I started making things at a young age. Before I was in grade school, I had stitched pants for my Barbie doll. Around six years old, I created a sketchbook of dress designs for my father’s clothing company. As a teen, I made a miniature version of my bedroom out of balsa wood, painting the furniture with tiny makeup brushes and using toothpicks for gluing the pieces together. Around the same time, I had a hand-painted T-shirt business in my basement. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I was not creating something.
My mother collected art supplies so there were always paints, beads and fabrics around our home in North Woodmere, NY. My grandmother was a dressmaker; so sewing supplies were readily available in the house too. I spent all of my free time in the basement making things. I don’t recall anyone showing me how; I was simply of the mindset that I could make anything I wanted to with my hands.
As the years passed, I remained passionate about creating. After a long career in the magazine and wedding industry as Creative Director for Bridal Guide, I turned to prop styling.
For me, styling is a form of personal expression and a way to connect with family members who are now gone.
The women in my family loved to collect beautiful things, and I love to style and photograph those things. It’s a simple circle of respecting creativity and beauty across the generations of my family. It was, therefore, a natural progression that I would seek work in this field.
The seeds of my prop collection were sown when I inherited a house full of things from my grandmother and mother. It grew exponentially when I began scouring flea markets and vintage shops locally and during my travels. To this day, the thrill of the hunt excites me, and I relish a good prop score. My favored style has evolved to become a combination of romantic, rustic and organic.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
— Scott Adams
I’m constantly learning by observing and studying trends while new materials, patterns and colors inspire me. I’m into flowers and nature, ephemera, mid-century and Scandinavian style. I look for furniture with great wood that can be used as a photography surface, and I have been known to take out a can of white paint to whitewash a piece on the spot. My latest obsessions are handmade ceramics, threadbare fabrics and vintage kitchen tools and cutlery. These make appearances in my work, and it brings me joy to use and share them.
I find beauty everywhere, noticing colors, shades and texture especially in the weathered and worn, peeling paint and tarnished metals. I love to sit outside at cafés and watch people walk by to observe their clothes. I watch movies more for the visuals than for the story.
On days when I’m creatively stuck, I walk around my neighborhood and browse through some of my favorite shops to look at new products. And in my travels to small towns and cities around the country, I can’t help but browse through local shops to gain a fresh perspective on their regional style.
Being a creative person impacts me every day.
Before Instagram, I was posting my photos on Twitter and that was where I found like-minded creatives. What a unique way to reach across the globe and meet others with similar interests! Instagram—as a completely visual medium—has now enabled me to make friends on other continents, as well as, meet neighbors right here in New York City; however, I find that it’s increasingly hard to keep ideas fresh when there is so much eye candy out there. So, I try not to study anyone else’s work too closely—I want to do what I do.
My space has evolved over time. It’s constantly an arranging game as it’s filled with more and more props. I like to surround myself with family photos, fabrics, flowers and artwork. I collect objects I know I can use in photos—and I make room for them as they come into my studio. I have fun organizing little things by color and style in labeled boxes.
Photo by Victoria Pizzo
I try to make everything collapsible and movable to accommodate different types of shoots. New York City—like many cities—is famous for small spaces, but with some ingenuity, one can accomplish and store a lot. People come into my studio and are always excited to be here when they see the daylight and all the cool stuff. I consider it my biggest accomplishment to have set up a small photography space that is both comfortable and workable, in turn creating an unusual teaching business that fits in with today’s world of content creation. This never could have existed ten or more years ago.
Anyone looking to work in a creative field will face a unique set of challenges, and I try to help my students tap into their core and really think about what creative skills they have and what they love to do. It’s a process of reflection and assessment that can lead to a better and more productive outcome.
I believe there is room for prop stylists on every level because compelling visual content is of the highest importance in every industry these days.I recommend taking courses and trying to apprentice with someone who does what you want to be doing before diving in and getting in over your head. That way you can learn through experience with less risk.
FRAGILE FAVORITES
My grandmother collected pieces of china—little dishes and teacups—all of them with hand-painted florals. This ceramic bottle is my very favorite. I have never seen anything like it—with its dimensional flowers—anywhere.
