Inside the Photoshoot: Hiring a Photographer with Isabel Parra

Caroline Gidiere: so we have with us today photographer of the highest order. We are so honored to have with us a photographer who I love and adore. She's had a camera in her hands since she was 13 years old, moved to New York after college to pursue her dream of being a interior photographer through nothing but grit, determination, and the capability that I know her to have. She hooked up with the highest photographers in the business and worked her way up through the ranks, first an assistant, then digital tech, then as a retoucher She's 12 in biz. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor Architectural Digest Spain, AD Germany, AD India. The list goes on. House and Garden UK, Conde Nast Traveler, Wallpaper, WSJ, LUXE Interiors, HC brands such as Nancy Gonzalez, Wait For It, Tory Burch, Aerin, The Row, Adam Lippes, Cherish, Casa Cruz, and so many more. Give it up for Isabel Parra. Whoop whoop! ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Yay! Isabel! ⁓

Isabel Parra: Thank you guys for having me.

Caroline Gidiere: ⁓ God, yes, I love you so much, Isabel. It's been a year almost since I've seen your beautiful face. I'm so glad to see you and have you here. It really has, it has. We've spent so much time together for the course of a year and then nothing. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Thanks for being here.

Isabel Parra: been too long. They know it's been a big withdrawal for sure.

Paloma Contreras: Hahaha.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Well, at least for me, at least for me. But so we are doing a series that, you know, when I started with you, I had done one or two photo shoots and I really didn't, I was very intimidated by the process because I just really didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what I was getting into and I didn't know how to be prepared. ⁓ spend so much money on these. ⁓ feel like with just some ⁓ basic people can be better equipped to have a better shoot. Because I think certainly after you've done a couple, you start to get your rhythm up and you know what you're doing. But it takes a minute of just raw experience. And so I was excited that you agreed to come talk to us today, because I thought you could kind of help us walk through the process with a designer. Let's just assume we have somebody who's listening, who has never done a photo shoot. They don't have a friend in the business who has anything that they could tell them about this. How do they even get started? How far out should they ⁓ out to you?

Isabel Parra: Yes. Yeah, well, first of all, I will say photo shoots, like you just mentioned, is a major investment. So when people do reach out, I don't take it lightly because it's, you know, a money that you're putting into like two, maybe three days. And then you're waiting a few months to see the return on that.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: And so it's just a long process a lot of money. So normally take anywhere from ⁓ a month a few months ⁓ of ⁓ out communicating back forth about what the client's needs are about talking about the project, telling me about themselves.

Caroline Gidiere: Yes.

Isabel Parra: what their business is, what they're looking to do. it, that it is a first time shoot for them, ⁓ it probably isn't gonna be pitched to a magazine, but then you have those kind of like diamonds in the rough where someone's been accruing for years, working, working behind the scenes kind of, and it really is an impressive project and they're of busting out with a big one.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: and you know it when you start talking to the person and you see a couple of images, and gets treated a little differently. Like I'll definitely say something to them, in advance because, you just want to treat that a little differently. You know, are super important at that point. Just certain lineups are

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Right, and so you're gonna treat it differently because you're gonna know then that there are different crops maybe or different, like the styling needs to be elevated and things like that. Okay. Okay. And so...

Isabel Parra: Yes. Exactly. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: I remember us talking about that actually on our first shoot about who might and who might not interested. And definitely I think each one of the magazines have a different aesthetic, right?

Isabel Parra: Yes, exactly. And different projects suit different publications and different time periods in magazines are, you know, there's sometimes a big Chicago moment and then it all of sudden you never see Chicago projects again for a few years or eight years or, and then another city becomes hot again and you start seeing that a lot and then it kind of dies down. So.

Caroline Gidiere: Do editors ever reach out to you and say, have you shot anything good looking? Or is it usually they reach out to you and say, hey, can you go shoot this? mean, okay.

Isabel Parra: Yes. Both, yeah, but they will say, hey, have you seen any amazing projects? Like, have you come across something really special? So that's always in the conversation. ⁓ And when they know that I've worked with specific stylists on projects, stylists that those magazines tend to work with, that's even more exciting to them. So.

Caroline Gidiere: Sure. Mm-hmm. Thank

Isabel Parra: teaming up style.

Paloma Contreras: Let's talk a little bit about that because I think that having a stylist really adds so much to a shoot because the stylist is looking at the space through a much different lens than the designer and even than the photographer in a sense, but I think the collaboration specifically between all three parties and the photographer and stylist.

Isabel Parra: Yes.

Paloma Contreras: In particular, to create a really strong image is super important and it's really hard to achieve that without a good stylist. So tell us a little bit about that process and picking the right person and like, is the goal? What should we be looking to achieve ⁓ in selecting a stylist?

