In late January on an absolutely freezing afternoon, I hosted Cross My Heart, a small styled shoot with a Valentine’s Day Theme.
A styled shoot is a collective effort by a team of creatives to create a conceptual photoshoot -in this case, an optimistic and chic Valentine’s day concept. Styled shoots like Cross My Heart are a fantastic way to connect with other industry professionals and create beautiful, valuable marketing material for every brand involved.
My entire concept, formulated six months earlier, was sparked by a heart-shaped LC Lauren Conrad purse. When I came across the bag in a Kohl’s store, I was struck with a romantic, playful styled shoot vision. We purchased utilized the heart purse throughout the photo shoot!
Originally my concept was centered around shooting around uptown Charlotte. I wanted to utilize the leading lines of the streets, ivy-covered walls, and outdoor staircases around Southend. However, as the shoot date drew closer and forecast included a high of 35 degrees, I had to shift my plan! My friend Kristina (LKN Boudoir) lent us her photography studio for the afternoon. With the warm studio as our base, the shoot could be primarily inside with only brief outings.
Our first location was my favorite corner of the LKN Boudoir studio. I styled it with a plush pink ottoman and an assortment of items from my prop collection. Here Hannah and I worked together to get a set of romantic portraits and pretty product shots of the jewelry (provided by Elise Design Co.).
Because this was the first time Hannah and I worked together, this simple set was a great way for us to warm up to working together! Hannah is a great model; she poses herself well and builds on my suggestions with ease.
After adding a white Ponybox blazer to Hannah’s outfit, Hannah and I moved to the back of the studio for some window-lit standing portraits. You can spot the aforementioned heart purse in the images below!
Next, we stepped outside into downtown Mooresville for 20 minutes or so!
There’s a small garden by the Wells Fargo that I love to use!
When we returned to the studio, it was time for an outfit change! Hannah donned a pink accordion skirt, a pink bodysuit, and a denim jacket. We added a set of Elise Design Co. earrings and clutch purse to finish the look.
I created this dreamy little window-lit corner setup simply to utilize the peacock chair. The images below are my favorite in the gallery!
Though I’ve shot at the studio many times, I hadn’t noticed how perfect this corner (below) is for headshots! Having a railing to lean on always helps my subject pose organically, and the black wall is so bold.
Right before the sun sank below the horizon, we rushed outside to grab a few last shots in the downtown. Here are a couple of my favorites!
I couldn’t have pulled Cross My Heart off without my amazing vendor team!
Cross My Heart
Styled Shoot Team:
Photography/concept: Elizabeth A Images LLC
HMUA: Bel Fiore Beauty
Model: Hannah Murdock
Jewelry: Elise Design Co.
Blazer: Ponybox Clothing
To learn more about booking a styled portrait session for yourself, click here!
-Elizabeth A.