JULY PHOTOGRAPHER SHOOTOUT | BUFFALO NY
Hey there party people! There have been so many new & exciting things have been going on over here!
If you have been following along with my instagram stories over the past few months you local photographers may have already caught on to some of the fun things that have been in the works & you may have heard me say the word ‘SHOOTOUT’, only about 5 trillion times! HA! Has it caught on just exactly what a shootout is yet?
If you haven’t heard me talk about these so called ‘SHOOTOUTS’ I’ve decided to make happen, then 1. You have not been paying attention to my stories/ IG enough, and you should pop in & say heyyooo! & 2. You should continue reading because I am about to tell you what they’re all about & how the first one EVER just went! & at the end of all that, if you aren’t itching to know when the next one is, well.. then you’re an odd duck, because it was freaking awesome & if you don’t join us then you’re totally missing out on some kick ass times!
Ok so here we go!
So lets start from the beginning! What is a shootout?
A little background.. After living away for 8 years, we moved back to Buffalo. Over these past few years living home I have been season after season feeling this real disconnect from the local photography community. As most of us photographers would agree, this creative field, while amazing and totally rewarding, can become a bit lonely & isolated. We spend countless days/ weeks/ months glued to our computers editing with little interaction of the outside world. Not just this but this field can be competetive and down right get you doubting yourself, comparing yourself and overall, some days have you feeling like throwing in the towel.. especially in the midst of a busy season where the inspiration begins to drag and the burn out becomes real. Am I speaking your language? Ya, I had this gut feeling I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. Us photographers (or creatives) in general have a language all of our own, and while explaining something to Grandma about a shoot you’re super excited about is great, it sometimes can feel so good to talk to someone who can totally relate and be excited with you!
So this season I decided if this type of safe space wasn’t existing to my knowledge? Then, create it. So I began to organize and style a group gathering (small event) if you will, to get some local photographers together, to network, to learn, to play, to try new techniques you’ve been dying to try just haven’t had the time, gain more experience, to meet other photographers, not one person ‘teaching’.. just a bunch of creatives getting together to , create. Insert the Title ‘SHOOTOUT’.
I started by polling dates that would work for the most people on my instagram, finding an amazing couple willing to model for us for the evening, setting a time and location, and putting a little style board together with what they would be wearing and the general ‘theme’ of what the shoot would be. From there it was out in the universe and I’ll be honest while people said they were coming I may have been a little nervous that no one would show up and it would be an epic fail.
Luckily that wasn’t the case and for our first ever shootout, we had 11 awesome photographers attend! We were given the most beautiful (HOT) sunny day, we had music going, everyone was chatting away getting to know each other, we had our models running, jumping, smooching, snuggling, you name it! We encouraged each other to try new poses, to ask questions, to answer questions and to come out of our shells a little bit and by the end of the night, (and I don’t want to speak for anyone else) but I can honestly say, I left feeling refreshed, inspired, and understood. This first shootout served its purpose and then some and I felt I was given everything I was hoping to find in putting on a gathering such as this.
AND on top of it all? We all came away with some amazing portfolio shots that maybe you’ve seen plastered all over our instagrams as of late! This was one of the most exciting parts watching everyones unique style of edits roll in!! Its so amazing how different the same session can look, edited by a ton of different people. and how each persons work stands out as their own! As I started seeing more and more , I began to be able to pinpoint who’s was whos without looking at their names!
Alright, Alright, Alright.. Lets get down to it… the question I have been asked 28495704952 times a day..
When is the next one!?
The next shootout will be done a little differently! I was thinking.. wouldn’t it be fun to pass on the styling reigns to the next person! Let someone else get use their creative side to lift their inspiration! It’s kind of like sisterhood of the traveling pants.. except for photoshoots.. and guys are welcome too! ha!
WHEN | Wednesday, August 21st, 2019.
TIME | Tentatively 7 pm (this is subject to change based on sunset times, any changes will be announced via IG @scottiebephoto )
WHERE | Woodlawn Beach.
Head on over to the Shootout highlight tab on instagram to see who will be styling this months shootout & the inspo board she has put together with the vibe of this months theme! (To be posted soon!)
FAQ
Who is this shootout for? This shootout is for Local photographers of all skill levels. Guys and girls welcome. New to photography? What better opportunity for you to surround yourself with like- minded photographers. Don’t be shy, we all start somewhere and everyone is super helpful and encouraging.
Are there rules? Well I don’t really want to call them rules.. rather a set of guidelines that I ask that you follow in order to keep everything happy, and fair game. They’re pretty simple and I think we would all agree reasonable.
After each shootout you will be added to a private instagram group & given the vendor list for any and all social media posts. You are asked to tag all vendors in the caption on EVERY post. This will include who styled the session as well. ( I didn’t make this a requirement for the shoot I styled but the attending photographers were all so amazing and supportive and did so anyways. Thanks guys!!! I like this support so we are going to keep that going for everyone else who puts time into styling as well!
If you choose to attend, I ask that you come as an open book willing to help anyone who may have any questions. We’re all here to grow and build up an awesome community! Also.. Ask questions! ( If you’re thinking something, chances are, someone else is thinking about asking it too, but may be too nervous to speak up! )
All attending are asked to deliver a minimum of 5 images via dropbox, to be delivered to the models and vendors, one month post shoot. I will gather said images and put into separate album folders, marked with the photographers company name so the models and vendors know who to credit. ( if you never turn in your images, then you wont be asked to join us again, just because we want to keep positive relationships with our models and any participating vendors who worked hard for us all.)
The Shootout images you take MAY NOT be sumitted to any publications, contests or feature pages by anyone BUT who styled the session. (Every person who would like to have the opportunity to style, will be dropped into a hat and picked at random.)
BE SUPPORTIVE. - this should speak for itself. Lift each other up! Everyone is at different levels & that is OK! They/ You are right where you are meant to be. This will remain a judgement free zone! Love ya!
As these shootouts grow, if I see any other rules that need to be put into place I will alter/add and reiterate, where needed.
Overall, this is suppose to be all fun & I want to keep it that way , so putting these guidelines out there now, will hopefully help to make things clear and run as smoothly as possible so we can get out shoot on with all good vibes!!
Did I forget anything? Questions? You can DM me @scottiebephoto
Thank you to everyone who came out & making this first shootout such a success! It was so nice getting to know each & everyone of you and I seriously can’t wait to further our new friendships!! & I can’t wait to meet more of you soon! **You can see more of the killer amazing images they took @Mountainhighphoto, @basicallyemilyphoto, @kirank_Photography, @lmf.photo,@lovelyredhead, @nat_Allenphotography,@rachaelmariephotography @reilleyphotography @tiffanyrohrback, @Jdellaneve
(Sorry if you left before the group picture was taken! Next time!! :) )
& thank you to our vendors! Florals @MarigoldandVase , our models Courtney + Mike maj & @raisingriver for donating the beautiful handmade clay earrings! Styled by Me @Scottiebephoto
Some behind the scenes from all the fun, provided by : Scottiebe Photo, Reilley Photography, Basically Emily
