FYI: Prop Stylist, Jen Everett

Jen Everett has some big names in her portfolio -- working on spreads for Real Simple, Vanity Fair and W, as well as ads for iPod and Maybelline (and the list goes on). Thanks so much for joining us! [And thank you to Kylie from Bandelle for requesting this edition of For Your Inspiration (you know, miss Kylie has her new fall line of jewelry coming out soon!).]

Jen, how did you get involved with prop styling?
I studied photography at Parsons School of Design, and photo-assisted for a few years. I actually started prop styling when a photographer I assisted was working on a book that needed prop styling and asked if I wanted to do it. After that experience I realized that I was more suited to do props and focused my energy on building a portfolio. Although I'm not working as a photographer, I feel that my background has been an asset. Occasionally I think about getting back into photography because photographers make more money than prop stylists!

What's the first step you take in getting to know a new client?
If the client is a magazine that I haven't worked with, I will pick up a copy of the magazine to get a feel for their aesthetic. Generally, there is not that much time to know a new client because most jobs in this business only allow a few days prior to the shoot-day. Usually I will get some inspiration-pictures emailed to me for what they are thinking for the image and then I will speak further with the photo editor and/or art director.

How do you stay fresh? And how do you seem to create life in such a limited frame?
I look at a lot of magazines and books and mark images that I like. I also like to visit stores whose displays and merchandise I like. As far as working within a small frame, my background as a photographer helps and it's easier in a way because you can just concentrate on a small area and make that as good as you can make it.

How close is the relationship between stylist, photographer, and client?
I work consistently with a few clients and photographers which helps in knowing how a particular person or client likes to work. It's pretty collaborative, but I usually get a list of props and a color scheme from the client and then I supplement that with props that I feel may add something. Occasionally it can get tricky if the photographer has a different idea than the art director; in those cases I try to satisfy both so that we can try both options.

Is it common for a photographer to double as a stylist, or vice versa?
I suppose there may be a couple of photographers who style their own shoots, especially if it is a simple shot, but it is not too common. There are a few photographers who got their start as prop stylists.

Tell me about the ultimate shoot.
For me, the best experiences are when you get a great crew that works together really well and you've managed to get some great images that hopefully you can use later for your website/portfolio. Lately, I have come to value working with nice, appreciative clients more so than high profile ones.

Ok, give it to me: best and worst parts of the job. Any warnings for future stylists?
The best aspects of prop styling for me, are finding unusual objects and making them work harmoniously. I really enjoy the odd little places that you sometimes find when trying to hunt down a hard to find object....it often feels like a scavenger hunt. The worst parts are the schlepping of shopping bags -- especially in the rain -- returns of items that you buy and don't have the budget to keep, and the spending of your own money that will eventually be reimbursed. I honestly thought when I first got into prop styling that it was about making pretty pictures all the time, but I quickly realized that's only a small part of it. You have to think quickly on your feet, and it can be physically taxing.

You work with still-life and people -- any preference?
I like the diversity in the jobs that I do...it keeps me from getting bored, so I don't really have a preference.

So, how does it work: Do you have to scout for all your props, or can you sometimes request that they just be there for the shoot?
Yes, I scout for props, or my assistant does. There are a few prop houses in the city and you get to know their props pretty well, so sometimes I call and put specific, bigger pieces on hold.

And lastly: Got an inspiration board?
I personally don't keep an inspiration board, but frequently for bigger jobs I will create mini ones. I do mark images that I like in books and magazines and will refer to them on occasion.
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If you have a request for a future edition of FYI, please email me directly at jessie{dot}cacciola@gmail.com.

Out of the Box: Emily, Michelle, & Courtney

Out of the Box asks the most of our readers: Share your all-in, no-holds-bar, out-of-the-box-and-away-from-your-comfort-zone moment -- purely for our inspiration. Enjoy this first group of amazing women! (And, please, feel free to share your story in a future edition of Out of the Box!)


{ Emily Schuman }

Profession: Online Advertising
Weakness/Vice: Anything chocolate. You know that scene from Sex and the City when Miranda throws away a cake so that she’ll no longer be tempted? That wouldn’t stop me.
Ultimate Comfort Zone: Curling up in a bed reading magazines while it’s raining outside.
So, what's your Out of the Box moment?
As an only child, I spent little time successfully away from my home before leaving for college. Sleepovers at friends’ houses almost inevitably ended at around 1:00 when I would call my dad to rescue me. Sleep away camps were kind of a joke since my parents knew they’d be picking me up the very next morning. So it went until I became a junior in high school when I went, with ten other students in my AP Spanish class, to live on my own with a family in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I stayed with them for 3 weeks speaking entirely in Spanish and absorbed the culture in its entirety. Between the colorful traditions, incredible cuisine and their relaxed way of life, it was an out of the box move for me that proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Emily also runs a fashion blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere, where food inevitable tends to creep in.