I started making things at a young age. Before I was in grade school, I had stitched pants for my Barbie doll. Around six years old, I created a sketchbook of dress designs for my father’s clothing company. As a teen, I made a miniature version of my bedroom out of balsa wood, painting the furniture with tiny makeup brushes and using toothpicks for gluing the pieces together. Around the same time, I had a hand-painted T-shirt business in my basement. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I was not creating something.
My mother collected art supplies so there were always paints, beads and fabrics around our home in North Woodmere, NY. My grandmother was a dressmaker; so sewing supplies were readily available in the house too. I spent all of my free time in the basement making things. I don’t recall anyone showing me how; I was simply of the mindset that I could make anything I wanted to with my hands.
As the years passed, I remained passionate about creating. After a long career in the magazine and wedding industry as Creative Director for Bridal Guide, I turned to prop styling.
For me, styling is a form of personal expression and a way to connect with family members who are now gone.
The women in my family loved to collect beautiful things, and I love to style and photograph those things. It’s a simple circle of respecting creativity and beauty across the generations of my family. It was, therefore, a natural progression that I would seek work in this field.
The seeds of my prop collection were sown when I inherited a house full of things from my grandmother and mother. It grew exponentially when I began scouring flea markets and vintage shops locally and during my travels. To this day, the thrill of the hunt excites me, and I relish a good prop score. My favored style has evolved to become a combination of romantic, rustic and organic.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
— Scott Adams
I’m constantly learning by observing and studying trends while new materials, patterns and colors inspire me. I’m into flowers and nature, ephemera, mid-century and Scandinavian style. I look for furniture with great wood that can be used as a photography surface, and I have been known to take out a can of white paint to whitewash a piece on the spot. My latest obsessions are handmade ceramics, threadbare fabrics and vintage kitchen tools and cutlery. These make appearances in my work, and it brings me joy to use and share them.
I find beauty everywhere, noticing colors, shades and texture especially in the weathered and worn, peeling paint and tarnished metals. I love to sit outside at cafés and watch people walk by to observe their clothes. I watch movies more for the visuals than for the story.
On days when I’m creatively stuck, I walk around my neighborhood and browse through some of my favorite shops to look at new products. And in my travels to small towns and cities around the country, I can’t help but browse through local shops to gain a fresh perspective on their regional style.
Being a creative person impacts me every day.
Before Instagram, I was posting my photos on Twitter and that was where I found like-minded creatives. What a unique way to reach across the globe and meet others with similar interests! Instagram—as a completely visual medium—has now enabled me to make friends on other continents, as well as, meet neighbors right here in New York City; however, I find that it’s increasingly hard to keep ideas fresh when there is so much eye candy out there. So, I try not to study anyone else’s work too closely—I want to do what I do.
My space has evolved over time. It’s constantly an arranging game as it’s filled with more and more props. I like to surround myself with family photos, fabrics, flowers and artwork. I collect objects I know I can use in photos—and I make room for them as they come into my studio. I have fun organizing little things by color and style in labeled boxes.
Photo by Victoria Pizzo
I try to make everything collapsible and movable to accommodate different types of shoots. New York City—like many cities—is famous for small spaces, but with some ingenuity, one can accomplish and store a lot. People come into my studio and are always excited to be here when they see the daylight and all the cool stuff. I consider it my biggest accomplishment to have set up a small photography space that is both comfortable and workable, in turn creating an unusual teaching business that fits in with today’s world of content creation. This never could have existed ten or more years ago.
Anyone looking to work in a creative field will face a unique set of challenges, and I try to help my students tap into their core and really think about what creative skills they have and what they love to do. It’s a process of reflection and assessment that can lead to a better and more productive outcome.
I believe there is room for prop stylists on every level because compelling visual content is of the highest importance in every industry these days.I recommend taking courses and trying to apprentice with someone who does what you want to be doing before diving in and getting in over your head. That way you can learn through experience with less risk.
FRAGILE FAVORITES
My grandmother collected pieces of china—little dishes and teacups—all of them with hand-painted florals. This ceramic bottle is my very favorite. I have never seen anything like it—with its dimensional flowers—anywhere.
