Y'all it's been MORE than a minute since I've dispensed with some blog lovin'-- sorry Dazzler's-- Blog Blackout! Aside from the usual busyness of the holidays that we're all prone to, I got hit with a mild case of the social media meltdown! #socialmediameltdown Uh huh! All this 'socializing' just gets bed, bath & beyond exhausting at times! Right? In the midst of all the pinning, tweeting, posting, liking, sharing-- of which, I've actually kept pretty consistent with throughout this blog blackout (in fact, click my new Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, FB widgets to the left of this post and follow me, y'all! HOLLA IRONY!)-- I just couldn't find the energy for blogging too. But Betch is baaaaaack!
Excited to share the latest cover I styled for All You magazine:
I mean, as y'all no doubt suspect, this cover tested all my skillz as a prop stylist. The detail, the nuance...the WHITE PLATE. I mean, Shut the F$%K you with this WHITE PLATE REALNESS! Have you ever seen a more beautiful WHITE PLATE in all YOUR LIFE?! This will forever be etched in y'all's memories as the WHITE PLATE that defines white plates. I'm truly sorry for y'all b/c there will never be another white plate. Done. Period.
But in all seriousness, I thought this would be a cool example worth sharing in reference to the peeps who ask 'what is a prop stylist?' or 'what does a prop stylist do?'. So, for the cover above (shot by Kate Sears & food styled by John Bjostad...John baked & iced that scrumptious cake), I was responsible for sourcing and bringing that WHITE PLATE (and LOTS of other white plates) as well as the pink surface (and LOTS of other pink surfaces) the white plate is sitting on, to the shoot. They call these OPTIONS, in my business. I also brought other elements that might go along with the ubiquitous "generous slice of cake cut out" scene: napkins, dessert plates, tea & coffee cups, saucers, etc., b/c y'all never know what else you'll need when you finally sit down to eat that cake, right?
These additional elements can help 'seal the deal' if a shot needs a little somethin'-somethin' extra to make it pop, give it a sense of real place, or mood/energy. This is where being a prop stylist can get really fun, b/c, budget permitting, you get to be really creative and bring things to help 'tell the story' that may have never even been requested by Creative Director. And though y'all only ever end up seeing the WHITE PLATE OF YOUR DREAMS on a pink surface, here's part of what was actually brought to the shoot that day:
And
Note the Pantone chips...these colors were specified to me by the Creative Director, so we were both on the same 'color page' and I'd pull the exact shades of pink she was after. In addition to fabric as surface options, to suggest a tablecloth, for instance...I also pulled wood & plaster surfaces with pink finishes, like these:
So next time y'all see an image in a magazine, print or online, a book cover, a catalog spread, etc...don't be fooled: A LOT of time, talent and energy went into creating that moment...even if it is just a WHITE PLATE. OH and follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, FB! :)