Capitol Communicator is featuring “Best Crew,” a profile series by Eli Meir Kaplan, a Washington, D.C.-based commercial photographer and director. The series “Best Crew” features talent behind the scenes of photo, film and video productions. This profile features Giuletta Pinna, owner of Limonata Creative.
Giuletta, how long have you been in business and how did you get started?
This is my seventh year as the owner of Limonata Creative, where I provide Art Direction, Prop & Set Styling Services to my clients. It’s also my second year as the owner of Prop Up Shop, the DMV’s only prop and surface rental house + photoshoot studio. It’s been amazing providing a resource that’s normally available in larger cities like NYC and LA to our area and meeting so many new photo and film professionals as a result!
Who are some of your clients and why do they love working with you?
My clients include DMV-based as well as nationally recognized startups, brands, chefs, interior designers, magazines and cookbooks. Every project is unique and allows me to flex different skill sets. I think my clients like working with me because I’m extremely organized and passionate about creating the best work possible so that we all grow! I also strongly believe that shoots are meant to be FUN and try to get everyone to enjoy the process as much as I do.
What are your most invaluable tools?
Stylists are masters of schlepping; we’re typically responsible for bringing any and all the things to a shoot to create the sets. So, without a doubt, the hero that allows me to schlep like a pro is my beloved, collapsible rolling wagon. It’s my sturdy steed and it saves me from breaking my back!
What gear/kit purchase have you made that you wish you didn’t?
Honestly, I have no regrets purchasing anything in my kit. Because I’m a stylist that works on so many different types of shoots (food, lifestyle, interior, product, etc), I’ve built my kit that has everything I can possibly think of that allows me to work as efficiently as possible within all those disciplines. I’m also a borderline hoarder so for me to say I don’t want or need something that I already purchased is kinda taboo LOL. I always feel I need it all, or something will be useful in the future.
Who has inspired and helped you along the way?
Oh man, so many people! Particularly: friends and colleagues in Baltimore who also run small-businesses and/or whom I’ve worked with;stylists across the nation whose work I’ve admired for years (and forced to be friends with me on IG, haha); and most of all, the assistants who’ve helped me do all the unglamourous aspects of this job with a smile as well as my husband (now business partner!), Nate, who’s an uber talented branding designer. All these people have helped me in immeasurable ways to follow my dreams, and strive to be the best business person, artist, & human I can be.
What do you love about the work you do?
There’s nothing more fulfilling than having a client tell me that ‘they had an idea of what they wanted but that I helped them make it way better than they ever could have envisioned’. I love helping my clients figure out how to translate their story into visuals that are fresh, authentic and uniquely them so that they, in turn, can stand out and grow!
What was a favorite production you’ve worked on?
I once got asked to interior style a vacation home in Grenada, Nicaragua. A DC-based photographer, Jennifer Chase, asked me to come down to help. I’ll never forget stuffing my two suitcases to the absolute SEAMS with breakable decor items and/or sourcing flowers and fruit from the local outdoor market in Grenada. The home itself was also beautifully designed with an indoor-outdoor concept and a private pool. It didn’t feel like work; it felt like a dream or a vacation that just so happened to have a photoshoot wrapped up into it. Since then, the photos from that shoot have been featured in Domino Magazine as well as Conde Nast Traveler. I’ll never forget that experience!
You have to believe in yourself and take yourself seriously in order for others to, and you have to put yourself out there. I’d first recommend reaching out to senior-level stylists to assist them; this is a great way to find out if styling is a good fit for you. If you don’t have any stylists in your area, then reach out to photographers to do test shoots and start building your own portfolio. Also, Instagram, while a very helpful social tool, is NOT a professional platform. Put your work on a website, such as Squarespace, that has many beautiful, fool-proof templates to choose from. This will allow your future clients to take you more seriously, and hopefully, hire you!
I also wrote a blog post a few years ago that shared what I’d tell my younger self, when I first started my business, in case anyone wants to read and learn from it too!
What are your top-five favorite movies?
1. Indiana Jones & Temple of Doom
2. Harry Potter series
3. My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison
4. Mathilda
5. I also LOVE black-and-white films and am constantly watching movies by Alfred Hitchcock and/or starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Gregory Peck and/or James Stewart.
Photos by Eli Meir Kaplan,
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