The crucial role of the Stylist can sometimes seem underrated when compared to the ‘lead’ status of the Photographer, but it should never be taken for granted. Even when using the best equipment, it takes the keen eye and creative talent of a stylist to bring all of the visual elements of a shot together.

On a recent 3-day shoot for fashion brand Thread I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic team of stylists following strong art direction - a collaboration which proved to be a great success.

The dynamic strong lighting, and considered textured backgrounds add interest to these fashion accessories, giving these creative advertising style shots personality and flair.  

Styling isn’t just about how objects look in themselves. When shooting a set of products, it’s also about their visual appeal when grouped with other similarly unique and interesting objects. The space around and between objects is also a factor, and how it is used is essentially a fundamental element of contemporary styling. So, props and accessories - like kraft gift boxes and hessian ties - are strategically positioned, creating imagery that is crisp and detailed.

These kinds of shots are great for gifs - whimsically styled moving images shot against textured, painted colourama are visually impactive - perfect for social media and web advertising.

Howlett photography offer a full service from styling, set-builds, studio hire, models, post production and of course, photography! On this shoot we worked alongside an established design agency and stylists, out of an east London studio. Our aim is to create amazing content in a bespoke way that works for you. Why not get in contact to discuss you requirements or simply browse the still life gallery for more inspiration.

You may also find this link useful for further reading….”Check out these 12 top tips for still life photography”