Working With A Stylist Retouch
Peter and model Rhiannon (or RaRa as we call her) have been working together for years and recently collaborated with her friend Daniel P for an editorial shoot. As Peter explains in the first video, he prefers to not ‘collaborate’ on shoots as it often ends up with the MUA or sylist taking over the shoot. Peter and Daniel had never worked together, and you will see how different their tastes are as they move through the shoot. This is followed by a retouching tutorial.
9 comments on “Working With A Stylist Retouch”
Hi Peter,
Did you purposefully want to shoot with a stylist for this lesson or was it more of a circumstances issue? Several things confused (confounded) me with why they were involved. First, if this was your shoot, then I’d think you would have some say as to whether or not a stylist was involved (of course I could be wrong which is why I’m asking), especially when you contacted them before the shoot. I’m not a fashion person at all, but I agree with your statements in regard to not being sure why certain items were chosen with most of the outfits.
Second, as someone older than the stylist and not doing photography as a full time career, I don’t understand why he didn’t take more of an attitude of working with you (i.e., keeping his opinions quite in the first segment) in hopes that you’d refer other photographers to him as being easy to work with and take direction versus agreeing with you and then commenting on what was wrong with the image. I agree with you 100% that you can’t have two directors and since your the one taking the image, you are the main boss (issue like this have always been my thoughts when I hear other photographers suggest about collaborating with makeup artists or stylists to challenge yourself and grow). Again, not being full time in the field, am I missing understanding the potential networking benefit of working with someone who is better known than yourself to get more work or is this networking like this something that isn’t done a lot in photography?
Lastly, I know you’re not a fan of posing, but a book I’m currently reading on the subject talks about how crossed arm positions like RaRa’s create a “fuller” look that most don’t find pleasing. I didn’t notice this with her, even though she was definitely doing them. Have you noticed this as an issue and if so, does it have to do more with other elements of the pose or do you feel this isn’t really an issue.
Unfortunately, you picked the one week in September I can’t go to the New York for your workshop. Hopefully, you’ll be coming back again in the future and maybe even doing something more in the Midwest are of the States.
Eric
Hi Eric,
I did want to shoot with a stylist for the tutorial, but didn’t realise how he was going to be. It was totally not set up to be this kind of tutorial but it’s a bonus he carried on the way he did so you get to see the real world of what we have to put up with. I couldn’t have been happier with the way he carried on right from the start because it made a great tutorial.
You’re not misunderstanding, networking in any field is extremely important and especially in photography. I don’t understand why he didn’t approach the opportunity differently either, as I won’t be working with him again.
I haven’t found the crossed arm position to create a “fuller” look, I don’t pose models and just get them to do whatever is comfortable for them then take the photo when I think it looks good. You may have noticed in the tutorial when Daniel started posing RaRa she got very uncomfortable.
Such a shame you can’t make the workshop, we will be back in the states next year though, hopefully our schedules align so you can make it.
Thanks again Peter. I’ve learned more from you on Inspire in several months than I have from other photographers books and courses in more than 30 years. Please keep up the great work.
Eric
Thanks so much Eric, glad to hear you’re enjoying the tutorials and learning heaps.
Another great and FUNNY tutorial. Thanks Peter! Emailing you as well 🙂
I love seeing how you create backgrounds with lights and shadows… It is so inspiring and liberating. I make a great living doing portraits… How do you go from a great portrait to fashion editorial? Is it about choosing the right model? How do you prepare before hand… Or is it from a mood-board? You also talk that you are not getting paid for this. Obviously this is what you love to do… How much of what you love to do do you you get paid for?
Editorial doesn’t pay anymore, if you want to get paid it’s called advertorial. This means the photographer is there to push buttons and come up with cool ideas. A lot of the final images will have the clients look not the photographers look. I prefer to be in full control of models, hair and makeup, and the styling and storyboards. This makes it 100% my work and I use this to show the world MY photography, it’s like a free add. About 20% of my time is spent on unpaid editorial shoots.
Thank you Peter for your candid answer. I wish it were different… I feel fashion would benefit more from a more creative perspective. In the long run people are more likely to respond to art no?
Yes creative fashion is at an all time low thanks to the super stores all selling the same thing and changing their range monthly. Hopefully we are at the bottom and things will return to the old ways.