Book excerpt: Discover the work behind the scenes of photo creation and dive into the basics of framing and photography. This publication is for any student interested in working as a professional photo stylist, for young brands finding their feet, for teachers seeking to explain how work in images is professionalised and for any entrepreneur who has started an e-boutique. To be a photo stylist, you need talent. But at a basic level, the job is often about versatility: being able to work at all stages of development of an image. Composing the right visual message is central to the whole project. A photo shoot requires not just a strong artistic grounding, but tools and methods. A photo stylist seeks to optimise the esthetic of an image alongside a photographer, either in a studio or outdoors. This requires knowledge of photographic processes and material. The particularity of the sector also affects how the arranging is approached. Through specialist websites and targeted magazines, the photo stylist breathes life into images. A photo stylist has to master communication. So, dive into this exciting world to familiarize yourself with the field or deepen your knowledge of it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Despite having achieved a Master’s degree in new product design and innovations, Valentin Pinta wanted to go beyond engineering. Because the esthetic of products appealed to him, he was drawn to the art of creating. His creative practice focused on images: graphic design, technical drawings and photomontages of trends guiding new collections. He grew so passionate about design and styling that he became a style coordinator. He played an active role in catalog photo shoots, arranging still-life scenes to highlight fashion items. These skills led Valentin into work for ready-to-wear brands and fashion agencies. He would shoot street looks while on trips to Florence, Berlin or Paris. And alongside these pursuits, he started teaching styling at ESMOD Paris, naturally focusing on photo styling. So, it became important to draw up an overview of this profession.