Fashion shoots on a budget: Jane’s tips
Look at any fashion magazine front cover. What do you see? A glamorous professional model in exquisite attire shot by one of the world’s best photographers. The budgets for these shoots would no doubt make our eyes water. But what happens if you are running an ethical preloved clothing business for passion more than for profit? How do you put forward a clear vision with a limited publicity budget? And what are the joys and pitfalls along the way?
These are serious questions that Trash Chic founder Jane Horwood put under her microscope recently. And, typical of Jane, she came up with some great solutions.
First, she used an amazing photographer, Alina Natali, who is skilled in creative portraiture. Alina is very intuitive, and, as Jane says, ‘on the same page as me’. It’s best to establish this before the shooting begins so there’s no tension ‘on set’.
Next, Jane opted for three non-professional models – people whom she knows and trusts, and who are Trash Chic customers in any case, so they already had an affinity with the clothing.
Talking to her after the day-long summer shoot, she reflects on what she learned. ‘I think everyone would agree,’ she says, ‘that non-pro models would naturally feel anxious and self-conscious about the process – and that was a consideration right from the planning stages. But Alina is used to “camera shyness” and made all three of them feel extremely comfortable. That said, a shoot this long can be exhausting for everyone. It’s definitely worth noting these things.’
Jane was keen to have a natural environment as a backdrop to her outfits. She chose a nearby woodland, beautiful and soft, which created just the bohemian edge she was looking for. The area encompassed a churchyard, trees, fields and a river. But there hang some pitfalls. ‘We couldn’t park close enough to those locations, so we had to lug around boxes and boxes of clothes and accessories to make sure we had everything close by for speedy changes. Obviously, there were no changing rooms. Everything was done alfresco. I’d thought beforehand about the weather being a pain – overcast, or at worst raining – so I had a back-up plan to use the church itself. As it happens, it was a dry day but the heat was sweltering. The trees gave us cover to a degree. But I also wanted the shoot to show off more than one season, which made some of the outfits quite warm!’
For Jane, it was essential to plan all the outfits well in advance, and let the models see and try on what she had earmarked for them. ‘I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable in any of their clothes,’ she says. ‘I wanted them to look as though these were outfits from their own wardrobes that they loved wearing.’
As it happens, the whole day ran smoothly and to plan, not least because of the quick development of team camaraderie, with everyone encouraging and supporting everyone else. ‘We definitely had a few laughs,’ says Jane, ‘and when you start laughing, you start to relax, too. I have to say, the end results are fantastic – I think we all agreed that. And the models themselves were stunned to see how great they looked on film. We also had a few breaks for cold drinks and nibbles. A great day, thanks to everyone who took part. But honestly, it was exhausting work. Really!’
As Jane has outlined, planning for a day’s shoot needs to be done methodically and well in advance, and even then you can’t be sure how it will play out. But her following tips may help:
Use a professional/experienced photographer who understands your vision
Find non-professional models who are willing to ‘have a go’
Research a location, indoors or outdoors, that is the perfect backdrop for your planned outfits and overall style
Let models try on their clothes in advance and trouble shoot any issues
Have a back-up plan, for everything!
Pack carefully so that all the items for each outfit are together; it’s a huge timesaver
Take snacks and water!
Have fun.
Take a look at the recent blogs on Trash Chic outlining each of the models’ photostories from this shoot. The results really do speak for themselves.
Sandra Stafford is a writer, editor and long-time Trash Chic customer.
Professional photographer: Alina Natali @frustration_amok
Models: Maggie K De Monde, Judy Logan, Emily Scarbrough
Thanks to Craig Perry for his candid behind the scenes shots
To view TC’s range of preloved clothing, return to the Shop where you will find a comforting selection of all manner of clothing. Also check out the Facebook page where items are uploaded on a more regular basis.