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I started making things at a young age. Before I was in grade school, I had stitched pants for my Barbie doll. Around six years old, I created a sketchbook of dress designs for my father’s clothing company. As a teen, I made a miniature version of my bedroom out of balsa wood, painting the furniture with tiny makeup brushes and using toothpicks for gluing the pieces together. Around the same time, I had a hand-painted T-shirt business in my basement. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I was not creating something.
My mother collected art supplies so there were always paints, beads and fabrics around our home in North Woodmere, NY. My grandmother was a dressmaker; so sewing supplies were readily available in the house too. I spent all of my free time in the basement making things. I don’t recall anyone showing me how; I was simply of the mindset that I could make anything I wanted to with my hands.
As the years passed, I remained passionate about creating. After a long career in the magazine and wedding industry as Creative Director for Bridal Guide, I turned to prop styling.
For me, styling is a form of personal expression and a way to connect with family members who are now gone.
The women in my family loved to collect beautiful things, and I love to style and photograph those things. It’s a simple circle of respecting creativity and beauty across the generations of my family. It was, therefore, a natural progression that I would seek work in this field.
The seeds of my prop collection were sown when I inherited a house full of things from my grandmother and mother. It grew exponentially when I began scouring flea markets and vintage shops locally and during my travels. To this day, the thrill of the hunt excites me, and I relish a good prop score. My favored style has evolved to become a combination of romantic, rustic and organic.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
— Scott Adams
I’m constantly learning by observing and studying trends while new materials, patterns and colors inspire me. I’m into flowers and nature, ephemera, mid-century and Scandinavian style. I look for furniture with great wood that can be used as a photography surface, and I have been known to take out a can of white paint to whitewash a piece on the spot. My latest obsessions are handmade ceramics, threadbare fabrics and vintage kitchen tools and cutlery. These make appearances in my work, and it brings me joy to use and share them.
I find beauty everywhere, noticing colors, shades and texture especially in the weathered and worn, peeling paint and tarnished metals. I love to sit outside at cafés and watch people walk by to observe their clothes. I watch movies more for the visuals than for the story.
On days when I’m creatively stuck, I walk around my neighborhood and browse through some of my favorite shops to look at new products. And in my travels to small towns and cities around the country, I can’t help but browse through local shops to gain a fresh perspective on their regional style.
Being a creative person impacts me every day.
Before Instagram, I was posting my photos on Twitter and that was where I found like-minded creatives. What a unique way to reach across the globe and meet others with similar interests! Instagram—as a completely visual medium—has now enabled me to make friends on other continents, as well as, meet neighbors right here in New York City; however, I find that it’s increasingly hard to keep ideas fresh when there is so much eye candy out there. So, I try not to study anyone else’s work too closely—I want to do what I do.
My space has evolved over time. It’s constantly an arranging game as it’s filled with more and more props. I like to surround myself with family photos, fabrics, flowers and artwork. I collect objects I know I can use in photos—and I make room for them as they come into my studio. I have fun organizing little things by color and style in labeled boxes.
Photo by Victoria Pizzo
I try to make everything collapsible and movable to accommodate different types of shoots. New York City—like many cities—is famous for small spaces, but with some ingenuity, one can accomplish and store a lot. People come into my studio and are always excited to be here when they see the daylight and all the cool stuff. I consider it my biggest accomplishment to have set up a small photography space that is both comfortable and workable, in turn creating an unusual teaching business that fits in with today’s world of content creation. This never could have existed ten or more years ago.
Anyone looking to work in a creative field will face a unique set of challenges, and I try to help my students tap into their core and really think about what creative skills they have and what they love to do. It’s a process of reflection and assessment that can lead to a better and more productive outcome.
I believe there is room for prop stylists on every level because compelling visual content is of the highest importance in every industry these days.I recommend taking courses and trying to apprentice with someone who does what you want to be doing before diving in and getting in over your head. That way you can learn through experience with less risk.
FRAGILE FAVORITES
My grandmother collected pieces of china—little dishes and teacups—all of them with hand-painted florals. This ceramic bottle is my very favorite. I have never seen anything like it—with its dimensional flowers—anywhere.
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