So many of her clients were requesting help with wardrobe styling for portraits, that stylist Keely Lozier realized portrait photographers could really benefit from her help. Many photographers know this well. A major pain point for clients is anxiety about what to wear to their photoshoots. Keely Lozier recently went on The Portrait System Podcast with her main collaborator, portrait photographer Claire Marchand, to tell host Nikki Closser all about how they started working together and how their partnership helped them both evolve their businesses.

Wardrobe styling for photography is very different from styling for everyday life, so having a professional familiar with both can add so much to a portrait client’s experience. Lozier and Marchand recommend that photographers who choose to work with a stylist should approach it the same way they do with hair and makeup. Clients don’t always understand the value of having assistance in these areas, but having professional help with hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling brings them so much satisfaction with the final result.

Hear the whole Portrait System Podcast interview here. In the Q&A below, Lozier shares more about how she knew she should get involved in wardrobe styling for portrait sessions, how she developed her creative process, and more.

What has been your biggest breakthrough in business?  

My biggest breakthrough was when I discovered how portrait photographers could benefit from my skill sets and the growth value for my business. I was working on my wardrobe styling business and updating the menu of services that I offered. I like to reflect on my work and evaluate my services that are in highest demand. I realized how many of my clients were asking me to style them for their upcoming photo shoots. They would express to me how nervous they were about what to wear. This motivated me to seek out photographers to work with to style their clients.  

That breakthrough has added a whole new business, not just a service, to what I do. Not only is it a stream of steady income that I am not hustling to book (the photographers are), but it is also probably my favorite aspect of my business as it fuels my creativity.  

Most artists had a point in their life when they knew this was meant for them. Do you have that moment?  

I knew that my work as a wardrobe stylist was what I was meant to do on a job that I initially failed at! It was in the beginning of my business and my work was finally branching out beyond the time period of having all my friends and family hire me.  

My client was the first client to hire me from seeing my work on social media. She had hired me for outfit creation – when I go into your closet and create intentional looks from what you own. This is a creative process for me as a visual artist, reviewing the clothing, understanding my clients’ needs and life styling and the direction I need to take to embrace their personal style. She had rooms filled with clothing. Even as a professional, this felt like a huge project, and I really felt how overwhelming that must be for my client.  

[Read: Portrait Photographer Claire Marchand’s Biggest Business Breakthroughs]

At that moment, I concluded I had to change my process to benefit my client. I realized the value of the service I was offering. I was honest with her and admitted that I needed to step away, send her a questionnaire and get to know her better before I could proceed! I tactfully developed a workflow process to benefit my client and allow me to own my creativity. I was able to commit to the work she needed me to do and all these years later she still hires me. The whole process of going from failure to learning that resulted in success, helped me realize that this is what I am really good at.  

How did you push past fear when building your business?  

Fear set in when I started to package and sell my services to photographers. I was successful in my one-on-one working relationships with clients. This new suite of services required me to become a marketer of my own product rather than organically obtaining business. How I overcame that fear is nothing enlightening — I put in the work. I told myself the same thing I would tell my own daughters – don’t limit yourself by telling yourself no. Telling yourself no results is a lifetime of regretting that you could be somewhere else in your business, if only. Give everyone else, in my case photographers, the opportunity to shoot you down and say no. There are no regrets in that. It can feel bad, but not as bad as knowing you’ve limited your own potential.  

Do you regret any decisions you have made in your business?  

I do regret not putting myself out there sooner for these new and exciting business opportunities I have had in the past few years working on a team with photographers. It is a niche that really allows me more creative opportunities than I have ever had in my business. It is an area I wish I would have tapped into sooner.  

Where do you see your business in the next five years?  

Claire and I worked hard at developing a system between styling and photography that is unique and best for our clients. I would love to work with Claire creating education for photographers on the relationship between styling and photography. Correct styling can level up the mood and vision for a shoot. Teaming up with experts in the wardrobe styling field brings a whole new level of experience for clients. I know Claire is more assured in her ability to style and create vision on a shoot from teaming with me. I have perfected my skills of being on set and envisioning how my talents can benefit the photographer and client from my experiences with Claire. Wardrobe styling for real life is much different than styling for a photo. We have learned so much from each other and have so much to share.  

The Portrait System Podcast helps portrait photographers navigate the world of photography, business, money, and much more. Hosted by Nikki Closser, the podcast is powered by The Portrait System, a comprehensive, online educational platform that teaches all aspects of running a successful portrait photography studio. If you’d like to be a guest on The Portrait System Podcast, send them a voice message. 

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