Isabel Parra: Right. Well, think trying to figure out what your needs are as the designer of the project that looking to shoot, are there gaps or are there things maybe that the client didn't want to get for the project that you personally know are lacking, whether it's ⁓ art, a lot of empty space, whether it's accessories, whether it's a very large space, like a lofted space, and you really need to get height into the space, or you can put huge branches in, or you're gonna need really tall plants, or things like that. There are certain stylists that just ⁓ more suited for bringing in incredible foliage and flowers, and then there's others that are amazing at finding fine art and they have connections with galleries and they can get loans and it's just a more seamless process ⁓ you get to kind of sit back more. And then there's stylists where you get to really collaborate with them and they're more like a co-worker you ⁓ and just bringing you things and helping you kind of select.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: to your taste and adding to your vision already. ⁓ And they're just honing in on these very specific moments in what you're gonna be shooting, like different vignettes ⁓ different areas in your ⁓ that you know you're gonna be highlighting or you know, you're really breaking down.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: still frames in your project all the time when you're going to be shooting that. I'm of going ahead, but that is a lot of the times why you do a shot list for a project ⁓ and stylist. And as the photographer, we really look at that for two different needs. But the stylist really needs that for the idea to work with the designer on ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: Okay, so I see this shot in the bathroom. What are you, what do you have and what are you envisioning? And then maybe you need a beautiful little tray. Maybe you beautiful linens, maybe a hand towel. And, and then you get to work together and really dream up like your ⁓ beautiful, moment. And then that's when I come in and then I get to, you know,

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: bring to life the moment that the designer and the stylist have kind of paired up together to hopefully create a still moment that is kind of waiting there to be captured.

Paloma Contreras: Sure.

Caroline Gidiere: Do you ever work with designers who are completely hands off and leave it to the stylist and the photographer? Is that preferable or less preferable?

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yeah, often. don't really have a preference. I just think it's more fun. ⁓ ⁓ love collaborating. I love, ⁓ loud designer. I love a loud style. I love just like a busy zone where everyone's involved and we're all vibing off each other's energy. I think it makes it.

Paloma Contreras: This is it.

Caroline Gidiere: when we're all collaborating.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah, I that to be true. Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Right, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: If

Isabel Parra: so much more elevated and you just start seeing things in a much more fluid way, which I just think is beautiful.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Right. Because I know as the designer, I want to hear from you or the stylist if you're both like, is a loser shot. ⁓ is going nowhere. ⁓

Isabel Parra: into it. Yeah. Yes.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Well, definitely. And I feel like it's important to be present. I also think in choosing the right team, and this can apply to anything, whether it's a photographer, stylist, designer, anything, you have to entrust that you're choosing the right person for the job. I feel like I always say, I'm very type A and I'm a control freak in many senses. But as a client, if I'm your client and you're my photographer, I'm entrusting you to do

Isabel Parra: huge.

Paloma Contreras: what you do best. And love being a collaborative part of the process and hearing your ideas. ⁓ know what I think the shot might be, but I want to see it through your eye because I know that you're going to have a different perspective and you understand like how the shot is going to be cropped and how it's going to look in a magazine and all of that. So I welcome that expertise. love the collaboration and I can't imagine being so nitpicky and like such a you know, like helicopter person about it, just hovering. think that's the wrong approach, but I also think it would be kind of odd to just be like, ⁓ just, mean, like, I'm sure the shots would be fabulous if we were just like, you just do it carte blanche, whatever. It's sort of like working with a client on a design project. Like in theory, that's all wonderful. I enjoy working with somebody who has opinions and their own ideas and we can sort of work together to figure out, you know, how we execute that.

Isabel Parra: Yes. because then you know what you're going towards. ⁓ if there's no opinion, then you're almost like just lost at sea. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Exactly. Right. Yeah. I think it makes for a stronger result in the end when the team is like firing on all cylinders and really hits a stride together.

Isabel Parra: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, well, and I think that's why so many people are inspired by books interiors, publications of interiors, because that's what they're doing. They're making these collaborative moments where, you an editor chooses a stylist specific to a photographer, specific to a project, and brings all of it together very intentionally to

Caroline Gidiere: you

Isabel Parra: make this moment that they feel can be made because of the ingredients that they've brought into it. And that's what's, I think should happen more with designers when they're choosing a photographer, a stylist, and it happens a lot less than you would think. It's a lot less intentional.

Paloma Contreras: Right. Mm-hmm. Interesting. Huh.

Caroline Gidiere: in the selection of the photographer to match the aesthetic you're going for that you were wanting to achieve.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, I don't think the overall vision is fully thought out.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. So do you suggest then that somebody, yeah, like, somebody reach out to you and say, I'd like to hire you for the shoot, and typically are you recommending stylists that you enjoy collaborating with and where you guys have a similar aesthetic and vision and it yields a good result?

Isabel Parra: Yeah, and I think.

Caroline Gidiere: How do you go about that?

Isabel Parra: Yeah, I'll usually, I will recommend stylists when asked, typically based on the projects ⁓ presenting for the shoots. So I'm not just generally recommending stylists.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Caroline Gidiere: let me just hit pause right there. When reaches out to you, they should be prepared with their project to send you a Dropbox folder or whatever of pictures ⁓ from iPhone or whatever of each one of the rooms ⁓ that they like to engage you to shoot, correct? So that you can look at it and start to get an idea of what the project looks like. And then based on what you see, ⁓ then you can start to engage, correct?

