Why NYFW?

When I first started photographing bloggers, which was almost by chance in the first place, I was shooting a group of bloggers in Downtown Dallas and everyone was asking who was going to New York Fashion Week. A science major in college and steadfast in practicality, I was confused by this conversation. Can you just choose to go to a fashion week? I thought it was invite-only. I thought it was, for lack of a better word, for important people.

I got my first taste of New York Memorial Day weekend of 2016. I was a second shooter at a wedding in Princeton, NJ, and the lead photographer suggested we hop over to NYC for the rest of the weekend. True to my practical tendencies, I typically set the bar low for new experiences, tempering any disappointment that might come from greater expectations. New York was wonderful.

Four days after I got home I was on another early flight from Dallas to La Guardia, this time going as a blogger’s photographer for the long weekend. That was my first look into what I call “Club Blogger.” The truth is that bloggers are “important people.” With less runway shows and more “exhibitions” influencers are able to interact, share with their audience, and sometimes even get products to shoot, share, and earn commission on. It’s all very interactive and of course brands benefit from people sharing what they’re putting out.

At Bauble Bar HQ looking so good...

Traveled with Brooke Burnett and photographed her all around the city

Met with a jewelry designer at Laduree SOHO

First runway show I ever attended

Rooftop blogger brunch hosted by Amanda Miller

The Dutch NYC

I saw the business side of blogging. I was still living in a world of making these beautiful moments, dressing the part, dancing in sunlight, sipping martinis in a dark bar — curating and enjoying moments that I could dance around and take photos of to share with the world! It’s not quite that simple. There’s deadlines and guidelines and quotas. I wouldn’t say it was disheartening, I would say I’m thankful I got a good look at what it takes to produce killer content to get brands to notice you and take you seriously.

Since that first taste, I promised myself I would go back every New York Fashion Week — both September and February.

I continue to go because (and Jacey Duprie touches on this beautifully) I heart NYC, and I especially love embracing a city by photographing people in it. New York offers nearly every background I could hope for, I love the light, and I love that bloggers are there with inspiring looks. I actually prefer February because I’m a sucker for photographing layers, coats, boots, and menswear inspired looks. Whenever I get back to Dallas, I find myself explaining, “I love going to New York and I love that when I leave I know I’ll be back in six months. I love photographing people and I love photographing people in New York. NYFW is a great time to go because everyone’s there! I’m always happy to go, and if I can offset a trip to New York even a little bit by photographing people, then that’s great!” By going every year I’ve built up a client base of people who know they can shoot with me. If you’re curious, just go. Immerse yourself, don’t wait until your “credentials” line up, just jump in.

Fashion Week is for important people. I’m not important people, but I love photographing them. I love being up for anything and meeting new people. It’s always an adventure. I learned last September when I was getting far too serious about the numbers of my final payout from the weekend, that the experience has to be more than numbers on a balance sheet, and that was the worst experience so far. I almost left early. I’ve since remembered to embrace whatever comes my way. I’ve shot with some of my favorite bloggers — people I followed while studying bio and just imagining what it would be like to have a life that let me travel and wear the clothes I want and meet fascinating people.

Let yourself explore. Let yourself create. Let yourself breathe.

I go because I love it.

xo Becca

part one of a fashion week reflection, part two on how I shoot while I’m in New York

How to Shoot Product Photos for your Blog

Mail day! (Really every day in the blogging community) One, two, even three times a day, a courier arrives at the door trading you a package for your signature. Door closes, package ripped open: more products. More products to try, photograph, and post about. Cosmetics, hair products, snacks, teas, grooming essentials, kitchen gadgets - all mailed to bloggers all the time to post. Some make the cut and their pretty posed photo makes it to the pages of the blog! Some never see the light of day and end up in the guest bath or given to your best friend because - well how much Clinique does a blogger really need? (And we can talk about that later - discerning what makes it to the blog and what doesn't). But let's talk about photographing these beauties. 

Some easy tips whether you're using your phone, mirrorless camera, or DSLR: 

1. Find a spot with good lighting

Usually by a window or well-lit spot in your home, this makes capturing clear images so much easier. When you find a place or two that work well for you, stick to those spots, and style them according to what you're photographing. Usually the bed, side table, and maybe a windowsill, balcony, or patio are great go-to's. 

