A few weeks ago, I scheduled a bridal hat photoshoot for some bridal hats that I had created. Seeing the fabulous results reminded me of icing on a wedding cake. Would a wedding cake be as fabulous without the icing? Similarly, you spend quite a bit of time on the preparations for the bridal hat shoot but it isn’t finished until all the last minute touches are added.
You start by making the hats. Is that the easy part? Then you need to find a photographer who can capture your vision. Roy Volkmann was the photographer that I selected for this bridal hat shoot. He’s done wedding photography and I love how he captures the human form. Once you select the photographer, it’s time to select the fashion models, think about decor, lighting, outfits, makeup. The list goes on and on. Then, once the bridal hat shoot is over, there’s still the image selection. You need to narrow down the final choices. Shooting digitally is great because you can see the results instantaneously but we also tend to shoot more. This means there can be A LOT to choose from. I must say that working with professionals makes all difference.
Being on the bridal hat photoshoot provided a treasure trove of information. Some was basic, mundane information while some was not. I discovered hats that needed to be secured differently than I originally anticipated. Experience has taught me to come prepared with a plethora of combs, elastics, hair and hat pins. I’m never exactly sure what will be needed so I bring the kitchen sink. Thicker hair behaves differently than fine hair, so combs that work wonderfully in one type of hair behave differently in other types of hair.
In addition to the basic ‘stuff”, there is information that is more esoteric in nature. Each hat has an unique personality. Some hats are obvious, while others are more subtile in interpretation. During any photoshoot, it’s important to convey the personality to the model. One hat might be regal, while another is completely whimsical. If the model understands the nuances of the bridal hat, it can help her portray the right personality for the shoot. This may sound very new-age-y but there’s something to it.
In the end, a photoshoot is a balancing act. You want to keep shooting to ensure that you have the perfect shot. But you also need to ensure that you photograph all the hats. I love to stand behind the photographer and “see” the image. Many times there is a “moment” when you’ve got the image that you were looking for. Like a trifecta, you know exactly how things end up. It’s happened too many times for me to dismiss as coincidence.
I’ll be posting the images from this bridal hat photoshoot. Do you have any advice about a photoshoot? Share your comments and this post.
