by Kristi Drago-Price, Editor’s Edge
You’ve put in the time, the money, and the resources to produce a styled shoot, so why isn’t it getting picked up for publication?
Well, there are a few answers. Maybe the magazine you submitted it to only uses in-house content, or the blog just featured a story with a similar theme. But there’s also one very common reason your styled shoot didn’t get picked up that the editors might not be telling you: The model sucked.
A pretty face (that you discovered behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop) does not a model make! In fact, some of the best models–the ones who truly know how to work the camera naturally–are rather ordinary-looking in real life. If Kate Moss worked at the Starbucks down the street, I bet you wouldn’t even notice her… unless she was smoking indoors and drinking champagne on the job!
Don’t let your creativity and hard work go unseen because of an overly-posed beauty queen in a wedding dress. Take the time to hold a casting, involve your team in the selection process, hire someone who fits the style and mood of your shoot, and invest just as much in the model as you would on that spectacular flower wall.
As Photo Editor on Conde Nast’s BRIDES magazine for over a decade, Kristi Drago-Price directed the visual content creation for thousands of images in all genres of photography. Now as Editor’s Edge, Kristi uses her powerfully trained eye to curate, critique and sharpen the visual message of wedding brands. Kristi also produces and directs photo shoots for clients such as The Know, Architectural Digest, The Bump and Self while continuing to be a highly regarded wedding photographer.
This is very sage advice. Not every pretty girl has what it takes to be a model and to produce photogenic pictures. A quick scan of Model Mayhem might be helpful in finding the right look for the shoot! Thank you for sharing this valuable insight!
You are very welcome, Alisha!