If you were to ask one hundred fashion photographers what their biggest pet peeve is, you would probably get many different answers. However, the majority of answers would deal with stylists. Photographers, no matter how talented, are dependent on having beautiful and compelling subject matter to photograph. Makeup artists, fashion stylists, and hair stylists are crucial to making a photographer’s subject camera ready. Here are some of the most common complaints about stylists.
- Unreliable
As many photographers and clients know, stylists can be unreliable. They are definitely artists and artists can be somewhat flaky. However, when you are a photographer who is expecting to shoot a subject, especially in an outdoor shoot, time is of the essence. Photographers know that when using natural light, the quality and temperature of the light changes very rapidly depending on the time of day and cloud cover.
Because natural light changes so rapidly, missing your window of opportunity could ruin the shoot for an entire day. Missing an entire day gets expensive, aggravating, and inconvenient. With a service such as www.muamua.com, photographers can connect with stylists who are verified. The thoroughly vetted stylists are known to be reliable, prompt, and competent.
- Untalented
Sometimes, you find yourself in a pinch and have to hire a stylist you might not know that well. Obviously, everyone prefers to work with partners they know and trust, but that’s not always possible. So when you are in a hurry or in an unfamiliar location, how do you know you are getting a good stylist? Far too often, photographers complain that a makeup artist or hair stylist showed up and was not nearly as good as their websites implied.
When finding your stylist on a social media networking site, you can view the artists’ lookbooks, read reviews, and inquire about prices and services. The most valuable resource might be the reviews. A lookbook is very important to determining if a stylist is talented and the proper fit for your project. However, previous client reviews will let you know if that stylist is actually as talented as his or her lookbook implies.
- Too Far
The final concern you might have as a photographer is whether or not your stylist is local. You want a stylist who can quickly come to the set. Also, you want someone who understands the area in which you will be shooting so he or she can match the hair, clothes, and makeup to the surroundings.
With access to a wide variety of artists, you can search for artists based on location. You will see artists who are near you, as well as having access to a map so you can determine just how far away you might be. You never have to worry about far away stylists again.
- Contact Information
On the website, you can look through the profiles of various stylists. You can see what skills and services each stylist offers. Also, you can view the various ways the artist would like to be contacted so you can act as quickly as possible.