3-Steps to a Budget Friendly Photoshoot

Ever feel like you don’t know where to start because it’s too much money, time or you don’t know the right people? I feeel ya. After 10 years in the Modeling industry, I’ve worked through the challenges many striving talent face. Collaborating, being creative and testing concepts for my portfolio have been staples in the success of my career. Let me tell you, things can get expensive. And having a diverse portfolio is necessary for any creatives career. Think about it, how do you expect to book work without your potential client knowing what they’re booking? There are many ways to gain a robust portfolio and today we’ll talk about how to produce a “Budget Friendly Shoot”. Now, don’t be fooled, yes, I’ve paid top dollar for portfolio shoots but you I’m here to tell you that its not the only way to build your portfolio. Through networking, research and creativity anything is possible.

Have you ever heard its about who you know? Well, I’ve learned the truth like minded people at the right time can really advance your career. Start to know the right people, know your goal, who else is trying to work for a common goal but also wants to hone a skill and has passion. Biggest thing about doing anything for free… Networking enough to know the right people. Use social media for collaborations.

Lets say you’ve found a few people, like a photographer, HMUA but you have no clue what to do with your outfits? START IN YOUR CLOSET FIRST> find new ways to create the look your interested in, use pinterest, thrift stores and discount stores. Find stores with a generous return policy for items bought but not used. I like Banana Republic, H&M & Nordstrom Rack. Don’t forget to think about props or accessories too. A few go to’s are purse, sunglasses, technology like phone/computer/ipad, food, water bottle, coffee mug. If you do decide to go the food route, you could buy at a local shop and incorporate their brand into your shoot and provide them the images, Heck ya! Or if you know any chefs I’m sure they could create unique items specific to your concept and also get images for their portfolio. Chef Frank from @GMarket Chef says “ For a chef with a seasonal menu , he will most likely have seasonal food left over. Find a chef who keeps up on latest food trends and who’s trying to expand their influence.” #winwin

You may know by now I love all things productivity and organization. Doing your own test shoot is a great way to start getting organized in the business. I highly recommend putting together a callsheet to establish communication, which will help keep people accountable. It looks professional too. Studio Binder is a great resource for creating callsheets.

Ok now you know how to go about creating a “Budget Friendly Shoot”. Now get out and start creating!! Share with me your creativity on Instagram @nunezkristen.