Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves!
Connection is King
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The idea for this photoshoot came to me when I heard Cher’s song on the radio and I thought to myself, ‘Now, there’s a great idea for a special styled event’! I already knew of three little flame-haired and freckled girls who would be absolutely perfect for the shoot and so I found myself booking a date with their mum that day and off we went!
Once I had a crystal clear concept in my mind and had secured the date, I knew that I had to find outfits and props to help tell the story of the little gypsy girls. However, one of the most enjoyable parts of organising a styled photoshoot is sourcing the outfits and the little accessories to accompany them. As I had three little sisters to dress in different sizes, I knew that this particular shoot was going to be a little bit more difficult to prepare for but half of the fun, is finding those costumes!
It’s also worth mentioning here that the girls would be photographed by four creative photographers in two different sets; the Gypsy set and one other which in this instance, was authentic vintage, handmade princess dresses. This allows the photographers much more opportunity to shoot the girls in different styles and outfits, against different backdrops and with different props to use during the time they have at the event. Having three little girls also meant that during the ‘freestyle’ section of the photoshoot, they could choose whether to photograph all the girls together or individually as they wish. Again, it’s all about giving the photographer freedom to decide and to indulge their own individual creative expression which for me, is vitally important. There really is no point in my four photographers all going away with the same shots!
First of all, the girls had their hair done and were dressed in their gorgeous vintage princess dresses. I had decided to start the session with all three girls being positioned and photographed together purely so that they could ease into the shoot experience and feel confident with each photographer who had five minutes to direct and pose them. After that, the photographers ‘freestyled’ to shoot as they wish!
The same format was applied for the second half of the event - by this time, the girls were familiar with the photographers, confident and were very excited as you can see!
As the organiser of these events, it’s my duty to ensure that not only the photographers get a lot out of it, but the children do too and so I invest a lot of time before we begin to explain exactly what will happen, how and when. Sometimes, I even allow them to choose what they want to wear just so that they too are invested and feel good. This is when you get that vitally important connection which I truly believe, can make or break a image, even if it is technically perfect! If I have happy, engaged, confident children then we all get better photographs!