Isabel Parra: Yes, if they don't have a presence that I can see, then yes, but I'm not a big scouting shot person.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: So interesting.

Caroline Gidiere: Okay. Okay.

Isabel Parra: ⁓ like when I go to editorial shoot, I don't look at the scouting shots. I sometimes I get sent them. Sometimes I don't, but I never asked for them ⁓ and rarely look at them and clients will ask and most send them regardless. and I'll sometimes at them ⁓ if they've asked specific to the photos, but

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Okay.

Isabel Parra: I really like going in blind ⁓ and then taking the space in because it starts kind of messing with your head about the flow and how something might actually look ⁓ then when you experience it. But if someone doesn't have a history like of design, then yeah, I would want to see scouting shots to understand what their

Paloma Contreras: Mmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: Aesthetic is what their vision is, what they're trying to get towards, how I can help them get to their end goal with the photography aspect of it.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. And how to recommend a stylist. Would you ever, let's just say I called you up and was like, Hey, I've got a new project and I'm really trying to it into X magazine. Tell me which stylist. ⁓ have an answer or would you be like, it doesn't make a difference or it's not gonna happen, Caroline. ⁓ kidding. ⁓

Isabel Parra: Yeah, and if I'm the right person. Mm-hmm. always that's like

Paloma Contreras: Hahaha

Isabel Parra: That is one of the most major questions I get asked. That and I wanna get this into a magazine, period. And I'm always like, okay, one, I haven't even seen what you're talking about. We haven't even shot it, blah, blah, blah. Stylists, yes, because magazines tend to work with certain stylists. Say there's like, I don't know, say 20, ⁓ ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. ⁓ huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: specific in the US. And then it gets broken down into probably type of project, what you're looking for, modern classical Cape Cottery, whatever. And then price point is a huge thing. And then ⁓ what a publication ⁓ vibe with your project, which is the real question. Because even if you get a stylist, is the project even suitable? So, yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Right.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah, sure. Sure. Okay, you touched on something. What, I'm not asking you what your costs are, but a potential designer what all costs are included from just photography standpoint. Because some people might ⁓ not anticipating ⁓ what whole package includes.

Isabel Parra: So for myself and most interior photography, it is the day rate. ⁓ And that's based on, you know, obviously the, ⁓ long the project ⁓ I would say a house, ⁓ a regular house, a huge house is two ⁓ average.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: and then you have expenses of getting there. You have expenses of being there. So airfare, taxis for the airports, car rentals or taxis while you're there, food while you're there. equipment, equipment.

Caroline Gidiere: And then you and most photographers I've worked with have an assistant, particularly when you're traveling. that is not travel costs, not their food or ⁓ costs being there or anything like that. But the cost of the assistant, is that included in your daily rate or not?

Isabel Parra: basic thing. ⁓ yes. Yeah, yeah. It's not. It's line item. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Okay. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. It's typically a separate rate. And then the stylist has their rates and they might also have an assistant. So it adds up quickly. you said, you know, have to be so mindful about what you're shooting. it suitable? Am I putting together the right team ⁓ make sense of this investment? ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: it. Right.

Isabel Parra: Exactly. Yes. knowing that, you know, again, like we kind of said earlier, it's such a huge investment, making sure that it's a project also worth your investment. Like that everyone's on board that, you know, it's a big deal and it should be treated like a big deal, you know, and really put the energy you're going to get what you put into it. So.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Right. Aside from someone not being a fit, a project not being a fit because of the calendar, like maybe you were booked when they needed to shoot or the budgets didn't align, have you ever ⁓ down a project because it didn't feel like a fit just aesthetically or in terms of personality? ⁓

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yeah. Only a few. ⁓ And it was more, I had worked with a client ⁓ for a day and then delivered the images. we had two other projects to work on at later dates that were already confirmed. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: And after I delivered the files ⁓ gone through that one day, I realized this wasn't gonna be suitable. The way that we were working ⁓ the shoot, ⁓ I really love what I do. I to have fun. ⁓ I I take it serious. ⁓ I'm goofing off or anything, but I have a very, ⁓ I'm happy. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Good.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: I am smiling. I like to communicate what's going on and ask, make sure the clients looking at the computer and, you know, signing off on the images and liking the composition and, you know, involved. and, I just knew that that wasn't happening and that there wasn't going to be a way to get me to get that to happen. And.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: the end results showed. And for me, I find that if my work is having to also be compromised and I don't feel connected in the end, there's kind of, I'm not enjoying it and it doesn't look like me. It's a really hard thing for me to spend my time doing. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Sure, absolutely.

Caroline Gidiere: Sure. The older we get, experience teaches us to move on, right?

Isabel Parra: Yeah, and it's for everyone's benefit too. yeah, yes. Yeah, and I did recommend other photographers ⁓ for them, so yeah.

Paloma Contreras: That's right.

