Student Success Story: Daunea Foster, Atlanta

by Daunea Foster

I enrolled in the Fashion Styling 101 course under the instruction of Kim Maxwell and it was by far the best decision I could have made in my career as a stylist.

I am a freelance fashion stylist in Atlanta, Georgia and like any profession I knew that I needed to learn the ABC’s of being successful in this industry. Taking Kim’s course not only taught me the basics, it exceeded my expectations and taught me the essentials, the in’s & out’s, what I need to make it, and how to make sound decisions!

I feel so much more confident on how to pursue my dreams and that’s more than what any book could’ve taught me. Kim Maxwell has also been a mentor during and after the course ended which is to be commended. Through her mentorship and referrals, I have been booked to style a music video for 2 artists here in Atlanta. That was a success and through that music video, I gained an ongoing client!

I have also been booked to style for models in the area. One of the greatest opportunities was being hired as a head assistant stylist for STYLESbyMAXX. I had the chance to assist in styling an event titled “Memoirs of a Fashionista” in honor of Kim Maxwell, which was also a huge success! The doors continue to open, and more projects begin to come to me which I am truly grateful for. I give KUDOS to Susan Cox & Photo Styling Workshops for offering this course, and a HUGE thank you to Kim Maxwell for being such a wonderful, resourceful, and kind instructor! This course has provided me with the tools to birth my vision.

Photo above: Hip-Hop Artist Young Que

Ethnic Fashion of Indonesia

As I write this I am visiting dear friends in Bali, an island in the middle of Indonesia! Alan and Deborah have been inviting us to visit, since they moved here a year ago, and my husband Gary and I are here at last.

Before the trip I took a fashion class at Mesa College where I teach, because I got the urge to be a student (that will be another blog entry) and see what college is like these days from the other side of the classroom. I decided to take a course in the Fashion Department, Ethnic Costume, History and Design. I loved it! I was not the best student when I went to Kent State but that’s another story…

My project for this course was an essay. I researched the background of Indonesian fashion so that I would know more about this string of islands before the trip. The textiles, such as batik, tie-dye, and other woven fabric techniques go back many centuries and are as important as the items that are worn here. If you would like to read it please click here. (Stay tuned.)

The Tweezer Times

I first heard of The Tweezer Times five years ago from Pam Tocco, a product stylist I worked with in Florida. (She makes an appearance in my book, "Photo Styling" as The Staff Stylist.) Pam and I were fascinated that there was a site devoted to sharing the techniques and professional secrets of food styling. We realized the name derived from the tweezers used by food stylists for minute maneuvers. (Here's an article explaining the food stylist's use of tweezers as a styling tool on The Tweezer Times blog.)

Nothing like that sharing of styling information was going on in the realm of product or fashion styling and I was further motivated to write my book telling all about the career of photo styling, which did happen about two years later when Allworth Press accepted my book proposal. So, in the midst of my five-month deadline, a natural step in exploring the specialty of food styling was to call Lisa Golden Schroeder, the editor and creative force behind the subscription-style resource, The Tweezer Times.


Lisa became my food styling teacher when, the following year, I started Photostylingworkshops.com. She jumped at the opportunity to develop the Food Styling 101 course, write the lessons, and teach the online course until we brought Debbie Wahl aboard to teach alternating sessions. Now Lisa continues to teach Food Styling 101 while creating the next course, Everyday Food Styling, a techniques course (including video demonstrations of techniques!) which will launch in January.

I started this blog, the Photo Styling Forum, and simultaneously The Tweezer Times evolved into a free blog for food stylists. It gives Lisa an opportunity to share her vast information on the career but with less pressure to meet deadlines. And time to develop her exciting new course for Photostlyingworkshops.com. Please check out The Tweezer Times whether you are a food or product stylist; there's plenty there to learn!

Photo Styling and the Economy

Being in this industry for several decades, I have seen ups and downs and the effect the economy has on the creation of commercial photographs. When postal rates or paper costs increase the catalog industry is rapidly affected. In an effort to save money in tough economic times, advertisers cut print budgets and produce fewer images. They may use more stock photographs or squeak by without a stylist.

I found this editorial opinion in the August 2008 issue of Multi-Channel Merchant, formerly Catalog Age magazine, a trade publication for the catalog/web-marketing indusry. Written by Laura L. Hamblen, an independent stylist, it reflects the feelings of many of us. I was unable to find Laura in a Web search and I hope she doesn't mind my acolades for expressing her viewpoint so well.

She writes, "As a photo stylist, I have been affected by the current economy, along with most of my colleagues in the visual field. The 'bean counters' behind many catalogs are cutting the very people who are the interface between the company and its customers.

"Many are opting to hire people who cost less and have little experience to handle the presentation of their product, so photographs are not as striking and informative as they might be. After seeing the result, one might wonder why a customer might spend, say, $80 on a mid-priced catalog product that looks no better than the $10 offering at the local discount store. The answer is that in most circumstances, they won't.

"An experienced, talented stylist, photographer and crew will know a brand's customer and how to visually attract that customer to purchase. Understanding how to illustrate all of the product's unique qualities in an attractive and consistent fashion will typically enhance sales. And higher sales should more than offset the cost of hiring seasoned professionals.

"Many companies will blame their downturn in sales on the economy without thinking about the consequences of cutting the professionals who produce the images of their products. And this will make a difficult economic climate for catalogs decidedly worse."

Well said, Laura. What is YOUR opnion on the current economy's effect on stylists - and vice-versa? Please add to this POST.

Photo Styling Forum, presented by Photostylingworkshops.com

Welcome to our Photo Styling Forum! This is a place where professionals - and those learning about the career - can communicate, ask each other questions, and network. Photo stylists have few opportunities to talk and share ideas and I hope this will be one. This Forum is for you. We encourage you to share thoughts and observations about the career and ask questions. Click COMMENTS at the bottom of this posting to add your own thoughts or inquiries or bring up a new topic.