A Summer Camp Wedding

Oct 28

This August I had the absolute joy of hosting a styled shoot with a vendor-turned-friend Holly, from RetroFotosCo. She reached out with the sweetest idea of a drive-in style couples session with an outdoor movie projected on the side of her vintage VW bus. As we continued planning the shoot quickly turned into the sweetest summer camp inspired wedding, ending the night with our couples favorite movie playing on the bus. This was quickly dubbed the “Drive-In Camp-Out” Styled Shoot. We enjoyed s’mores, the sweetest couples photos, and such a stunning sunset! It was the absolute best way I could imagine ending the summer season.

So, what is a styled shoot?

I host several styled shoots every year, where I plan a photoshoot and invite other photographs to participate with me. We photograph alongside each other, and use these images to build our portfolios, learn from each other, and get inspired by unique ideas! Many images from wedding photoshoots featured on blogs, Pinterest, or bridal magazines originate from styled shoots that have been carefully designed and curated by event planners, photographers, and florists.

I first started hosting these a year ago, when I was feeling drained and isolated. I wasn’t making any real business connections and struggling to evolve my business and workflow. I learn incredibly well by watching others, so I announced a styled shoot using newly married friends of mine as models, and asking my friend Priya, who had just launched her own florist business, to build a bouquet. I only offered 9 slots to other photographers, and spots sold out in a day. I was completely taken aback, realizing that others craved a community as much as I did. That was the start of The Golden State Creative Company, a page for vendors and photographers to meet, collaborate, and grow from each other. While this community has evolved far from just styled shoots, they still remain the heart of page, and continue to bring so many wonderful people together. I still keep in touch with most of the photographers that attended the first shoot back in May 2020!