If you’re not familiar with what a “styled shoot” is, you might be surprised to know that you’ve probably seen photos of them every single time you take a stroll through Instagram and Pinterest.

 

I’ve brought in a seasoned styled shoot vet to share all you need to know about what a styled shoot IS, the many benefits of participating in one, how to get involved, and why you should consider them if you haven’t already.

 

Cait O’Malley is the designer behind Bourbon and Bloom, a design, planning and coordination company based in Ottawa, specializing in bold, modern and luxury weddings. And wowza, Cait’s weddings are all of those things plus some! Take a look for yourself here.

 

Check out the replay of our live interview here, or scroll down if you’re still wondering what a “styled shoot” actually is, and what it could do for your business.

The links below may be affiliate links where appropriate. This means that your purchase through these links may result in a few cents in payment to me, to support creating further resources like this one! That being said, I will never suggest supplies that I do not personally use and fully recommend.

 

Alright, so in case you’re not familiar, a styled shoot, for those who don’t know, is a mock event put on by a group of vendors to showcase their talents and abilities.

 

For a more specific example, let’s go with a mock wedding! Imagine a lovely couple in full hair, makeup and dress/suit, florals, wedding cakes, decor, stationery…the whole thing…and it’s completely fake…pretty much everything you see on Pinterest.

 

A bunch of vendors come together for a full day (though weeks of planning is needed in preparation for the actual shoot) and they put together a beautifully designed completely fake event for the purpose of getting professional photographs of their work.

 

YUP! Many of those beautiful weddings and parties you drool over are quite possibly photos from a detail oriented styled shoot.

 

What are some of the benefits to participating in a styled shoot?

 

Styled shoots can have a trickling effect, especially if you are a newer business. They provide you with the opportunity to work with other local vendors in your field, help you establish your brand (or the brand you want to portray) and, at the very least, you get a handful of professionally photographed photos of your work for to help curate your social media and build a gallery of quality photos to show clients!

 

Cait mentioned how they can help you with your brand. And she doesn’t just mean the brand you HAVE, but the brand you WANT. If you’ve been finding yourself in a creative rut, or maybe you’re not booking your ideal clients, than maybe the work you showcase is not bringing in the right vibes.A styled shoot gives you the opportunity to be creative and maybe try something you haven’t done before OR you can use it as a way to get more of a certain type of job.

 

Cait also go over why participating in a styled shoot could help with your SEO, but I’m going to make you tune in for yourself for that one. 😉

 

A big thank you to Cait for taking the time to cover all of that valuable information with us. You can find more of her work on her website and Instagram account @bourbonandbloom.

 

Be sure to tune in to The Happy Ever Crafters Facebook group for more live interviews (and have a chance at YOUR questions being answered), and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more live interview and how-to tutorials!