Every photographer needs space to experiment, and that’s exactly what a styled session for photographers is designed to give them. Marie Elizabeth’s Becoming Styled Session brought together a historic farmhouse, a private dock, and a sailboat just outside Annapolis, Maryland, giving attendees a full day of portfolio-building images they couldn’t recreate on a typical client session.
TMA’s Ali Payne caught up with Marie to talk through how the sessions came together, from the Pinterest boards to the moment attendees stepped onto the scene, and what she’s planning next for photographers who want in on the experience.
Where the Vision Began
For Marie, the concept started with a feeling more than a single detail. She knew the session needed to feel romantic, in line with her brand, and living just outside DC in Maryland, a coastal vibe felt like the natural direction, since the state is surrounded by so much water.
From there, she built a Pinterest board to nail down the styling direction for each model, making sure the wardrobe tied into the location rather than fighting against it. The final looks pulled dresses from For Love & Lemons for the moms and sweaters from Quince, everything leaning coastal while keeping a romantic thread running through each session.
Finding the Perfect Setting
The location did a lot of the heavy lifting. Marie was able to photograph three of the sessions inside a historic farmhouse, with a dock just down the street where a sailboat waited for the day. She didn’t know at the time of booking how well the two locations would complement each other, she just knew she needed a sailboat large enough to hold a larger group, which took some searching to find.
Once on site, the farmhouse revealed coastal blues in the kitchen and a bathtub perfectly suited for a newborn session, both details that helped the romantic coastal concept come fully together. If there’s one moment that holds the whole day for Marie, it’s the sailboat. That’s where the idea for the entire session started, and everything else was built around it.
What Photographers Experience at a Styled Session
Styled sessions like this one are built to do two things: help photographers build out their portfolios, and give them room to play and get inspired creating work they might not have the chance to try in a normal week of client sessions. A sailboat session and a bathtub newborn session aren’t exactly everyday bookings, and that’s the point.
During the event itself, Marie stepped back more than she stepped in. Her role was mostly suggesting poses or prompts and offering small touch ups as things unfolded, while attendees directed their own models and shaped each session around what they wanted their portfolio to say.
What’s Next
Marie is already planning another Becoming event, and this time she’s hoping to turn it into a full retreat. She’s aiming to launch it this fall, with more details to come. In the meantime, photographers can join the waitlist to be the first to hear when spots open up.
Find Marie Elizabeth at marie-elizabethphotography.com or on Instagram at @marie.elizabeth.photo.
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