One of the greatest and most talented people I know is a man by the name of Gavin Derek. Am I just bragging that I am friends with this brilliant man, or does this article have something to do with photography? I’m glad you asked. Gavin is a Set and Product Stylist. Though many photographers starting out may not be familiar with this valuable member of the team, the top players have their favorites, and many never head into the studio without them. Does that mean you need one?

What self respecting control obsessed creative type wouldn’t love to be able to do every single thing perfectly, independently - to birth that masterpiece photograph from conception to billboard or art gallery walls all by ourselves? The fact of the matter is that nothing in the world is ever created in a vacuum. So why not bring in help? You don’t do all the modeling for your pictures? Make all the clothes? Build the camera? So maybe you could benefit from time to time by adding a stylist to your team.

To help you decide - and because I begged him, Gavin was kind enough to consent to an interview.

My socks usually match and my mom thinks my milk crate bookshelves are pretty neat. Why would I want to hire a stylist for my next photo shoot?

A good stylist will offer new and broader perspectives and ideas to the plan or vision the photographer developed. Plus, it’s more fun to bounce ideas off of another artist when making stuff.

You’ve convinced me! Now that I’ve decided I need me a stylist, how do I go about finding the right one?

First, I’d ask friends. Surely someone knows one. Or someone who knows someone who knows one.

Two, I would use those internets. Just Google Set/Product Stylists.

And C, call local modeling agencies (or look them up online) and ask if they rep stylists. Then, if you don’t have a budget with which to pay, them ask if any need to “test” - which means doing a job for free to obtain shots for their portfolios. Generally, the photographer pays for these shoots, but sometimes all the costs are pooled and split between all involved (including the model)…but this is rare.

Now that I’ve hired one of them fancy stylists, what am I supposed to do with him?

A, liquor him up. Gin is king.

Two, have a pre-production meeting at least a day before the shoot to discuss the project and decide what needs to be purchased and/or built. The more days in advance the better. Make VERY CLEAR what budgetary parameters there are, and most importantly, WHEN the stylist will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. This can be made simpler by simply buying the receipts off of the stylist immediately after he has returned what can be simply returned. Simple. This is called “returns”. They are the most hated part of a stylist’s (this stylist’s) responsibilities.

And lastly, if you want the stylist to be on set during the shoot, define ahead of time what you want him to DO; i.e. be very interactive with you and the models and the rest of the crew, or let you be the focal voice on set to avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.

How much input am I supposed to give you?

As much as you can, ahead of time. Then keep the effort communal and friendly, during. We have a tendency to get feisty and jittery. This is where the gin comes in.

How much input do you give me?

As much as we can, ahead of time. Or as much as you need. We work for you.

What do you think of my milk crate bookshelves?

I think you are a god.

It’s the day of the shoot. What can I expect you to do?

Arrive promptly at the time agreed upon (which is well before the models arrive) and set up the environment. Usually, if this hasn’t happened the day or days before the shoot, the product is set up on tables (or whatever) so that you and the rest of the crew can see everything available to use. Then, after the shoot is complete, I wrap up the product, clean the working environment, and leave the area cleaner than when I arrived. I am also a retentive neat-knick. So maybe that’s just my rules.

What should I NOT expect the stylists to do?

Get lunch for the crew. OR conceptualize the entire job, unless that is exactly what you requested at the pre-pro meeting.

Everything went better than planned. Thank you Mr. (or Ms.) Stylist. Do you prefer to be paid in cash, or can I just let you keep the inflatable giraffe that you drove six hours to buy for our shoot?

Refer to the pre-production reference I referred to earlier. It is whatever you agree upon. A true pro puts everything in writing and gets signatures. Most of us just have verbal agreements and handshakes and trust that the producers/photographers with whom we’ve made these casual agreements aren’t mother fuckers. Gut reaction (and gin) is your greatest tool.

In this shot that was built and styled by Gavin for a series on recycling, what looks like cherry blossoms is actually toilet paper rolls and packing peanuts.

You can see more samples of his handy work at Gavin’s website.

Nice!

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