A behind the scenes look at a catalog shoot.
I just had the opportunity with work with a large furniture retailer on their Spring 2017 catalog shoot. When I tell people that I'm an interior photo stylist, the first thing they say is, “Oh, what a fun job”! Admittedly, there are worse jobs out there and I absolutely LOVE being able to get out of my home to collaborate with an energetic team of creatives. But it's a lot of prep work and moving parts not to mention that the days are long….really long. And if you’re someone who likes, you know….moving, oh and schlepping, then yes, it's absolutely fun!
When you are shooting furniture and interior room shots on location in someone’s home, the first thing you need to do is take photos so that you can make the space look exactly as it did when you got there. Basically, what you are doing is moving their stuff out of the house so you can move your merchandise in.
So here’s a sneak peek at what a typical day shoot day looks like for a photo stylist....
4:15 am: Alarm goes off….it’s dark, really dark and cold. Reluctantly get out of your warm bed, get dressed, make coffee for the commute, add last minute snacks to your bag and load up the car.
5:00 am: On the road......at least there's no traffic.....because, you know, it's 5am!
6:00 am: Arrive at the location at the same time as a large furniture delivery trucks and the rest of the photo crew.
6:20 am: Take photos of the room so you can put it back together just the way it was as if we had never been there. Then begin to empty it! You need several strapping young men on the photo crew to pull these days off.
Our crew was kind of the best, I mean just look at this friendly face!
6:30 am: Start unloading and setting up staging area for all of the accessories, props and fresh flowers and plants.
7:00 am: Talk to the Photographer about angles of the first shot. Decide on product to be shot first then get your men to start clearing the room. Once room is empty, bring in the furniture to be assembled.
7:15 am: Decide which bedding will be used. Steam and iron the heck out of it. Dress the bed so that it looks intentionally lived in. Let me tell you, this is a lot harder than it sounds! It’s takes layer of batting to create that beautiful movement you see in magazines and catalogs.
Light is starting to come out, put the finishing touches on the room.
8:00 am: It’s daylight and you’re ready for your first shot!
Rinse and repeat for 7 more shots! Then pack it up and do it all over again the next day!
Now you don't have to be a large furniture retailer to have my style your home! Photo styling is my side hustle and my day job is a residential interior decorator. If you want your home to look picture perfect, I can help you get there! You can contact me for an appointment by clicking on the Get In Touch tab.