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{Michelle Urban}

Profession: Elementary school teacher
Weakness/Vice: shoe shopping; thai food
Ultimate Comfort Zone: being with my friends and family; teaching
So, what's your Out of the Box moment? I've always considered myself to be athletic, especially growing up in a family of hikers. However, as I've gotten older, I've found that the transition to the grueling work force left me exhausted. And as an active person, I loathed this overwhelming feeling. So, at the beginning of summer 2007--on a whim--I decided to sign up for a triathlon. Suddenly, I was obligated to participate, before I had a moment to comprehend what I was in for (1/2 mile open water swim, 13 miles bike, and 2.5 mile run is considered a "sprint triathlon"). While I felt confident about the swim and the run--having participated on swim and track teams as a kid--I knew the bike ride would not be so easy. I contemplated backing out, but I set this goal for myself, and I had to follow through.

The swim went flawlessly, despite the icy Lake Washington water that literally left me breathless. I staggered up the hill in goosebumps to the transition area, to change into my shoes and begin the bike ride, and was on my way. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy, but at the finish line, physically drained as I was, I was wide eyed and smiling, proud of myself in knowing I'd achieved my goal--I had bit the bullet, sucked it up, and dove right in. I completed the triathlon, and biked all 13 miles (even managing to pass a few people on the way)! Since then, I've made a significant effort to be physically fit, and maintain a consistent exercise routine. I don't know if it was a result of stepping outside of my comfort zone, even for a day, but I felt it prompted me to make a lifestyle change that has only helped me for the better, evidenced by the fact that I'm gearing up for my second triathlon this fall!
Out of the classroom, and off the track, Michelle also blogs here.

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{Courtney Barton}

Profession: Marketing/Branding Coordinator
Weakness/Vice: I am a vintage addict through and through.
Ultimate Comfort Zone: Meeting up with dear friends at a local restaurant for a night of good eats and easy conversation.
So, what's your Out of the Box moment? I recently bought a Vespa LXV and have been petrified to drive it outside a 1 block radius. I live in Houston and we aren't exactly known for our friendly drivers! In order to get over my fright, I enrolled in a Motorcycle Riding School. There were about 40 participants on motorcycles and then my husband and I on our scooters that made my frilly bicycle look like a Harley. The entire weekend I had Lloyd Christmas flashbacks as we weaved through orange cones, pulled U-turns at Mach 5 speeds, and came to screeching halts at a moment's notice. Given the fact that it was 100+ degrees and I was covered head to toe (my gardening gloves added a nice touch), I made it out alive and unscathed. While I don't see myself ever having the guts to use half of what I learned, the course made me a better driver on both 2 and 4 wheels. And I had one heck of a good time in the process; no more hell on wheels here!

If you're lucky you might be able to spot Courtney driving said Vespa in a foreign country in the near future. Or, you can find her conveniently on her adorable, lifestyle blog.

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If you have an Out of the Box moment you'd like to share, please email me directly at jessie{dot}cacciola@gmail.com.

FYI: Editor Turned Publicist, Melissa Davis

Welcome! Today, we have our first edition of For Your Inspiration. Here to answer your questions about the magazine industry (from editorial to PR) is Melissa Davis. She has worked as a fashion editor in New York and California for 8 years with big names, including Harpers and Lucky, and in 2001 started her own PR firm just outside San Francisco, Ruby Press. Thanks for joining us, Melissa!

So, first off, when did you know you wanted to get into the magazine industry? And why the shift in focus from editorial to PR?
When I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a fashion editor. I was lucky enough to have fashion merchandising and marketing classes in my high school, and I suppose they both helped me in my future careers. I got a BA in Fashion Merchandising, because that was really the closest major I could find to what I wanted to do. Most of the other students had career goals of being buyers- I was unique in that way, I guess. In fact, I didn't know anyone else whose goal was to be a fashion editor.

