Schooled in Photo Shoot Styling

Producing a blog gets much, much more involved than your typical ‘hobby.’ Fortunately, the truly endless amounts of time I’ve committed to Prettyography in the last 4 months have been made so very worthwhile by working with a pair of great chicks. Last week, we joined about 75 other blog junkies for the GoBlogSocial Workshop in Kansas City to get nerdy about blogging together.

While the workshop covered a variety of topics like how to record great video, make the most of Instagram, hone your brand or style a photo shoot — one of the greatest lessons we took away highlighted the true uniqueness of what we’ve built.

To wrap up a styling session lead by StyleEsque, we were challenged to complete a mini photo shoot highlighting a few products by a specific brand. The first of our decisions was easy and we naturally fell into place working as a team instead of going our separate routes like the rest of the room. We gathered product from the Wayfair-inspired styling table — each of us adding pieces that, looking back, clearly related to our own styles. Allie totally grabbed a vase of daisies — is anyone really surprised?

We wandered, discussed and tested various areas for the perfect light to fuel our shoot (remember those photography tips?). Settling on a small coffee table in a lounge area, we each took turns positioning products on the table and snapping photos as we found inspiration. Three women. Three iPhone cameras. One-ish subject.

Practicing our photo shoot styling @goblogsocial_ #gbsworkshop with “office supplies 3 ways.” Check out @lmndrops, @brooklynprettyography and @alliejmcdowell to see our entries for the @styleesque_ @wayfair challenge! #gbsxwayfair

A photo posted by Prettyography (@prettyopics) on Feb 22, 2015 at 10:23am PST

The result was kind of beautiful. While each of our photos showcase the same items scattered across the same table — the photos are so, so very different. Like us.

Having fun styling @goblogsocial_ with @styleesque_ ! #gbsxwayfair @prettyopics

A photo posted by Brooklyn • Kansas City (@brooklynprettyography) on Feb 22, 2015 at 10:21am PST

Thanks @styleesque_ for the amazing tips! #gbsxwayfair #gbsworkshop @goblogsocial_

A photo posted by Allie McDowell • Kansas City (@alliejmcdowell) on Feb 22, 2015 at 10:17am PST

Awesome styling sesh with @styleesque_ @goblogsocial_! Chaotic desk fun with a little test round featuring @wayfair #gbsxwayfair #gbsworkshop

A photo posted by Laura Noll (@lmndrops) on Feb 22, 2015 at 10:15am PST

The exercise reinforced the one thing we’ve said since day one and the idea that Prettyography was built on — beauty can be found in all things (especially a gold stapler), sometimes you just need to see another perspective to truly appreciate it or to even appreciate your own.

This post originally appeared on Prettyography.