fairhope styled sail shoot
Hello friends,
It has been quite the year, hasn’t it? If you’re a creative like me or any one who works in the wedding industry you are well aware of the dip in job opportunities during this pandemic. Honestly, I started 2020 completely convinced that THIS WAS MY YEAR! I had more clients than any previous year, I had a website in the works and I had only just launched my brand late last year so my expectations were really high for growth. Now fast forward 8 months into the year and here we are. Now, I’m not the type to sit and feel sorry for myself so I’ve decided to look at this “time off” to be extra positive, to rest more than before, focus on family and get creative with tons and tons of shoots!
Participating in several shoots this year has been a great distraction and I am so thankful for each one I’ve done. I’ve met tons of new vendor friends and I’m excited to add so many solid vendors to my preferred list! One of my top faves for photographers is my dear friend Jaylee Dempsey who I’m sharing with you all today and our adventurous sailboat shoot in Fairhope, Alabama.
WHAT ARE STYLED SHOOTS?
If you’re reading this and you’re not familiar with the reasoning behind styled shoots, let me fill you in. When you have a business that relies on social media and networking and you’re also in the creative world, it’s vital to constantly provide potential clients with images and work that will showcase your talents and ideas. We do this so that we can book the right clients, have an overall aesthetic that goes with our brand and to work with other people within our industry. It also allows us to push the boundaries and come up with fresh ideas, my favorite part!
Most people will understand what my job entails when I explain that I am a wedding planner. However, it also limits my description to just that and styled shoots allow me to open the door to other opportunities. Not only do I help people plan and coordinate their weddings but I also offer styling within weddings, for events, for brands and for photographers who need help coming up with creative ideas to shoot. Like this one!
Pre Planning
When Jaylee of Jaylee Photography reached out about styling a sailboat shoot, I was instantly intrigued! She had a lovely couple already picked out who were unique, naturally beautiful and playful which is exactly what you want when looking for models. Then she began sending me inspiration pictures with a very vintage summer feel and I was swooning. We hopped on a quick call and I got her vision from a photographers’ point of view and added my styling tips to help create a joint vision for our shoot.
Inpso pics via Pinterest
We then began researching reliable and local sailboat charters and were able to find the perfect company to work with! Fairhope Sailing Charters was so beyond wonderful, highly communicative and easy to plan with that I will definitely be taking more trips with them over the summers to come. Our captain was so kind, helpful and extremely knowledgeable; not to mention patient, dealing with my sea sickness and helping amuse mine and the model’s kid who we had to bring along because well mom life! Our excursion with Fairhope Sailing Charters was perfect though, I hope these photos encourage everyone to book a romantic evening on the water with them.
Styling
When helping our models put together outfits to match our overall vision, we definitely wanted something reminiscent of nautical attire but with a neutral look. We wanted loose and flowy so that Jaylee could capture a lot of movement and texture. Something I suggest is, always have your models bring at least two options to shoot. Sometimes just having your models change clothes, brings out completely different emotions and poses in your couple making your shoot more versatile! We started him in a short sleeve loose and printed button up and her in a black one piece bathing suit to keep it simple and classic. Then we opted for a white Sundress with puff sleeves for her and a solid button up with linen shorts for him, all from H&M. The goal was again, modern, nautical and neutral!
Love these two together, just look how beautiful they are!
For my hands on work, Jaylee gave me the task of creating a romantic picnic display. We wanted it to look like the couple was having a special evening, just the two of them and a cozy picnic to enjoy with their sunset sail. My first thoughts were something to drink, something to snack on and something sweet to end it with. We also brought extra props like this adorable sea blue market bag from World Market. We threw some simple white flowers in it and a baguette to play up the picnic vibes. Lastly, I had a pretty book and some sweet perfume that I thought would be pretty additions. When styling, I try to compile as many items as I can that go with my theme, that way when I’m laying it all out I have plenty of choices to add in or take out. It’s always better to bring “too much” so you can be sure you’ve absolutely nailed your vision.
Other than getting seasick, I think it came out beautifully and I am so happy with how Jaylee was able to capture my work in these images. I’m hoping it will encourage other photographers to invest in hiring a planner and or stylist to help create more fun and unique shoots, we definitely all need to be working together to get through this tough time. Hope this inspires you as a creative, in a romantic way or just in a positive way!
Cheers babes!
