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4 Tips When Hiring a Stylist

[Acting Headshots Examples by Vanie]

Hopefully, you’ve done your research before your headshot session–

you’ve determined your marketing looks and put together the proper wardrobe for each look.

Mindy Gilkerson: Creative Professional / Troubled Teen / Silicon Valley

Jaylin Eaves: Girls’ Night Out / Timothy Finch: Preppy Best Friend

If you’ve already gone through my sample blog photos (each marketing look is indicated) and downloaded my wardrobe tips, but you still can’t figure out what wardrobe to bring, hiring a stylist may be your answer.

Darlisa Majid-Ali: Love Interest / Fitness / Student

BEFORE YOU DO, here are four tips to make sure you get the most out of your investment.

1. Make sure you’re clear on the specific “types” you’ll be shooting for on the day of your session and convey those looks to your stylist.

Don’t simply bring clothes that look great on you or go well with your skin tone.

2. Let the stylist know that acting headshots are shot from the waist up, and therefore don’t show the full outfit, nor do they show the shoes.

This means that the look has to be clear with no help from wardrobe from the waist down.  One way to make that happen is with accessories.

Liz Tiede: Outdoorsy Girl / RaeAnne Carlson: Techie

Zelika Chante: BBQ Mom / Ian Cole: Hip Friend

3. Be sure to have your stylist put together 2 to 3 options per look and don’t rely on one outfit being the “perfect” one for a look.

You may find the photographer’s input and experience may contradict what you and your stylist thought would convey a look.

4. Lastly, know exactly how many outfits  your package includes, and convey that to your stylist.

You may end up selling yourself short if your stylist doesn’t know how many final outfits you’ll be photographed in.  Ask me how I know…

Mai Linh: Love Interest

My favorite wacky and talented stylist is former client, performer, and now certified Style Coach, Rayne Parvis.

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I love helping you by putting out this free information (often written on weekends and evenings) so please help me spread the word by commenting and or sharing this post on your social feed!🙏🏻

4 Comments

  1. Rachel Ponder

    I don’t know you, but I love your work and can’t wait to shoot with you one day. From all the way in Atlanta!

    Reply
    • Vanie Poyey

      Awe, thank you!

      Reply
  2. badgerhoneyx

    I love your work. The photos are beautiful. The actors look comfortable, professional, ready to work. I don’t think we should be “typing” women, or anybody, as “victims”. That’s not what I see when I look at Nicole Pierce and Kelly O’Malley’s photos. As an actress, I would never let anyone brand me that way even though I have played multiple roles where I was killed. We actresses play the stupidly-named “victim” role for the other part of the story, the part where that woman is a person who does things and the audience and the hero care about her. We play the “victim” role to collaborate with good storytellers or for a paycheck. But it’s not a type.

    Please help empower women. We are also CEO’s, police officers, judges, business owners. Starting with our headshots, we can type women as empowered leaders and go-getters. I’m totally with you and in full admiration of your work.

    Reply
  3. Sharon Wilson-Smith

    I like that you suggested having 2-3 options when it comes to your look to make sure that you can consolidate the ideas of a photographer and of a stylist. My husband and I wanted to hire a fashion stylist that can help us during our family portrait photoshoot. We’d like to make sure that we will consider each one’s ideas so we can create a perfect look because we don’t want to feel unhappy while our photos are being taken.

    Reply

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