A Van Gogh styled shoot by Damaris Mia

When Damaris send this styled shoot to me…I just about squealed because of how lovely it is. Not only is Damaris a photographer, she is also the editor of the fabulous wedding inspiration blog Le Magnifique. She is incredibly talented, and also one of the sweetest people ever. Here is what she had to say about this session!         -Kristin

I just love styled/inspired shoots so much. Styled shoots give you the opportunity to think outside the box – to be more creative than you normally would. When I first got into photography, I put together a styled shoot with things I found

around my house (my mom’s old china, picnic table, flowers from the garden… you name it). It was very, non-professional looking.. but I didn’t know better. Honestly though, it was a great start for me. This was back in 2010. At the beginning of 2011, after becoming more confident in my photographic skills, I decided I wanted to put together a “real” styled shoot with real vendors. I literally had no idea where to begin. They don’t write manuals on this.. so I asked around. Some people were helpful, while others were not. But I did the best that I could. Originally, I had a specific look in mind but when I found a wedding coordinator, she wanted to go in a different direction and I was totally okay with that. We made a virtual list of the vendors we would need and split up the responsibilities (she would look for and contact the vendors she was responsible for and I, the same). This part of the planning process can be very discouraging if you let it get to you. Everyone you contact will not say yes. There will be vendors who will say no but you just have to keep on moving forward and eventually you will find someone who will be so thrilled to work with you. Soon enough you will find that you’ve established a team of wonderful vendors. I’ve been blessed to have formed some wonderful friendships with a few of the vendors- some whom I still work with today. That’s the great part about doing these styled shoots with professional vendors.. you can always collaborate with them again! Just a side note about styled shoots: be prepared to have a back-up plan in case things don’t turn out as planned. In the case of this shoot, hair and make-up ran 1 1/2 hours late and it cut into my shooting time (which was outdoors). It was almost dark outside when I finished shooting (no flash, no light). But regardless of what mishaps can happen, you’ve got to keep your head up and have a positive attitude throughout the entire shoot This Van Gogh-inspired shoot was featured on The Wedding Chicks (so exciting).