Caroline Gidiere: They'd be better served with someone else. ⁓ Yeah. for sure.

Paloma Contreras: That's very nice. You mentioned the client looking at the computer. So ⁓ those who don't know what it means to shoot tethered, ⁓ love that because it gives me an idea of what you're seeing in your eye and your lens. So that's always exciting to sort of see and like be able to move things around in real time. Can you talk, speak to that a little bit?

Isabel Parra: ⁓ yeah. Yeah. I, so a little back history, I came up, like Caroline had mentioned, as an assistant. And ⁓ it was film era, which is like the home telephone era for all the kids who don't know about that. ⁓ And

Paloma Contreras: Mm.

Isabel Parra: We literally would be shooting interiors and I would be loading film backs in a bathroom and bring it to the photographer. And then we would do Polaroids and the editors and stylists would all huddle around a little, you know, two by four and stare at a tiny little piece of paper in black and white sometimes.

Paloma Contreras: ⁓ well.

Isabel Parra: and judge the final shot to then be shot on film. So coming from that, fast forwarding to now and the luxury of having our computers having an image, know, 12 inches and seeing and zooming in and getting to look at a tabletop scape and see if the flowers look right or if the books are stacked pretty or.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: if the candle needs to be burnt on the top wick or whatever is such a luxury. And it's such a addition to take advantage of to really get in there.

Paloma Contreras: Right. For sure.

Caroline Gidiere: don't think the average person can comprehend goes into the actual shoot and the fact that the lens is round and the image is flat and how kind of is skewed a little bit and the amount of, let's move it this way, just a little. Is that enough? Is that enough? More? A little more? A little more? Okay. Is that got it? Nope. Too much. All right. All right. Move back.

Paloma Contreras: and

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Inchers. Yeah. Like it looked like a joke on TikTok. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Like, you can all... ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Yeah, millimeters.

Caroline Gidiere: and like, whoops, uh-oh, okay, yes, we've got to burn those candle wicks. Everybody who's got some matches? Let's go. I mean, just like nonstop, every tiny little thing throughout the room. you just, and a lot of times I think clients have a tendency to get a little offended because we've moved their furniture all around or we changed it up or moved things out, but ⁓ everything different in the ⁓

Isabel Parra: Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: in the once you take a picture of it. And is not the way that people live. The way you lay out the furniture is in a weird setup, ⁓ but looks good flat from this round ⁓ lens, right?

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, perspective, yeah, 100%. And it's wild because the slightest movement in front of a camera can do the biggest change. Like it can elevate an image from like something just doesn't feel right to feeling like, whoa, it just all feels so good. Like a puzzle fitting is how it always.

Caroline Gidiere: Right. Yeah. Yeah. Sure.

Isabel Parra: feels to me when everything just is where it should be.

Caroline Gidiere: Right. And the number of times we've waited for a cloud to pass.

Isabel Parra: ⁓ my God, yeah. And it's worth it. so worth it. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Well, and then one of the things I know you were talking to me about is aspect ratios. ⁓ you know, that was something I had no clue. Like I didn't know what my crop was and like, what ⁓ this for the book or was that's important for what's included in the photo, right?

Isabel Parra: Yah. 100%. And it's probably the top thing that clients don't know, I would say 90 % don't know, people with books, like, and I'm saying never even at the end of the book, they still don't know. ⁓ So very ⁓ So I take it upon myself ⁓ if

Paloma Contreras: Hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah, yeah. You did, you asked me and I'm like, I don't know. But it ended up being really important because my book is smaller. And so we, yeah, we had to kind of change how we were going about the photos to make it work with the book.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. It changes everything. Yeah. Yeah, the whole composition fully change. And ⁓ you look at an of image ⁓ uncropped what you're shooting it cropped to, you might not even like the photo, if that makes sense, because the crop does so much. ⁓ And if you don't shoot it to that crop,

Paloma Contreras: Hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: you could literally be taking out so much of the image that it's not actually usable image. So if you don't, for magazines, you're always shooting to a specific dimension. And then you have ⁓ headers like did for your book. ⁓ And so you have font and type and things to also think about for everything to be to fit on pages. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Sure. Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Right. And particularly when you're going for a cover you know, right? Like when you're like, this could be a cover, ⁓ of a magazine or of your book, you've got to leave space for the words and all of that kind of stuff, right?

Isabel Parra: Very important.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. The round top.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, which can feel like dead space because in a sense that's ideal for a cover for like the cover of your book, Caroline had had dead space, which happened to be, ⁓ know, molding around the top of ceiling, which was ideal and perfect. So, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Yeah, works great. Yes. Yes.

Paloma Contreras: How do you approach, Isabelle, you guys have talked a little bit about how you collaborated on Caroline's beautiful book. When you're approached with a project like that, that's very holistic. It's not a single shoot, it's a series of shoots and I think there has to be obviously a common thread. Are you thinking about seasons and the light and how to keep everything consistent from? one shoot, one house or project to the next. And how do you approach a project like that where it's a larger scale and you're working with a designer on a series of things?

