A Look into Lindsay Adler's Dream Shoot Rentals

Lindsay Adler launched her new company this spring, Dream Shoot Rentals to provide couture dress, accessories, and props to give photographers a source to execute their visions and build their portfolios. Lindsay explained her new vision for this company: “While teaching across the United States, photographers are always asking how they can get a hold of gorgeous clothing for their shoots. Often pieces are too expensive or difficult to attain. Dream Shoot Rentals solves that problem, giving access to stunning couture items that are easy to rent and won’t break the bank.”

I was so excited when I heard about Adler's new project and company. I challenge myself to take on a certain number of styled shoots a year, I know how hard it is finding the right clothing options, not to mention finding something that is within budget and has a couture look and feel.

Dream Shoot Rentals offers gowns and accessories from designers across the world and several one-of-a-kind pieces. The rental periods vary from four to eight days and prices range from $75-$150 per dress. There are a mix of styles including ball gowns, mermaid fit and flares, and knee length dresses which you can search by style or length. The website has several categories to further guide you through the selection process. Adler also has accessories for rent on the website including masks, birdcages, shrugs, boleros, collars and other unique headpieces. Lindsay was kind enough to give us a first look at the company prior to its launch, and I went through the process of selecting, shooting, and returning a gown and accessory.  I really love that this new company offers high-end pieces with a dramatic flair. New dresses and accessories will be added monthly, and can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

For my dream shoot, I wanted to do something that involved styling a high school senior. My vision was something different than your average senior photo shoot; I rented the “Dust Storm” dress and the "Angel's Breath Mask." The dress and mask arrived in a couple days from ordering, and inside the package the gown was hung in a garment bag and the lace mask was protected in a small bag. A brochure was also included with information about fitting, steaming, protecting, cleaning and returning. To ensure the perfect fit, a few clips and extenders are included. The dress arrived perfectly, however instructions are included on how to steam your piece if needed (to reduce wrinkling). If you don’t own a steamer you can always hang in a bathroom while running a hot shower.

One thing I really liked was the long dramatic train on this particular dress. When selecting gowns for styled shoots previously, it has always been a challenge to find something that was over the top for the photo-shoot. Extra yards of the dress material was also included which was nice to use as an additional prop and something for the model to hold on to. One thing that really stuck out to me was the quality: the fabric was thick and durable and the bodice was sturdy and didn't require any special under garments for my model. I could not have purchased a dress of this quality from a store for the rental price.

The dress fit my model almost perfectly; it seemed to run true to size. When in doubt, I would suggest ordering a size larger if you have that option. The clamps included were small and discrete and easily tucked away from view. In these photos, I did use a few clamps to cinch in areas as needed. Simply position the clamps away from the camera,  they won't interfere or cause extra editing in the back-end if used correctly. That day, we brought along a few white trash bags and a blanket to ensure the dress stayed clean. If the dress does get dirty while shooting, you can include a note when returning and they will professionally clean everything, you don't have to fret about cleaning yourself.

After the shoot, I re-packed the dress, accessories, and clamps/extenders in the original garment bag and box, affixed the shipping label that was included, and dropped off at our local UPS store. It was very easy and I am so excited to show off these images in my studio. We often get busy with daily tasks and this shoot reminded me how important it is to shoot for yourself. With this new resource, I look forward to creating more images for myself and portfolio. For more information visit their website. For inspiration, visit their Facebook page, Facebook Group, and Instagram for behind scenes and a preview of dresses and accessories.

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