What Is Under Your Photo Styling Business Umbrella?

What's under your freelance photo styling “umbrella” of services?  Meaning, what styling income streams do you have for your styling business?   By thinking of ways and how your styling talents can be utilized and styling services can be expanded ~ you can reach new clients in new ways.    

In alot of my consulting calls with Photo and Prop Stylists I will inevitably hear: "Clients aren't hiring me"  or "I'm not getting work." I say . . .  think of ways you can expand on your styling talent.  Two posts we discuss income streams are: 

Ways To Make Money As A Photo Stylist
Income Streams For Photo Stylists

Here are a few ideas for you:⠀

Offer/Pitch to become a “Staff Style Advisor” to companies who can’t afford a full-time, Photo Stylist on set at this time.  I have done this for a (1) commercial video production company where I “sat in” on all their creative meetings with their clients (2) a Brand Stylist, giving style advice on brand visuals, color palettes, creative direction (3) Small Photography Studios that are doing their own styling ~ but feel they need help advising clients on styling. (and are already over scheduled with taking the photos, editing the photos - you know, "allthethings".) You can help them!⠀

Do “On Location” styling seminars.  For example:  Are you a Food Stylist? Approach a Restaurant to offer their “perk card members” clients a “Style your Food at Home like a Stylist” Series.  Their customers have to eat at home, sometimes, right!?  It’s an incentive for their “non-perk” members to join that frequent customer program and it makes their existing perk members feel special.⠀

Offer To Attend/Consult at creative meetings to give styling advice, ideas, resources.⠀

Host/Teach Classes on styling skills online and in person. While many think classes at retail stores are hard to book or that you have to go through "corporate office".  In my experience, that has not been the case.  Also, if you want, you can do classes for "social proof" for your promotional materials.  (What I do is separate my events I have taught at with my commercial photo styling for brands, so it's clear what you have done for clients so you best reflect to a new client how you worked with clients.)   ⠀
⠀

While all these suggestions are not in a Photo Studio, it’s important for us to stay active and creative, diversify, and place other income streams “under our umbrella”.⠀The more you go out there and style in any capacity you will gain experience and meet new people that can lead to your dream photo styling jobs.


Bonnie ~


Image Credit ｜ Canva