I got involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities in college to help me find my way to the editorial world. I started a fashion 'club' at my school, curated museum exhibits, and created a fashion "zine", which ultimately got me my first job out of college. The "zine" was a homemade magazine called "The Eye". I solicited writers from my fashion classes but found by the 3rd issue that no one was as passionate about doing this as I was, so the final issue was completely written and designed by me. I sent copies to magazine editors that I found on mastheads and sure enough, it led to my first job as an intern at Sassy magazine. They used to feature a "Zine of the Month" and they chose my zine to feature, which led to a relationship with their editors and me driving from Virginia to NYC to pursue my dream.

Fast-forward 8 years, after careers at Harper's Bazaar and Mademoiselle... I loved being a fashion editor but needed a new challenge. I was offered a job as a fashion director at a new website and moved across the country to San Francisco. The site was dissolved after two weeks, but I loved California and wanted to make it work, so I did some freelance work and within a few months was hired by Lucky Magazine as a Contributing Editor and by a local SF magazine called 7x7 as their Fashion Editor. Through those two jobs, I met lots of designers and saw so much talent in the SF Bay Area that I didn't know existed. I'd never really thought about working in PR, but doing PR for companies I really, truly believed in made perfect sense. It combined the two things I loved most about my job as a fashion editor--helping small businesses grow and cultivating strong relationships with designers. It's now been 7 years since I started Ruby Press and I don't miss the editorial world one bit.

That's amazing, starting your own zine so early on! So, when did you feel you really made it--the moment where you just felt completely reassured about what you were doing, or who you were, professionally?
As an editor, I think it was sitting in the 2nd row at fashion shows and thinking that I was important enough to designers to not only be invited to their show, but to be given such an amazing seat. As much as NY Fashion Week was exhausting and tedious at times, it could also be thrilling and humbling. You could sit through a day full of mediocre shows, but when you see that great, life-changing show, it's all worth it.

As a publicist, it's hard to pinpoint, but I think it may have been when Elle magazine did a full page feature on up-and-coming jewelry designers and two of the four featured were our clients. Or maybe the first time one of our clients' earrings were shot on Oprah on the cover of her magazine. Those big, show-stopping credits still make me feel a little thrill. It's worth all the hard work.

I've often wondered: If it is your job to write about an exciting life, do you find it necessary to live that life?
My life was exciting as a fashion editor- I was going out all the time, with interesting people to interesting places. I got to know some great designers, editors and photographers, and met iconic models like Kate Moss and Christy Turlington when they'd come to our office. I think it all just went hand in hand with the job, which was actually the best part for me. I loved being an editor--I loved working on the magazine. You just have to live that life to do the job properly.

I don't know how exciting my life is now, but I do think it's important to always have your eyes and ears open to what's new, what's happening. I do think it's important--for me, anyway--to infuse style into all aspects of my life--whether it be in the way I entertain, decorate my home with my husband or run the office. I think it's just who I am.

How important is it to understand both sides of magazine publishing--the business, and the editorial? Do you feel you'd be better suited to do your old job having done the PR side?
It's pretty rare to have worked on both sides. I am glad I've been on the editorial side--it really taught me firsthand how to work with the media. What works, what doesn't... When you've had people pitching you for 8 years you it becomes intuitive. I don't think having owned a PR agency for 7 years necessarily would make me a better editor, but I do think having been an editor definitely made me a better publicist.

What do you see as the biggest difference? Certain perks/drawbacks of each? What do you enjoy most about both?
There are lots of perks to being an editor--free clothes, being able to order almost anything you want at wholesale and getting to know designers. I really loved the job, but it was one that you truly HAD to love. I worked long hours and went out for work almost every night of the week. It was stressful and demanding--it's truly a job that encompasses your life. It was all worth it for me though, to see my ideas come to life on the pages of the magazine.

As for the PR world, the perks, for me, at least, are more about the satisfaction of seeing what the PR coverage does for our clients' businesses. As a business owner as well as a publicist, I find it hard to quit working. Even when I go home I find myself back at the computer...

I think what I love most about being a publicist is finding new talent, new clients. I feel the same thrill as I did when I was an editor.

Do you believe blogs are beneficial, or prepare individuals for the real industry? What other purposes do you see them serve?
I think they are absolutely beneficial. Ours has been really helpful in letting people know who we are, what we're all about. The team contributes to our blog, but it's all edited by me so that it stays really true to the Ruby Press esthetic.

And to leave on a light note: Do you keep an inspiration board? What's your favorite part of your home? Of your day? (I find that I love downtime at my kitchen table, but I also love the thrill of reading news columns in the morning, to find out what's going on.)
I do--I've always been one for an inspiration board. I have a huge bulletin board next to my desk at work that's about 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It's covered with tear sheets from magazines, vintage finds (like photos, old labels, millinery flowers), and sweet notes from my husband (and business partner, Sam), as well as our client phone list and other day to day info I need easy access to. It's a pretty, but jumbled type of thing.

