every photographer has his own style and identifying the most suitable professional to interpret the defined concept is a nice challenge.

The perfect photographer does not just perform the service like any other service: he believes in the project and makes it his own.

Villa Cimena’s style shoot was shot by an american photographer, Amy Mulder.

Amy Mulder on set – ph. Indja photographer

Also in this case Giovanna Bossi made the right choice: Amy has interpreted the concept at the base of the project in the most effective way.

One photographer, however, is not enough. It is important that the main photographer is accompanied by a second photographer who will capture the lively moments of backstage. The “behind the scenes” images are less official but very useful for all communication activities of the project participants.

The intellectual property of the project.

The intellectual property of the project belongs to those who designed and produced it as well as to the photographers who created the service. The photographs are made available to the professionals involved on the basis of “rules” agreed before the start of the work.

All publications that will use the materials will have to mention the professionals involved. It is important that quotes distinguish the main partners (those who have played an active role in the organization) from the secondary partners (who have simply lent their products).

A styled shoot can also become a prestigious content for industry blog articles. In this perspective you will need to select the most significant images for the exclusive use of blogs.

Credits:

Thanks again to all the partners who collaborated with Gio Bossi:

Location : Villa Cimena, Castegneto Po (TO) Organization and Production: Giovanna Bossi Production Assistants: Maura Frigatti BrambillaRoberta Patané Olga Zardini

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