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Well, it's honestly, it's obviously really hard to control the light. I mean, we were shooting part of the book. ⁓ it wasn't a hurricane, but ⁓ mean, it was black and thundering and lightning. And ⁓ was insanity. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: and I bet the images are beautiful. It's incredible what a talented photographer can do to manipulate the light. I'm always in awe.

Caroline Gidiere: Hang on. They are, but...

Isabel Parra: Thank

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Yeah.

Isabel Parra: It's insane. that's the skills have to really come in is like, in the moment, like on the fly. And so in real time, I'm really trying to ⁓ match light to the overall look. And my overall look tends to be more natural. So Since I know that, I'm always aiming towards that. So I know when it's and rainy and gray out and there aren't any highlights on the ground, I need to figure out a solution with my artificial lights ⁓ while shooting. And then when I'm retouching, I know that I have certain things that I'll adjust in post. So then it feels the same and keeps it consistent. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Have ever had to cancel a shoot due to weather? I mean, not just like I can't get there, but like looked at the week and said there's no sense.

Isabel Parra: No, I've been a day late and slept in the Houston airport on the way to LA because of weather. And that's one time out of, you know, ⁓ over a decade. So it happens super rarely. And I've shot in a lot of hurricanes. ⁓ so yeah, you just keep on, ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: What?

Paloma Contreras: ⁓ no.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Goodness.

Caroline Gidiere: things we do for love.

Paloma Contreras: Do you avoid shooting in northern locations in the wintertime? Is that when you're focusing on shoots in the south or the tropics? Basically the light is the first then? Yeah.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, I tend to, I mean, I say I move with the light. So seasonally, my kind of pivots based on that. So ⁓ in winter, I'm ⁓ not in the Northeast, a lot of Florida, ⁓ Caribbean, South America, that kind of bit. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah, sure.

Caroline Gidiere: could work if you can get it.

Paloma Contreras: It's a rough life, is it all? Yeah. I mean, it is hard. think it sounds, yeah, it sounds very glamorous, but you're, you know, schlepping with your gear and getting places and there's challenges, I'm sure. are wonderful moments and aspects, of course, but ⁓ still work. Yeah.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, it's hard, but the airports are hard. Airport life is not easy.

Caroline Gidiere: It's a lot of work.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, I mean, that is when it comes to budgets ⁓ and rates and all of that, when it comes to traveling and expenses. I'm very low key and I'm not like a diva or high expenses or anything. But I try so hard to always fly on the same airlines, ⁓ because ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: I have gotten in situations in the past where I would compromise and end up, you know, getting bumped, delayed, transferred insanity. And that, no. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: It's not worth it.

Caroline Gidiere: 100 percent. No, I totally get that. I bought a ticket on points recently and experienced bump all day long. I couldn't get on a flight. I was flying standby on eight different flights. I never got on the flight. ⁓ so I totally get that ⁓ makes a huge difference ⁓ when you are, particularly when your life is so controlled by those flights.

Isabel Parra: ⁓ my- Yeah. Yes. Yes.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: I mean, for us, it's not as much, everywhere you're going, unless you're able to drive, it's going to be through an airline.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Exactly.

Caroline Gidiere: with all of your equipment and making sure your equipment gets there too.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, and on small flights, they'll take away my camera bag, really means I have to empty it into my tote bag because I can't put that under the plane. So then I'm on the jet bridge with my assistant and we're like taking out lenses, bodies, everything and putting it into, it's. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: I was...

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: The people think we're insane and then we get on the flight and everyone's already seen us 10 times because we're the people that are like on the ground. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: ever seen in there.

Paloma Contreras: Hahaha

Caroline Gidiere: Okay, so on the flip side of it, on the backside of it, how long does it typically take? And I imagine that it also has to do with your schedule, which you know in advance. A lot of times if you've got a lot of photo shoots, it's gonna be a minute, but on average, how long, what is the turnaround to receive the assets? ⁓

Isabel Parra: For me, normally to four weeks. ⁓ Yeah, tend to, the way I tend to book myself ⁓ I'll do work in chunks so then I can retouch in chunks. So I'll work on a few jobs consistently and then go out again. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: pretty quick.

Isabel Parra: and then come back again. And it gives me downtime to kind of regroup and get my head on again before going back to the airport. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Sure.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Sure. Sure. mean, you do want to, all of us, you know, in this creative business, you have to have some downtime in order to be able to give the client your best, ⁓ whether behind the or in front of the computer.

Isabel Parra: Yes. Yes.

Caroline Gidiere: Well, what designers know about photography rights? I know it's a hot button issue, but I think a lot of ⁓ are not, to be good stewards, but they're not aware ⁓ of, because are this like photo-driven Instagram world of social media, should people be aware of? with regard to photography rights, generally.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. So typically, and again, one, it kind of photography in general, kind of changes between, us and other, because I'll have clients reach out from, overseas, like France or Spain and say they have a project here and they want to hire a U.S. photographer. And they're like, well in Spain, ⁓ this is how it and it's so much cheaper or we own everything or whatever it is. So it does obviously vary based on location, country-wise. But typically in the US, is, licensing is separate from ⁓ a ⁓ It's not ⁓ third party rights. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Part and parcel. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: So the designer typically has the rights to utilize the photography for their own marketing purposes, correct? And then if a third party comes along and says, we saw this project on your Instagram, we'd love to share it on our feed. That's a different animal because they are then using the asset to promote their product and make sales off of your intellectual property.

