Willow House Photography Retreat | StyledYou West Texas
Earlier this year we traveled to the remote area of West Texas to host a StyledYou Photography Retreat at the luxurious Willow House. For our photography retreats, we’re are all about providing our attendees with incredible content, and we knew that this was going to be such an inspiring place to create epic shoots for our 20 photographers!
While our StyledYou Photography Retreats are centered around content, it’s also a chance for attendees to gain knowledge from some of the best photographers in the industry. At this retreat, our attendees got to learn from and shoot alongside photography icons Melissa Marshall, Laurken Kendall, and Monique Serra - three women we hand-picked not only because of their talent and ability to take magnificent photos, but also because they are incredible educators and badass humans.
“StyledYou is the perfect place to re-start your creativity - simply because you breathe and live inspiration from the moment you walk in. Manda and her team excel in showcasing beauty in the simplest of things, transforming basic into mindblowing while incorporating nature and local environments. And if that wasn’t enough, they produce unique editorial backdrops and real celebration scenes. They propose, create, and set a line to follow. And StyledYou is THE place to be if you want to be part of it all!”
Our group spent the first night getting to know each other, then we started our first full day of this StyledYou retreat with an educational session from Monique Serra on framing and composition. Attendees got to apply Monique’s tips for “creating your shot” with an energetic lifestyle shoot filled with southwestern style and movement. After breaking for lunch, Melissa Marshall talked through “creating your ideal business” - giving attendees a photographer-oriented crash course in branding and marketing. And since these retreats are all about capturing dream content, we spent the rest of the evening shooting an artsy lifestyle shoot featuring the stylish Willow House casitas and then capturing a contemporary desert wedding complete with a colored pampas grass ceremony backdrop, a statement black and white wedding gown and an elegant tablescape designed and styled by Mae&Co Creative.
The next day Laurken Kendall walked attendees through “creating the magic” and learning how to create an authentic connection with clients. Refreshed with new ideas on how to capture raw emotion with couples, our photographers got to practice building intimacy shooting an indoor lifestyle session alongside Laurken. Then we ended the day with two more epic shoots: a dramatic outdoor lifestyle shoot and a desert-style wedding with terra-cotta arches - this custom-built, statement ceremony backdrop was designed and created by Mae&Co Creative to give our attendees truly unique content inspired by the warm colors and the romantic feel of our bride’s Tucson gown from Rue de Seine.
And even though we packed six full shoots into our four-day photography workshop in Terlingua, Texas, we made sure to prioritize time for community and connection. Being a business owner can be lonely. Such a special part of all of our retreats are the connections our attendees, instructors, and behind-the-scenes team make and the lifelong friendships each attendee gets to carry with them.
“From beginning to end you feel welcomed, loved on, and just full. This was a retreat that many of us photographers needed just to reset, and get inspired again. We left with new friendships, amazing content, and full hearts. We laughed, we cried, we drank, and we celebrated the best way to start 2020.”
If you’re interested in joining in on the content and pampering, join us at our next photography retreat - click here to see where we’re going next!!
PHOTOGRAPHY: KARRA LEIGH PHOTO AND MELISSA MARSHALL
WORKSHOP: STYLEDYOU
DESIGN & STYLING: MAE&CO CREATIVE
VENUE: WILLOW HOUSE
FLORALS: GOOD SEED FLORAL
DRESS DESIGNER: RUE DE SEINE
DRESS BOUTIQUE: LOVELY BRIDE
HAIR & MAKEUP: HELLO FLAWLESS
GROOM ATTIRE: ASOS
PAPER GOODS: SEEK PAPER CO
JEWELRY: OPAL MILK