2. Shoot with a low f-stop (but not too low)

This applies to people shooting with a mirrorless camera or a DLSR. The f-stop is how blurred the background is, and affects how much light is let it. A lot of people are looking to achieve a really blurry background, so they set the f-stop as low as it can go. For some lenses that's an f-stop of 3.5, others as low as 1.2. That blurry, creamy background is beautiful, but you want to make sure that enough of the product is clear and in focus. Try shooting with an f-stop around 2.0-3.0. If you still want a really blurry background, put the products far away from the background, so there is more room for the background to be blurred.

black marble laptop case for Janet Gwen Designs

The entire computer is in focus, and is far enough away from the wall behind it, making the laptop case clear and fully in focus

3. Set a scene

It doesn't have to be fancy, but gather some items in your home that make you happy and relate to the product. They can be the same color scheme, or just relate to each other in some way. This puts the product in context, and gives you a way to represent yourself and your own brand.

anthropologie home scents

to go with the gold tones of the diffuser, i gathered candles, with white and gold labels, a gold frame, my gold watch, and even grabbed a jar from my bathroom, and put them in front of my antique gold mirror

4. iPhones are really great for flat lays

Save yourself the headache of adjusting the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for getting all the products perfectly lit and in focus for the flat lay you envision. iPhones are really great for capturing products and it's much easier to see when you're getting a straight, clear image on your phone. 

Product photos should be a fun chance to capture something you love and want to share. It doesn't have to be literal - this isn't an e-commerce shoot. What's important is to capture how it applies to you, and by finding good lighting, getting a clear photo, and staging it properly, you can have fun with the rest.

Happy shooting and happy mail day! 

S H O P  T H E  P O S T

Inspiring Spaces - Dallas

SOCIETY

Bishop Arts District

SOCIETY by Jackson Vaughn is a tiny candle shop in the Bishop Arts District that looks - and smells - exactly like you walked into someone's candle-filled study. It's eclectic but cohesive. Knick knacks and enough scents to spend a whole afternoon smelling. Walking in is instantly relaxing and cozy, and even though it's small, it's easy to get lost in there.

HOUNDSTOOTH

Sylvan Thirty

Houndstooth Coffee is a slightly mellower Houndstooth than it's sister location on Henderson. The muted greens, natural wood, and sleek blacks and whites, make this a perfect place to get some work done, but mostly chat with a friendly neighbor. It makes the city of Dallas feel like a small town, where most people who walk through stop to say hello, catch up, and go on with their days. Natural light streams in, and the palm fronds that lean against the side windows make you feel like you could be anywhere in the world (other than Dallas). 

Set & Co.

Davis Street

Housewares, magazines, furniture, and every other perfectly-curated trinket you can imagine. Walking in to Set & Co. is like walking into your interior-designer-friend's house and wanting everything for yourself but then actually being able to buy it. It is owned by a husband and wife who are just as cool as their store and it is always a welcome space where you can wander, peruse, and treat yourself.

Place on Parry

Fair Park

Place on Parry is a blank canvas plus a little bit more. An all-white event space that is literally anything you want it to be. Rentable as a photo studio, workshop space, a place to host a dinner or engagement party, it's lofty ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for letting your creativity take over. It has a huge window in serving as the street-side wall that let's in so much light, that would make any photographer swoon.

Americano

The Joule Hotel

The food is amazing, that's a given. But the color palette at Americano is what makes this Italian-American restaurant inside the Joule Hotel so special. Lovely hues of turquoise, red, and green against a black grid of windows really transports diners into a world where siestas and afternoon Aperol spritzes replace the mid-afternoon slump and another cup of bland coffee. It's comfortable, it's happy, there's pizza - it's wonderful. Added bonus: there's a neon sign in the very back that reads: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. (what Instagram dreams are made of)

Local Press & Brew

Oak Cliff

The best place about Local Press & Brew is that this coffee shop slash juice bar not only makes all their products locally, but they also sell and support work of local artisans. It's sleek and contemporary without losing any sense of hospitality. White subway tile, minimal wood stools, marble tables, a wall of mirrors, and beautifully displayed local goods make Local a perfect place to stop in, grab a green juice, take a breath, recharge, and tackle the rest of the day.