As a beauty, fashion, and portrait photographer, Dallas-based Alicia Stepp’s work usually requires interaction between clients, makeup artists, stylists, and models. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Alicia was uncertain of what the future might hold for her career, but then she had an idea to conduct shoots virtually. The photographer has since handled several successful fully-remote portrait shoots, with more to come.
Virtual creation has been one of the saving graces for me in all of this, and I’m so grateful for the technology that exists that has kept us all connected and creating despite being in the midst of unprecedented tragedy and major societal changes.
Alicia began researching the concept of virtual photography about a month or two into quarantine. Then the photographer reached out to modeling agencies in New York and Los Angeles to start testing the process for herself. She included her creative collaborator of over five years, makeup artist Stephanie Cantu, in her remote shoots for virtual makeup consultations.
There are a lot of logistical differences between a virtual shoot and an in-person shoot. The first few were definitely a work-in-progress, but I’ve found a really nice flow working with Stephanie.
One difference that Alicia stressed was the importance of good communication and realistic expectations for remote shoots. For instance, during the remote makeup consultations, Alicia and Stephanie work with what the model has available and walk them through applying her own makeup.
It’s more important than every to be able to adapt on the fly — some of the things we have run into are technology limitations, weather changes, lighting changes — and sometimes we don’t have a full idea of what the location or environment completely encompasses.
In addition to offering remote makeup with her portrait shoots, Alicia has started offering remote wardrobe styling as well. Originally, Alicia was working with the outfits that models had in their own closets. Then, the photographer connected with Hannah Schoendorf, founder and half of the vintage styling collective Alt & Neu in Dallas.
Their shop offers one-of-a-kind pieces for purchase and they also offer styling services. I presented Hannah with the mood board for a few shoots I had conceptualized for two models in California, and she then pulled together pieces that best fit my mood board.
Once Hannah decides on outfits that match Alicia’s concepts, she sends the clothes to the models. The models do a virtual fitting with Alicia a day or two before the shoot, which helps Alicia create her shot list. This is also when Alicia draws up a schedule for the shoot day and she tries to anticipate any possible technical problems that may arise during the shoot.
At the end of the day the process is very similar to what I would do on a normal in-person photo shoot. I want everyone’s time to be maximized so we can deliver the highest quality images possible.
Alicia plans to use her virtual photography skills to appeal to brands that are interested in images for platforms like Instagram, where the quality of photos captured with a DSLR translates well. While some brands have shifted back to in-person shoots, Alicia believes the market for virtual photography will continue to grow even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
There are many benefits to shooting virtually — the safety, the lower overhead and simplified production as well as the ability to work with talent all over the world at a moment’s notice.
Check out more of Alicia’s work on her website.
Credits
Models: Rocky (Heroes), Jana (Jill Models Management), Wawa (Major Models)
Makeup Consult: Stephanie Cantu