DESPITE the fact that people have asked MULTIPLE times for me to write a post on my entire creative process, I have never actually done it.

Until today.

 

So… I suppose the best place to begin this long asked-for blog post is to start from the beginning: where I actually get my ideas.

 

 

I get most of my ideas two different ways. The first is from experiences that either I have had, or someone close to me has been through, while the second is from specific locations I’ve scouted or from props I’ve found at either the craft or thrift store.

 

Once I have the idea, the next step is to flesh it out. If the source of inspiration is a prop or location, I try to think of what story would explain why the prop is in the photo or why the photo takes place in that particular location.

 

For example, last year, I found this GIANT red rose at Hobby Lobby and I wanted to use it in a photo. When a model connected with me, I decided I would create a story around this rose for our shoot. So I asked myself, why was she going to be holding a 4 foot tall rose? Eventually I came up with the idea that my model would play the part of a Spring fairy, bringing Spring to the forest with her magical rose staff.

 

 

Whatever the story is, the most important thing for me is that it’s actually there and that the viewer can see it immediately. The key to a good photograph is the story it tells and so by taking that little grain of inspiration and fleshing it out into a story (even if it’s just one scene from a story) makes it that much more meaningful and much more impactful to the viewer.

 

With a fleshed out story, it’s then MUCH easier to decide how I want the photo to actually look. Continuing with the earlier example, what would this Spring fairy actually be wearing? Probably something green and earthy. When and where would this photo take place? In my mind, a forest on the cusp of Spring would look the prettiest and would really help tell the story. By knowing all these things, I can then design the props and the costumes and pick out a location for the shoot (if I haven’t already).

 

 

Once I have all the details of the design worked out, I can then start the actual process of creation. Fabric and supplies are purchased and slowly transformed into dresses, headpieces, and any props I need. The fun thing about this part of the creative process is that with almost every shoot I do, it usually involves learning an entirely new skill. There is often A LOT of googling and youtube videos involved at this stage of the process.

 

So with the costume finished and the day of the shoot scheduled out, it’s then time for the part that everyone is most familiar with: the actual photoshoot. This part is pretty straight forward: my model and I will head to a location (or to my makeshift studio in my house) and shoot for a couple hours. During the shoot, we’ll try out as many new poses as possible and try to shoot in as many sub-locations as possible.

 

 

With the Spring fairy photoshoot, I made sure to put the model in several different locations (walking down a tree lined path, sitting on a boulder, and gazing out across the lake) to help tell the story of her traveling around casting Spring everywhere she goes. I also made sure to have her try many different poses in each location, because you honestly don’t know what pose will look the best until you try it!

 

Typically, I end each shoot with about 500 images. With that many photos, it’s essential to first weed through and pick out the very best images before I can start the editing process, otherwise it would be entirely too overwhelming and a lot of time would be wasted editing photos that aren’t the very best from the shoot.

 

The final step of the entire process is editing the photos in photoshop. Now, the editing process in and of itself is enough to make up AN ENTIRE BLOG POST (which I HAVE actually done before), so to make a VERY long explanation short, my editing process essentially involves lightening the subject and darkening the background to make the subject stand out better, adjusting the colors to help with telling the story and setting the scene (eg. cool tones can imply sadness while warm tones can imply happiness), and finally painting on highlights and shadows to give the image a more painted look.

 

 

With the photo edited, I will usually set it aside for a few days so that I can come back to it with fresh eyes and see anything that I might have missed. Once I’m satisfied with the image, the creative process is finished and I can then share it on my social media platforms. And that’s it!

 

Curious about any of the particular steps in the creative process? Or was there any part that you were surprised by? Leave me your thoughts and questions in the comments below!