[ Q&A SARAH ]

-Where do you generally source inspiration? eg what blogs, mags etc.

Fashion gone rouge is my first port of call whenever i need to feel inspired. The archive of editorial imagery that they have is beyond sensational and i will always find something that i havent seen before. I also have an elle subscription which i use as my Bible when it comes to all things fashion. i think that was my original inspiration to try out stylig and since then ive broadened the types of images and genres that i look at within fahsion. I recently did a ‘distorted image’ photoshoot that was inspired by creatives like David Simms and Fred Butler so this was a bit more graphical and futuristic than usual and meant looking into new photographers and artists in order to create the right feeling. Lula magazine is beautiful and i also love wonderland. In terms of celebrity fashion i follow the olsens blog, mostly for Mary Kate’s style! Some of my shoots have been inspired by her grunge appearance.

- Does inspiration come to you or do you have to go looking for it?
Its a bit of both really. Usually ill have an idea in my head, like a theme or title and an image that i find hard to describe to people in words. So then i go looking for images that act as a visual representation. I like to create moodboards around the shoot beforehand so that i have a clear idea in my head. Sometimes inspiration comes from things totally unrelated to fashion. like the other day i was driving down the motorway and there were workers with power-drills, massive machinery and signs and one of those machines that spits out fire. My mind went mad thinking about a fashion shoot in the midst of all that!

-How do you document your inspiration?
Ive got a blog that i keep up to date with anything that ive come across that inspires or interests me in the fashion world. www.totallysarahleigh.blogspot.com. I like to use it as a break from work or as a wind down at the end of the day. It keeps me up to date with what’s going on in the fashion world because i have to look for the information. i also use it to document my own work. I have a massive image archive on my computer as well and i did my final year dissertation on fashion photography so i guess i have it documented in dissertation-form too!

- What happens next? How do you start organising a shoot?
Confirming the photographer first is usually the best way to go about it because we can bounce ideas off each other. For example they may have shot in a location before that would be particularly fitting for the images or have a creative idea that we can add into the general mood of the shoot. Getting models is easy because of the fashion show event that i created with another collegue this year. We’ve both kept a good relationship from all the models from the night and theyre always willing to build on their portfolios. Once thats decided and i know sizes and colouring etc ill start collecting as much clothing and accessories around the theme as possible and then create a select few strong outfits and jus take the rest along as back up. Sometimes this helps if theres an outfit that doesnt hang right or isnt creating the right look. Its always good to have a bit of a mix and match!

-Approximately how long does the whole process take, from inspiration to final outcome?
It really depends how organised i am about it. One of the shoots i did was with a model whose full time job was an air hostess so she is constantly on call and cant book like a week or so in advance, so for that one it was a case of; lets do it in 2 days, this is what i wana do. And we did. It had been a theme i had been looking at for a while but just as general inspiration. On the other hand, when we styled the fashion show, months of planning went into each creation.

- Are you very specific on what you want out of the shoot or do you sometimes improvise a bit too?
Definately not. I always go with an open mind. Sometimes what you want to do just doesn’t work. Ive been on shoots before where every single outfit has been planned and the image that i think is the most successful from the day was a dress made from binbags and newspaper that we bought as a last minute inspiration and used with the accessories we brought!

- Have you ever had any photoshoot nightmares?
Only once. The day of the shoot for the editorial advert for the show (a BIG deal for our promotion) one of the models dropped out. Luckily it was all sorted relatively easily and the images still looked unreal but it definately caused momentary panic!

- What generally goes on on shoot day? (on set and off) Do you have any kind of rituals?
Whenever i’ve been involved with styling a shoot before its always been ensured that the clothing is ready and laid out the night before, even down to which necklace goes with which garment. Its good to be able to show the model what they will be wearing before everything gets started because ive found it makes them feel more involved and relaxed so the images generally look better. If we are shooting on location hair and makeup is done before we leave (usually because its outside and COLD) and then can be touched up throughout. I don’t really have any rituals that im aware of although i definitely think its best to dress the model in the outfit they feel most comfortable in to begin with to help them get into the role a bit more! Its more of a ritual once ive got them images...add to portfolio...send to model...facebook...blog...