how to pull off the fashion photoshoot of your dreams

we’re all dying to be muses. let’s just admit that!

*all photos in this post taken by Yancy Yesovitch

When was the last time you saw a photo of yourself you truly loved?

When I started posting outfits online around 2021, I sort of wanted to do it anonymously. I considered doing the thing where you hide your face with an emoji or blur it out. Sharing my Mara Hoffman-Rachel Comey outfits from TRR sounded exciting. But it would have been ideal if I were a 2D paper doll, arms slack at my sides, not a human woman but merely a template immune to being perceived.

With practice I began to appreciate the art of self-photography. I started feeling more comfortable with little “micro-poses”…a head tilt here, a shoulder pop there. Then I started bookmarking editorial photoshoots that inspired me. Dramatized poses, torso twists, wide stances, backbends—I began to notice how the model and the props and the clothes all came together to tell a story about fashion.

I think everyone who loves fashion secretly (or not so secretly) wants to play main character in a photoshoot or movie. How could we not? We love to get dressed because we are innately world-builders, we imagine storylines and insert ourselves into them. And we love to see ourselves dressed in garments that make us feel beautiful, soul-full, connected to ourselves. Vanity gets a bad reputation; I believe a healthy dose of it is necessary for artistic expression.

We’re all dying to be muses. Let’s just admit that! It’s not a bad thing. What’s bad is fake nonchalance and acting like you’re too cool to admit that deep down, you actually also just want to be admired and have some great photos taken.

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What makes a great fashion photo?

Fully committing to the bit. Not caring too much about looking hot. There has to be tension in the photo, which can be accomplished through props or poses or whatever. This summer I think you should plan the main character photoshoot of your dreams. The one where you’re wearing vintage polka dot dress, one strap hanging off your shoulder, with a newspaper under one arm, mid-stride, one kitten heel is blurred in the movement. Or the one where you’re wearing a giant fur coat with smudged makeup, buying a jug of milk at the 7-11.

In June I planned a photoshoot with Yancy Yesovitch, a photographer I was introduced to through a mutual friend. We had about two weeks to plan it and I’ve always wanted to do a laundromat fashion shoot. It was a lot of fun and I love how the photos turned out.

And it’s not like it was wildly high production! We met at a local park, hopped around different shoot locations and ended up at the laundromat. I brought all my clothes in a giant mesh dagne dover tote, shoes in plastic grocery bags, and I changed in the backseat of my car with a privacy curtain. You don’t need a $$$ studio rental or professional hair and makeup. You could even just do this with a friend and some disposable cameras. It can be scrappy! Actually, even better if it is scrappy.

From location scouting to pose planning, here is my project plan that has everything you need for pulling off a main character fashion photoshoot.

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Find a Photographer

Here are some options and things to consider:

• Ask your friends/social circle for a photographer rec who is open to doing creative projects. Oftentimes photographers want to build their portfolios and are open to doing a shoot with you as the model, especially if they’re exploring a new concept or style of photography.

• Make sure you feel safe working with a photographer you haven’t met before. If they’re vouched by a trusted friend, that’s great. You can always communicate that you only want to shoot in public spaces, during daytime, etc. if that’s what you need to feel relaxed and safe going into it. This is super important!

• Enlist your best friend or sibling or significant other to be your photographer. At the end of the day I think it’s less about how “professional” the person is, but rather who can you communicate well with and respect boundaries with the physical demands of modeling and taking photos.

Location Scout

Once you’ve found a photographer, mutually work together to decide on locations to shoot in. I would recommend sticking with 2-3 spots that are walking distance (or a short drive) from one another. Mentally bookmark spots you frequent that could make for a good location. Tips:

• Neighborhood businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, libraries, parks, laundromats, cafes, waterfront paths

• Cool-looking houses (usually private residences so be prepared to be shoo’d away or shoot discreetly from the street)

• Ideally places that aren’t too crowded and where you won’t worry too much about getting stuff stolen. I kept my clothes and phone/wallet in a bag around me the whole time.

  

Collect Reference Photos

So now you have a loose idea of where you’ll shoot, what kinds of backgrounds will be in play. I recommend collecting reference photos through Pinterest (it’s just the easiest, esp if you are new to this). I’ll search things like “gas station + fashion photoshoot” and pin them to a board that my photographer can view/collaborate with.

With Yancy, he mentioned wanting to explore a “suburban amnesia” aesthetic so it was very helpful to collect some reference photos and make sure we were generally on the same page with some concrete examples.

Here’s the board I made for my shoot.

Practice Poses

I know…it can feel so awkward but trust me, it helps with confidence. Get in front of your mirror with a chair and some props and just mimic the poses from your moodboard. You actually learn a lot about yourself. Like, how your specific facial features enable you to express certain emotions, how the uniqueness of your body shape and hair can become a part of the composition. I believe everyone is the perfect model for a specific mood/storyline/character.

Let go of the idea that a “fashion model” has to be 6 feet tall and rail thin. It helps to think of it more as “if this is a book or movie I’m casting for, who would be perfect for the role?” The world would be so boring if everyone looked the same and made the same facial expressions. Lean into the characters you’re born to play.

Finally, communicate with your photographer if there are poses you aren’t comfortable with doing, whether it feels not-gender-affirming or too skin exposed or crosses any kind of physical/sensory boundary.

Plan Outfits and Props

This can be overwhelming cause…there’s just so many options right? Here are some ideas for what to build your shoot outfits around:

• your favorite piece that you feel good in

• colors that will play well with the location backgrounds

• a specific vintage look/referential to an era

• mimicking clothes from a film you love

Yancy communicated that he likes shooting reds and powder blues, so I tried to style some outfits with those colors. I ended up packing 3-4 outfits with various accessories, in case we wanted to use them.

Same goes for props. Some easy ones that are good for beginners:

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Flowers

• Baskets

• Books

• Fruit

Run Through Logistics

Mentally run through the locations, transportation plan, and time duration. Consider the following so you are both prepared:

• where will you change clothes? (Options: Car with privacy curtain, public bathroom, changing tent)

• where can you use the bathroom or drink water/eat a snack if needed?

• what’s the parking situation if you’re driving?

Confirm Usage and Credits

If you’re working with a photographer, ask about their usage guidelines and how/when they want to be credited. For example, if they send you a copy of the photos, is it ok to post them on social media? How would they want to be credited? Is it ok to post cropped or edited versions?

As the model, also let your photographer know if you have any concerns about the photo usage of your image.

The goal is for both parties to be comfortable with how the photos are shared and used.

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Go forth, be muses!

xoxo

viv