Isabel Parra: Yes.

Caroline Gidiere: out.

Isabel Parra: Yes. ⁓ contractor wants to put up, you know, the on their website or a publisher says, we want to use it in our book or a magazine comes and says, we love this kitchen. We want to put it in our magazine. Or if anyone comes around, that typically is outside of your rights. ⁓ Because

Paloma Contreras: Right.

Caroline Gidiere: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. And the best thing to do is to say, you need to reach out to the photographer directly and ask them. And that gives you an opportunity to tell them your rates and they can either pay or pass.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yes. And it gives you like the client and the photographer the opportunity to supply them with appropriate images because typically photographers aren't handing off the highest resolution images to clients. We're handing off what's usable, ⁓ size, best for you. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: the rest.

Isabel Parra: for your needs, which is not gonna be the same for if you're printing it in a magazine or in a book or something. So it'd be better to get the higher quality image from the photographer. I, like other ⁓ US have a licensing agent, ⁓ archiving agent, and they handle all of that also for photographers.

Paloma Contreras: Sure. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: That's the other reason why a lot of this is so much better to discuss when you're talking about things in the beginning. ⁓ Because after fact, gets kind of just more complicated. There's more people at the table and there's more voices and there's more hands involved. Versus when you're just talking about it between myself and the client, it's a much simpler conversation.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: So, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Sure. Another thing that I didn't realize is if a publication hires you to shoot ⁓ work of a designer, to shoot a project, your client is the publication and not the designer, right?

Paloma Contreras: Yeah, that's right.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Well, if you've, if you've noticed, there has been more designers hiring, know, top tier stylists and photographers, and them

Caroline Gidiere: pitching it to the publications.

Isabel Parra: Licensing, yes. because then they don't have to license it, one, from the photographer, and two, they, in a sense, don't have to worry about ownership. They have the rights that they need. Unlike if the magazine hires the photographer, it's a very different situation.

Caroline Gidiere: Right. And I'll tell you the other thing that I got into with that that I didn't realize because we were using a photographer. So the magazine wanted to come back and take some additional shots of a project that they were using of mine. And when we were there, I had a couple of shots that I thought we were going to do. And I was quickly disabused of this notion. It's like, no, you're not the client. Sorry. We, you know, like, you know, this publication would not do that shot and they are the ones who are paying me to be there. And it was like, oh, okay. All right. Well, I just didn't know that. So that's why I bring it up that like, you're not the client. You're just the person who's there, like the stylist trying to help make sure it goes well.

Isabel Parra: you Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: How often are magazines hiring you to shoot projects though? I feel like that's kind of a rarity nowadays.

Caroline Gidiere: that it's changed. Yeah.

Isabel Parra: I would say, I mean, I would say at least half of what's in a magazine is still being shot, commissioned, you know, like they're creating the teams and so it's still a good amount. Say there's five stories and, and an issue, would say three are commissioned probably. Yeah. But.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Really?

Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Huh, that's surprising to me,

Isabel Parra: You know, well, the US doesn't really do this, but a lot of, ⁓ a lot of magazines will buy within their, group the stories that the magazine already shot. So, and then you'll just end up seeing the same story.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Right. Sure, like all the global versions of AD or Elle Decor France versus the American version. So actually, I just noticed ⁓ the most recent issue of Elle Decor features a project on the cover that's shot with flash photography. And I've been noticing flash more. And I think we all tend to.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Paloma Contreras: prefer shooting in natural light, but it seems like the pendulum is swinging towards flash again. It feels very trend, like on trend. How do you feel about that?

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, whatever you're into, like, go for it. I'm all about it. Personally, I won't shooting with a flash, ⁓ but, you it's very reminiscent of ⁓ 80s AD. I was... Yeah, yeah. all those lights on, get out of flash. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Hahaha Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah, or shooting with the lights on, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah, You the evening shot?

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: But I think it's really about a mood that they're trying to create. And I get that. I also think that you can do that in different ways. And I also think that you can probably do that through interiors ⁓ composition. ⁓ mean, such like

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Sure. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: look at Slim Aaron's, do you know what I mean? Like you can get these moods and these moments of like really something special is happening. You don't need to like turn on the lights on and whip out a flash, but.

Paloma Contreras: Right.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. will say though, as a light lover of lamp lighting and not overhead lighting and lampshades, there are rooms ⁓ that can, only really feel the charm when you get the dim light in evening and the ambiance of kind of the amber light of the rooms.

Paloma Contreras: I agree.

Caroline Gidiere: I just think that would be almost to capture.

