Being a stylist isn’t something I can just leave at the door, it goes everywhere with me. I’m always looking at things with the possibility of photographing them. Whether it be something I spot in an online store, or as I walk into a showroom and find myself blown away by an item's potential - sometimes this is a curse, other times a blessing. I am always looking at items to find a connection, something to transport me to a better place.

Flowers are another level of divine, they are alive and ever-changing - just think of a rose transforming itself from a tight bud into a voluptuous full petalled bloom, then seductively dropping a few petals. This all draws us closer, prompting us to lean in and enjoy the exotic fragrance, and then we are all hooked. Flowers make my shoots come alive, they add another layer to an image. I won’t delve into the science of all of this, but you get it, right?!

Creating images is an art form, it requires dedication, patience, persistence and boundless creativity. It also requires a copious amount of props (don’t talk to my husband about this!). My method of working is to plan months in advance. I may spot an item that catches my eye - it may be fabric, a flower, a colour, anything really - then it sits in my mind waiting like a seed, waiting to send its very first shoot out. Sometimes ideas come to me in clusters in the middle of the night - they pop into my mind in the darkness, one after the other, ensuring that I will never go back to sleep. It is like watching a movie with the amazing sets and lighting, which in turn activates a special switch in my mind, and I sit there for a few moments downloading all the wonder of what I saw in my head.

Shoot day is the final stage of the creative process, it's what everyone else gets to see, almost the inner workings of my mind. I love working with my husband as the camera technician - he won’t let me call him a photographer as he feels he simply only attends to the technical side, and says the creative process belongs to me. After years of working with photographers I do believe it's time I created my own images - after all, I am the only one in my mind, thankfully!

Let's take a moment to discuss the mess created by such an art form…as there can be so much of it! It can take over a house, an office, and lockups. Stylist’s collect unusual items - items that cause people to say "oh that small thing, wherever did you get that”? Well let me tell you, not by accident. Collections grow rapidly, and I have been in this line of work on and off for over 30 years! Sometimes it’s a burden, other times an absolute delight. When the image is captured and all the hairs stand-up on your body, as if to resonate that this was what you saw in your mind's eye - it is a fleeting moment of pure joy before it's time to move on to the next shot.

When all this visual beauty comes to an end we are left with the mess (some would describe it as a creative mess) and it can thrill many that walk into it after the last image was taken. Some say they simply love it, and spend a few moments poking through the items in delight, transporting themselves to another place. Yes, creativity can be compelling and addictive, what's not to love about inspiration and pretty things? Myself, well, I am not a fan of “the clean up” - as I get older I have decided that smaller shoots, more frequently, is the way to go.

I will admit that sometimes I would like a home that stays perfectly tidy like my friends' homes, where they have a place for everything and they are content with not having so many dinner sets. However, I then remind myself that I would not be me if I didn’t have things to play with - pretty things are my muse.

Sandra xx

My Life as a Stylist