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Photography at its Finest: How to Find a Great Photographer! Are you searching for someone to take the perfect family picture, or someone to shoot your wedding? Here is a guide to find your perfect vintage photographer. Are you looking for a great vintage-themed photographer for your next photoshoot? Finding someone who can do the kind of photography that you’re looking for can be a challenge. Not all photographers have the same focus, and everyone has their own specialty. ...

Number 1: Wrong Wardrobe Styling Nothing kills a vintage, retro or pinup shoot more quickly than having the wardrobe styling not consistent for the period or style you’re shooting. I go over the styling early on in the project discussions. I try to establish what the background will be before finalizing the wardrobe, props or styling. Of course, in order to do this, you must determine roughly what period and styling you’re looking for in the shoot. ...

This shoot was planned with materials from a prior shoot but since the materials did not arrive on time was rescheduled. Sometimes having too much material pays off and you get to shoot them later like this one. With just a little more planning and adding some finishing touches and the shoot was ready to go. Tiki shoots are a lot of fun to shoot. It is fun to play with island vibes in your studio and the vibrant, exotic colors and motifs. ...

Pin-up contests are a way for the ladies to get out there to show your latest creation in pin-up fashion. A local pin-up contest is a great way to do that. After working with pin-up contestants and coordinators, I thought a blog post could help future contestants on what to expect and to shed light on what the experience is like. First, I interviewed several past contestants and one coordinator for their experiences with pin-up contests. There were some common themes among them. Let’s take the contestants’ inputs first. ...

Shooting a 1940’s Hollywood project is actually a lot of fun. From the lighting to the props, it’s a fun trip back in time. I enjoy studying up on the period from multiple sources. The hardest subject I’ve found is the makeup and hair. The styling and background are a different challenge, too. The 1940’s was split between two periods: WWII and post-WWII. After the war, the styling changed to include a number of new materials and colors. During the war, styling was of fewer colors and less material. ...

Photographing a vintage 1950’s photoshoot can be a challenge. From the studio or on location to the makeup to the hairstyling, the challenges abound. I am lucky to collaborate with the model, hairstylist and makeup artist, Tiera, recently on a 1950’s vintage photoshoot concept. For this shoot, we did a living room scene and a holiday-themed scene. Both scenes are timely as both of us we seeking more content and set in the 1950’s. Tiera loves the 1950’s era, dresses in vintage clothing and it shows! Her hairstyling and vintage makeup is on point. I loved the results of this session and I hope that you do too. Here’s one of the images from the shoot below although I have many, many more images to process. ...

What I’d like to cover in this post is the styling part of the preparation. For my shoots, I like to look at several sources. The first source I look at is clothing. I use www.vintagedancer.com to get a good understanding of the clothing and styling of a given era. Also, if I have contacts with a person or persons who have a good recollection of the targeted era, I will discuss styling with them as well. Next, I like to discuss makeup and styling with my makeup artist. ...

I sometimes get asked where I find jewelry for my shoots. Here’s a little bit on how I do it. First, I study the era or style in which I want to shoot. Generally, I shop Etsy for used jewelry items in the fashion that I’m looking for. I find that there are plenty of shops that source 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, etc items at reasonable prices. Occasionally, I will go to Amazon or eBay for new pieces. ...

For me it seems that I struggle with casting makeup artists. I’m not sure what it is but maybe it’s because I’m in unfamiliar territory there. However, I’ve learned a bit about makeup over the years and have worked with some outstanding makeup artists. But casting the “right” makeup artist for your project is crucial to success. Consider what your project is first. Is it a vintage shoot? Is it a lifestyle shoot? Is it a gothic or dark shoot?; Next, consider what makeup you want. What is your vision for the end product? Do you have an example to work from? Generally, I attempt to do as much research on the style for the project I’m working on. Along with that research, I do research on hair, makeup, clothing, shoes and props. I find that research activities uncover a lot of important questions that I pose to the various members of my project team. I also find that other members of the team bring up ideas and thoughts that help me to refine my vision for the project as well. ...

Finding great photographic props for your studio is easier than you think. The main purpose of a prop is to give the model something to interact with. The second purpose of a prop is to sell your story to your audience. So where do you find great props? Props can be sourced from many places just use your imagination. I generally perform my research on the period of my photoshoot first. This helps me to open my imagination to possibilities that I wouldn’t have considered on my own. ...