Isabel Parra: No, that is great. And that is totally should be done. Yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. I mean, there's some rooms that I know that are pretty, they're really pretty in the daylight, but it is a vibe when you walk in here at night. You know what I'm saying? Like, and that you wouldn't, you can't capture in true daylight. But I would trust you if you told me we could totally do it, I would know that we could, but going into this, I mean, up until right now, I would have thought it wouldn't have been possible.

Isabel Parra: Here's the main thing. I find that typically there's not enough time and shoots to do a lot of variations these days. People's shot lists are pretty intense. And I try and be very realistic upfront. I tend to say around 15 shots a day.

Paloma Contreras: You

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: can all, we could get up to 25. I mean, that's, being insane, but we get around 20. If we're really organized, everyone's like, you know, zooming and pre-planning and the stylist is like jamming and everyone's in their places and doing their thing at their highest level, then we can get more shots. But that,

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Isabel Parra: gets pretty tricky a lot of the times I've been noticing and the lists tend to start out at like, you know, 30 images a day and, um,

Paloma Contreras: Yeah, even the fastest photographer couldn't do, I mean, they wouldn't be thoughtful images. Right.

Caroline Gidiere: You couldn't do it. Yeah. Yeah. And I think too, know, the stylist has to stay one step ahead. They've got to be in the next room. But you also need them there with their critical eyes saying, ⁓ no, need these vernaculous or crap. ⁓ We something different here, know, something leggy or whatever.

Isabel Parra: That's like point and shoot. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Caroline Gidiere: I can't imagine 30 shots in a day. Woo!

Paloma Contreras: No, and I think you have to leave some space also for the magic to happen because you have a shot list, but then something might happen at the end of the day where the light is just stunning in a certain space and you hadn't thought of that shot, but you're like, we've got to get this or there's a detail that no one had thought to include in a shot list that you have to capture. So it's better, I think, to leave a little breathing room in the...

Isabel Parra: Exactly. Yes. Yes. percent. Yes. Yes.

Paloma Contreras: I guess cadence of how each day is gonna go and better to a lot more time than not.

Isabel Parra: 100%. Yeah, I think that's why it's so smart or just to be ambitious but realistic. So I always say to my clients, you get your 15 and then you can have your overflow and make your overflow list and we'll look at it. But the 15, I can guarantee you everything else is just bonus. And then

Paloma Contreras: Hmm.

Isabel Parra: I also think that that is like when you start adding in those like special moments also, because I think that for designers, it can be hard to get out of the head of how much time maybe something took or like how hard it was to get a certain thing finished or maybe something that was like the dream thing finally happened. And you really want to capture it or you really want to get into like

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Isabel Parra: ⁓ the detail of certain areas of spaces, but it might not make for the most beautiful image. And so always being willing to kind of like be flexible with making the best image, not ⁓ documenting, that happens a lot. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Sure, that makes sense.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: you

Paloma Contreras: I think that's a really, a really good reminder. think as we wrap up the conversation, just you're, you're working together to craft beautiful images. you know, Caroline touched on the fact that so much happens behind the scenes. You're rearranging furniture, you're tweaking things and you really, I mean, you're not creating something from nothing, but you're working collaboratively as a team between photographer, stylist and designer to create a really special. image out of the tools that you have at your disposal.

Isabel Parra: Yeah, and it should honestly last a lifetime. Like the image itself should be this like timeless kind of capsule a of what these people created. ⁓

Caroline Gidiere: True. Yeah. Magic rarely happens when you're rushed.

Isabel Parra: Yes, agreed. true.

Paloma Contreras: That's true.

Caroline Gidiere: Okay, before you go, we spent so much time discussing health obsessions, healthy foods, healthy drinks, supplements. What are you into right now? I need to know before you leave.

Isabel Parra: Ooh, ⁓ my God.

Caroline Gidiere: Because you're like right there in Brooklyn in the like in the throes of it. That is where like everything cool starts and all the rest of us follow suit. Used to be California. Okay, so tell me what are you doing? What's

Isabel Parra: Yeah. I am obsessed with Onagiri.

Caroline Gidiere: You Huh? What?

Paloma Contreras: Huh, is this a person?

Isabel Parra: No.

Caroline Gidiere: I you! That's why I knew I couldn't let you leave without... is this? I gotta write it down.

Isabel Parra: It's, they're like little Japanese sandwiches. So like a rice triangle and inside is like salmon ⁓ or a ⁓ And on the outside is ⁓ seaweed. then your hands don't get dirty with the rice. And so you eat this little Japanese triangle sandwich and it is

Paloma Contreras: ⁓ Nagiri, ⁓ okay.

Caroline Gidiere: ⁓ huh. Who? Okay.

Paloma Contreras: Hmm.

Caroline Gidiere: So nice.

Isabel Parra: So delicious, I take him on all my flights. So I'll stop at the Japanese store. Yes, and I'm that girl on the flight. I feel like my nana. Yeah, pulling out my grandma sandwich. Yeah, that's me, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: I was going to say, it's like a packed lunch item.

