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Staying inspired as a fashion photographer is all about truly honing in on your unique style. In my chat with fashion photographer Olivia Bossert, we dove into the world of fashion photography, the rise of AI tech, and the importance of staying connected in the industry.

“Sometimes I imagine working with a photographer that has a completely different vision and style from me and say, what I can learn from somebody that is completely different from me?”

Fashion Photography Vs Wedding Photography

Olivia and I talked about the differences between fashion photography and wedding photography. Olivia explained that one of the main reasons she decided to focus on the fashion world is because she felt she had more creative control over fashion shoots rather than the documentary nature of a wedding day.

As a wedding photographer, I talked about how I often approach a couple’s shoot as a fashion shoot, directing them and thinking of it like a fashion magazine shoot. This gives me the perfect combination of creativity and serving my ideal clients, who are often already fashion-first people.

Staying Timeless Amid Trends

Olivia and I agree that trends in fashion often spill over into wedding photography. We spoke about how creating timeless work rather than following trends is important to her and her brand. Creating work that won’t fade or date itself is important. You need to pick and choose trends wisely to maintain a distinct style.

How does Olivia suggest finding your style?

1. Stop Looking at other photographers’ work. Mute accounts if need be. It is often difficult to really hone in on your personal style as a photographer if you are constantly being fed inspiration from outside sources.
2. Think back to your childhood and dig into what you truly loved. What inspired you in the very beginning? Lean into that.
3. Become known for a style that you love, not one that you feel is forced because of current styles and trends.

Fueling Creativity and Beating Burnout

Olivia gave us some tips on staying inspired as a fashion photographer and avoiding creative burnout. From setting work limits to exploring non-photographic hobbies, she shared that often to keep the creative juices flowing, she will remove herself completely from the creative process.

Every once in a while, she will do something that requires no creativity at all, such as tackling admin tasks in her business. This gives her creative brain time to rest and helps to keep the creative juices flowing when they’re really needed.

Using AI as a Photographer

In true Lilly fashion, we spoke at length about the world of AI and its potential in fashion photography. Olivia talked about her experiments with AI-generated images using platforms like Midjourney and Modify.

One way that Olivia uses Midjourney is to put mood boards together, mentioning that sometimes gathering inspiration from Pinterest is harder than just creating the exact vision she is looking for with AI.

While AI has its limitations, Olivia sees it as a tool to expand creative horizons and spark new ideas. She mentioned keeping a bank of Midjourney images so that when she sometimes feels uninspired, she can pull from a bank of images that are incredibly inspiring to her and suit the vision she is after.

Olivia encourages photographers to embrace innovation and keep up with emerging trends while choosing which parts you want to accept into your business. She emphasized the importance of staying connected within the photography community and being open to learning new techniques and technologies.

Thanks for hanging out with us on the Say Cheese Podcast. Stick around for more episodes packed with laughs, tips, and inspiration. You can subscribe, download and review the podcast HERE.  To get caught up on past podcast episodes, head over to the podcast page.