Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Davis.
Hi Audrey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
A lot of people might not know what a prop stylist is. I didn’t until I became one. A stylist builds the scene with a photographer, bringing props like ceramics, furniture, and lifestyle elements into a composition–we bring the “stuff” to the set.
I got my start as a prop stylist in Birmingham AL interning for Time Inc. media company. The hub in Birmingham (now Dotdash Meredith) focuses primarily on food and tabletop styling. I had never even heard of prop styling until I came across a job posting about the new hub.
I was originally interested in the photography side because that’s what I’d studied in college, but I applied to the prop styling assistant position because that’s what was available at the time and I wanted my foot in the door. This turned out to be a lucky decision because I fell in love with editorial styling. A college career of dumpster diving and refurbishing, thrifting, and collecting found objects of interest (if I find a dead moth on the ground better believe it goes in a jar until I find the scene for it) made sense.
I worked my way up from intern, to prop coordinator in charge of prop purchasing, to prop stylist. I love what I do. I love the hunt, the curation; I love painting canvases for set surfaces. I love digging through ceramics at second sales and antique stores until I am covered in dust. I love test shoot collaborations with photographers simply for the satisfaction of trying out ideas and creating something beautiful or strange. I love eating set food, and watching food stylists and photographers and art directors work their magic, and feeling like a part of a team.
This March, I decided to make the move to Austin, just me and my dog Dagny. This city feels like the right place for me at the right time in my life. Growth has come with new experiences in art direction, product photography, and collaborations with local creators and I feel a new surge of energy. I can’t wait to see what this creative city has in store for me!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh goodness, no, this has not been a smooth road. What I do is so personal and so subjective. One art director or client might love the tones and compositions I’ve built on set, another might request tweaks, a re-set, a re-shoot. I have learned to build my confidence and the way I approach critiques over the years. Feedback isn’t personal, and it isn’t a comment on my talent; it’s an opportunity for growth and for me to re-visit my communication skills and my ability to think on my feet. It was hard at first to learn how to switch gears once in a creative flow, but it’s made me a better stylist.
I’d say that it’s also hard to find where you fit into the world of photography. What’s your unique sense of visual perspective? How do you book the kind of jobs that let you stretch your wings? How does your aesthetic morph into different genres? How do you avoid getting stuck in a niche? Austin was part of the answer for me. I want to try new categories and work with as many new people as possible. My first love will always be food photography, but I’m enjoying the world of product and wardrobe and lifestyle styling as well. I want to try to dip my toes into different types of projects and find ways to expand my skill set.
Also, a major prop stylist struggle is SPACE. I’m a collector by nature, and while it’s served me in my career, I’d like to have a separate door to put it behind. I dream of my own personal studio one day where I can dig into all the messy projects with shelves and shelves of storage, but for now, I paint large canvas surfaces on my breezeway and have bins of ceramics and glassware in my closet.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’d say I’m most known for my conceptual work. While I love to create an earthy, natural scene, what I really want to do is freeze chess pieces into blocks of ice and create a sculpture on a game board (a recent collaboration I’ve worked on). I delight in the weird and the whimsical and I love the process, from concepting to executing (okay, maybe less so the cleaning up; thawing out, cleaning and drying the chess pieces after use took some considerable time).
I consider myself, foremost, an artist. Styling is just another visual way to share an idea, to tell a story. I’m particularly interested in movement, texture, and color and how together they can create a narrative.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Oh, for me, an essential quality is asking myself: “what’s next to learn?” I have to stay in that growing state of mind and every hard skill is a new building block. I know how to tile a backsplash, twist a candle into a sculptural centerpiece, and block print a table linen. But how do I make organic textured pedestals out of plaster? How do I create a stable tower out of prisms? Having concrete new abilities is so important, because it keeps me exploring new processes and remaining inquisitive.
I’m also a big believer in pursuing other mediums. You never know what idea you explore in analog film or figure drawing is going to inform that creative spark in styling and vice versa.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audreydavisphotography.com/propstylingtablescapes
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audi_kd/?hl=en
Image Credits
Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner
Jennifer Causey
Mélanie Duault
Victor Protasio
Tori Cox
Isaac Nunn
Rishon Hanners
Heami Lee
Emily Nabors Hall
Jessica Attie
Tina Stamos
Kelsey Hansen