Paloma Contreras: to carry.

Caroline Gidiere: The fish. Hey, a girl's got to do. you're traveling, honey, you just got to make it work. You got to, you know, like this is your life. Okay, cool. Well, I knew you would have something. I knew you would have something. Wonderful. Well, was so glorious to see your beautiful face and spend time with you again. ⁓ Thanks so much for

Isabel Parra: Yeah. I know, I know we have to see each other in real life.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah, yeah. We've tried a couple of times and missed each other in New York, but be back ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ we'll get together. Okay. All right.

Isabel Parra: I know. I'm Paloma, so lovely meeting you.

Paloma Contreras: Yes. Likewise, Isabel, I look forward to hopefully shooting with you sometime. Yeah. I've heard so many wonderful things about you from Caroline. So it would be a delight. you for spending the afternoon with us. It's been so fun and so informative. feel like anybody listening is going to really understand, you know, how to assemble their team, the right tools that they need in order to create beautiful, memorable.

Isabel Parra: So fun, I would love that. thanks.

Caroline Gidiere: Yes.

Isabel Parra: So fun.

Paloma Contreras: lasting images that will hopefully serve them well, know, whether that's getting published or helping them build their portfolio.

Isabel Parra: Yeah. Yeah, and it should be hard, fun work, you know? Yeah. You're welcome. Bye, guys. See you guys soon. Bye.

Caroline Gidiere: Absolutely. Yeah. Thanks, Isabel. Love you. Miss you. Okay, bye.

Paloma Contreras: Yes, that is true. Thank you so much. Bye.

Caroline Gidiere: was fun. ⁓ was our first guess. ⁓ did it. Yay. Yay. Yay. ⁓ Do you have our listener? Do we have a listener question? ⁓

Paloma Contreras: It was really fun. She was great. We did it. Yeah. I do. So our listener question for the week from ⁓ at Haley Owens Instagram asks, Caroline, tell us about the storage in your dining room.

Caroline Gidiere: Okay. Well, it was a really, it was a happy, I don't know, just by happenstance, it was not intentional that I have large around my dining room, on two sides of my dining room. And when I was building my house with James Carter, ⁓ I wanted, and all the arrogance of youth, wanted a square dining room because I needed a round table. I think all need a rectangular table at the end of the day, but it is nice to have one that accommodates, that looks nice with a round one, but it doesn't have to be square, guys. It doesn't have to be square. ⁓ Bless Carter's heart. He worked hard at it. ⁓ And came back to me and said, ⁓ given the other constraints,

Paloma Contreras: you

Caroline Gidiere: that you put on me with this house, considering that the front of the house has to be exactly symmetrical. only thing I can do to then make this a dining room square is if we come in and ⁓ give you all these cabinets, we could do them floor to ceiling. And maybe that ⁓ might with your chinoiserie wallpaper that you want. And it took breath away. I was like, what? ⁓ storage cabinets, top to bottom. And it's really great, guys. I have for serving pieces. I have one for china ⁓ dishes. ⁓ I one for tablecloths that I hang all the tablecloths in, and I have big containers above it. ⁓ And then I have of the ⁓ different, what do call little pots. ⁓ trays all sorts of other, just ⁓ like styling closet, almost like a stylist might have. ⁓ It's a prop closet, yes. Every kind of little container in my house lives in that cabinet in its off season. So it's a lot of fun. It was not intentional, but I do work with my clients.

Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm, like a prop closet, yeah.

Caroline Gidiere: having lived through this to try to include those in their dining rooms. It makes a big difference if you have the space, if you can bring in your walls about two feet and make those cabinets. If you can spare the space, it's nice to include those in your dining room. It makes a big difference.

Paloma Contreras: It sounds like an entertainer's dream. I mean, just to have the luxury of that storage and the functionality, ⁓ it's fabulous. I love it.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. Yeah. Even if you're not going to be entertaining big, you're, if you are, you intend to use your dining room to have meals, it really helps facilitate that.

Paloma Contreras: Yeah, I mean, having that storage just to be able to collect things because we, you know, love to collect and you have however many tablecloths and dinner services and all kinds of things. And there comes a point where if you don't have that amount of storage, you kind of have to like put the kibosh on buying more things or, you know, edit what you have in order to get new things. So.

Caroline Gidiere: Yeah. That's fine. And it makes a huge difference when you can see everything that you have. know, like when you can step back ⁓ assess it all to decide what you're gonna do. Then little tidbits of it here and I've got some other things here. It's hard for me to run my calculation on I'm gonna do as easily when it's all not like sitting there in front of me. ⁓

Paloma Contreras: Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. I love that you have that. And I'd like to manifest it for myself one day. I love that. Yeah, not in my current house, but yes, that's, it's such a nice luxury. I know, both in black. Yes. Likewise, I'll see you next time. Thanks for listening. Bye.

Caroline Gidiere: Okay, well, love. You can do it. We it. We can make it work. Hey, and look, we're twinning today. I right? Well, I love Fiume with you. All right, sounds great. Okay, bye.