GUIDE TO RECREATE THE SKIMS X LANA CAMPAIGN
If you saw the Lana Del Rey x SKIMS campaign photos (seen above in collage form) and were left in awe too, then you’re in a safe space friend. My friend Kam and I were considering what Galentine’s content could be fun for us to take together and we landed ultimately on attempting the impossible: recreating this campaign photoshoot at home.
how we prepped
+ research: we looked on multiple apps to see which were the most common skims x LDR pics we kept seeing from their Valentines campaign. We also started considering which of these shoots were most reasonable based on our wardrobes and available setups
I made a shared note for us at this point with our storyboards for what photos we’d wanted, what clothing we’d need for different backdrops, and which backdrops/props we would need next!
+ gathering phase: at this point we gathered similar outfit ideas from our wardrobes and I went to hobby lobby for a couple wee props/Kam brought along a wee plaster mini cake prop too! I also used a couple items from home too where possible so it would stay low budget.
+ setting up the space: I cleared enough space in a room in my house for us to set up a backdrop on the wall (we used push pins which is probably not the best idea but also not the worst). We laid a white sheet on the floor. Lastly we set up some photoshoot lights I have (not necessary though if you can just use consistent color lighting aka warm or cool). At this point we were pretty ready to go.
+ grwm time together: highly recommend doing this if possible because it set the vibes so well and we wound up playing off of each others hair and makeup to make for a more coordinated aesthetic.
You do *not* need a fancy bathroom for this to be fun. We just focused on getting ready in the same space (my loft) with fun background noise (we did gossip youtube channels >> party music from 2010s >> taylor swift >> olivia rodrigo >> barbie soundtrack if you need suggestions).
***Just make sure both girlies get their own mirror for ease (we used small ones I had)
+ photoshoot next! >>>
how we posed
We looked a ton to the inspo pic posing styles because we wanted the inspiration to come across with impact. We focused more on mimicking the essence of the poses too (rather than a direct copy for each photo). If you’re wondering what that means FAIR it just means trying to either sit or stand to copy the vague pose as in the original photo, but allowing for smaller movements to personalize for ourselves a bit.
how we captured it
For camera type we used our iphones and a digital camera to capture our content 2 different ways. I don’t feel this is necessary but it was SO fun if you have one available.
My main pro tips for capturing the content itself would be focusing on the environment (we had girly music going to help get in the mindset), putting the photographer in charge of keeping up with the reference photos during shooting sessions AND giving mad pep talks, and taking turns taking photos with a friend for each outfit if you’re doing a besties version to allow for better collaboration.
If you’re using a tripod I would recommend putting a mirror on the other side of the room to be your own reference-keeper during shooting. For shooting alone I like to do a mix of timer photos and screenshot stills from a 60 fps video personally.
Lastly I want to emphasize the room we shot in is very average bedroom size and I think this could be replicated in many types of homes regardless of space or style because of the use of backdrops and editing!
how we edited
I don’t think this shoot would have worked without editing to be blunt. For me, it made it achievable to find inspo in the lana x skims shoot at all. I used 2 apps: lightroom mobile app for basic overall mass editing the photos as a whole and picsart mobile app for more intricate edits.
Picsart for me is like easier photoshop on a phone app. The two main ways I edited photos as a whole for this included:
- editing me or kam cutout into an existing backdrop from their shoot
- editing our photos to look like their photos using “stickers” or campaign photos to fill the background properly.
I also used picsart to achieve the “aesthetic” desired via adding noise and “dust” masking effects to mimic the original shoot! I felt this was very successful too, and Kam seemed so excited when she saw her final pictures!
how we would change things
I don’t feel I’d do tons differently other than maybe prep the clothing better! I personally didn’t want to overspend for a photoshoot and Kam found items she’d had already to use for this (except one dress she’d been saving for a perfect day). So for our purposes it worked out well but if I’d been able to push the budget it’d have been nice to have some close matches.
Also I’d have scheduled more in advance so we could have made a real day of it instead of an afternoon — but isn’t that always how it feels with good friends, you want it to always last a bit longer?
how we can stay in touch
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Find me on insta here and tiktok here to keep up with more shoots and fun girls days.
You can find my bestie Kam over on insta right here and tiktok here!
Love you guys talk soon xx
Kate