My board at home is more of a mix of images I love and random business cards and personal notes.

I think my favorite time of day is when I get up in the morning and eat breakfast at the computer in my dressing room/home office...I catch up on my favorite blogs, WWD, and the NY Times and start emailing. After that, I take the dogs for a good walk and get ready to head to the office.

(images courtesy of Melissa Davis)

If you have any further inquires for Melissa about either profession, please leave a comment below. And if you have a request for the next edition of FYI, please email me directly at jessie{dot}cacciola@gmail.com.

A Few Words: Open-Edition Prints

"Art is like good bread! Art is like green trees," shouts a sign on a wood-planked wall in Vermont, telling of the Why Cheap Art? Manifesto of 1984, which spurred the Cheap Art Movement by Bread & Puppet. It would seem art is in the air that we breathe; it shouldn't belong to museums or solely the wealthy, but instead imbue our entire being and blanket the earth. But art is man-made; it is not a tree. And like good bread, someone has to get paid to make it. Does starving artist ring a bell?

Open-edition prints (as opposed to limited-edition) seem to be the answer; they have made art more affordable and more accessible than ever. But is this necessarily a good thing? Do they in turn devalue art?

A Few Words opens the table for discussion, and here to join us are some art-lovers, and a lovely up and coming artist. Please feel free to have a seat and join the conversation in the comment section. [And if I had you all in person, this is the moment where I'd be pouring everyone a drink and passing out something to eat.]

The Art-Lovers:

Joanna Goddard (magazine writer/editor)
"Open-edition art, in my opinion, is fabulous. Here's why: most people aren't art collectors aiming to resell prints for a profit down the road. We just want gorgeous art to hang up in our homes and enjoy. So to most people, it doesn't really matter if the artist has sold two other prints or two hundred other prints. We just want to get the art and call it a day. So when artists sell open-edition prints and aren't limited to only selling a few prints, they can lower their prices way down. Art + Affordable = Genius."
For more fabulousness, check out her blog, A Cup of Jo.

James Danziger (Gallerist)
"When photography began, no-one thought of limiting editions. It was only in the last few decades that the practice began and to this day, many photographers who believe in the "democracy" of the medium continue to sell open editions. However, the market does prize rarity and so if you're buying for investment, small closed editions are the safe bet. If you're buying simply for the love of an image there's nothing wrong with open editions but the buyer should generally not pay more than the decorative value they can afford. (Would you pay $20,000, $2,000 or $200 for a couch? It all depends on your taste and budget.)

I do like the site 20x200 and think they have come up with an interesting formula."
For more insight into the art world, namely photography, check out his blog, The Year in Pictures.

Erin Loechner (marketing professional turned publisher)
"I took a shortcut home from the market this morning to find construction workers were widening my favorite road. Fantastic for traffic, but not-so fantastic for neighbors and surrounding businesses who are forced to surrender their front yards and driveways over to asphalt and stoplights.

I think of open-edition prints similarly. As a consumer, I can think of nothing better than to offer more availability, more "traffic" and an increased visibility from the artists' work. However, I imagine the artist feels a bit as if they have to surrender their creative vision and control to appeal to a wider market. Less green grass for them, more pavement for the consumer.

With that said, I think the offering of open-edition prints is 100% a personal choice for the artist. I have the same respect for exclusive, fine artists than I do for someone a bit more mainstream and affordable.

It's a tough call, I'd imagine. Wider roads are easier to follow to your destination. But the narrow? You get to keep your mailbox. ;)"
For more lovely quirkiness, check out her blog, Design For Mankind.


The Artist:

Megan Coyle (up and coming collage artist)
"I think open-edition prints are great because I often feel as though most people don't buy artwork because of how expensive it can get. Prints allow an artist to make a little bit of a profit from those who aren't able or interested in spending a great amount of money on original work of art. I think that limited edition prints are suitable for artists who are printmakers--where the printing takes a great deal of skill and supplies. Thus, a printmaker's prints really are the original works of art, and should be priced accordingly. I often think of the price of a work of art being related to the amount of time it takes to complete a piece."
Check out her work here, and a recent interview on my main blog, Zest & Thyme.


Featured print (top) by Lab Partners, available at Etsy, one of the largest open-edition shops online.

Other sources for open-editions:
20x200
Charmingwall
The Shiny Squirrel