Hey photographer friends! Welcome back to our Photography Blog, Mastering the Wedding Photography Biz with Hunter and Sarah! Today, we’re going to discuss all things styled shoots. “Should I do a styled shoot to grow my photography business?” This is a question we’ve gotten more than once from our photography students.

 

So today we’re going to answer a few simple questions about these kinds of phenomenon. What are styled shoots? Are styled shoots good for your photography business? Are styled shoots worth it?! Today, we’re going to lay out the pros and cons of styled shoots, and help you make that decision for yourself and your own photography business!

 

 

What is a styled shoot?

For starters, let’s talk about what a styled shoot even is. Although there are many different kinds, generally speaking, a styled shoot is a “fake” photoshoot that’s organized for the purpose of building photographer’s portfolio in exchange for money. However, they can also be used for two other purposes: showcasing the work of other wedding vendors… and as a money-making business for someone else. But we’ll get to that final point a little later. 😉

 

Typically, a wedding styled shoot will involve (at minimum) a wedding venue, a wedding planner, a florist, and a couple. Sometimes the couple is a real couple, but other times they’re two professional models who just met that day. Either way, the vendor team comes together to style the venue so it looks like it’s about to host a very high-end, detail-oriented wedding. Often times they’ll showcase something really unique. We’ve seen styled shoots involving live animals like horses, cool fixtures like classic cars or a vintage moped, and other unique arrangements using florals or seating elements.

 

Then, the models walk onto the scene dressed in their high-end wedding attire, and pretend to get married! All the while, a gaggle of photographers are photographing various elements of the day. This could include ample time to photograph the table setting and details, in addition to couple portraits and even a faux-ceremony. There are also such a thing as portrait session styled shoots, where the focus is just on a good-looking, well-dressed couple at a beautiful location with high-end details.

 

 

Should I do a Styled Shoot? Styled Shoot Pros

So now that you know what a styled shoot is, let’s go back to the original question: “Should I do a styled shoot to grow my photography business”? Here are three reasons why they COULD be good for your business!

1. Styled shoots can build your portfolio with high-end content. This is why most photographers will pay for styled shoots. We often say tell our students that their portfolio is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So if you want clients with high-end wedding days to book you, you need to have a portfolio that showcases high-end wedding days! We still believe that second shooting for photographers who are more expensive than you is the best way to grow your portfolio. But a styled shoot can be like a shortcut for portfolio growth!

2. Styled shoots can increase representation in your portfolio. If you find yourself photographing the same kind of wedding over and over again, you can get yourself into a vicious cycle. For example, if your first few weddings were all with white couples, people of color may find it difficult to see themselves in your work. So they go elsewhere, while other white couples have no trouble seeing themselves in your work. So your portfolio continues to grow with the same kind of couple! This can be the case for ethnicity, sexual orientation, or even just style of wedding! If you want your portfolio to showcase a more diverse group of couples and weddings, styled shoots are one way you could fix that.

 

 

Two More Reasons to Do a Styled Shoot

 

3. Styled shoots can provide new content in the slow season. Here in Virginia on the East Coast of the US, our wedding calendar is VERY seasonal. With winter lows below freezing and summer highs in the 90s, we make close 60-75% of our wedding income in two 60-day windows in the spring and fall! So if you want to keep your skills fresh and have new content for social media, styled shoots can “bridge the gap” between your busy seasons.

4. Styled shoots don’t have the pressure of a real wedding day. This is another benefit to styled shoots: they’re lower pressure! Anyone who’s photographed a real wedding knows that sometimes you just don’t get as much time as you’d like to capture the details or the portraits. During a styled shoot, you can generally take your time and really focus on nailing your shots or getting creative!

 

 

Should I do a Styled Shoot? Styled Shoot Cons

However, we don’t just share the positives when our students ask us, “Should I do a styled shoot to grow my photography business”? Here are three reasons why it might NOT be worth doing a styled shoot!

1. Styled shoots aren’t real wedding days. This seems obvious, but there are implications that people don’t always consider. If you build your portfolio too much without also building your experience on real wedding days, you can end up with a portfolio that over-sells your experience and expertise. It’s great to add images to your portfolio that are higher-end than what you typically shoot. But that means that when you finally book that high-end wedding, you had better be ready for it!

2. Styled shoots cost money. For 98% of our photography business, people have paid us to take photos. That’s generally how businesses work! 😂 The other 2% of the time — for one reason or another — we determined that it would be worth it for us to trade our time and expertise for free. But the idea of paying someone else so we can take their photos just seems strange to us. We’d rather use that couple hundred dollars (or more!) to market ourselves, book a new shoot, and go out and make that money back many times over! With all the gear, marketing, website, etc. that you probably need for your growing photography business, is a styled shoot the best way to allocate your hard-earned money?

 

 

More Reasons NOT to Do a Styled Shoot

3. Not all styled shoots are created equal. We’ve seen incredible styled shoots featured in wedding publications and in the portfolio of some of our students. But we’ve also heard of times where some of our students invested in a styled shoot, only to feel disappointed with what was actually delivered, compared to what was promised. Last year, we noticed that — in many of the Facebook communities we’re in — it felt like everyone was hosting a styled shoot. Photographers who were barely in their first year of business were now organizing styled shoots left and right. To us, it seemed more like people trying to make a quick buck than actually providing great value to their fellow creatives.

4. Styled shoots can exacerbate imposter syndrome. If you’re investing in styled shoot after styled shoot, but not shooting any real weddings, you can get yourself into trouble. Your Instagram grid may look great, but you’ll be broke and without any real clients. Obviously, this can make any imposter syndrome you already have even worse. And that can lead to a lack of confidence that can make booking future weddings harder.

 

 

Final Verdict on Styled Shoots

Now there’s one kind of styled shoot we haven’t touched on yet. That’s when a single vendor asks you to be the sole photographer at a styled shoot. This is typically when a new venue wants to showcase their space. So they recruit a single planner and photographer to capture the space looking its absolute best!

 

In this instance, you likely won’t have to pay for the shoot, but you also likely won’t get paid. However, you’re getting an opportunity to 1) do a favor for a new venue and an established planner, 2) be the first photographer to shoot at a new space, and 3) showcase something totally unique in your portfolio! These types of shoots are almost always worth doing, so long as it’s a venue or planner you could see yourself working with again.

 

However, maybe you’re considering paying for access to a styled shoot in order to build your portfolio. If so, only you can answer the question, “Should I do a styled shoot?”. Think hard on those four pros and four cons, and in the end, do what’s best for you and your business!

 

 

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