Creative Challenge: Khaki Pants

Khaki Pants Creative challenge - wall made of khaki pants used as background

As with any day-to-day job, we photographers sometimes find ourselves running on auto-pilot, stuck in a creative rut. Thankfully we can always rely on our colleagues and friends to give us a kick in the pants when we are in need of a little inspiration (aka the creative challenge).

First was the dumpster challenge, then came the shrimp boat challenge, and now we have the khaki pants challenge! “What the heck is that?!” you might be asking. Well, when I reached out on social media a few months ago asking for some location inspiration, the wackiest answer I got was “in front of a wall of khaki pants” . . . hmmmm.

Short of taking over my local Gap store for a quick session, I headed to my husband’s side of the closet (where I knew that I would find an abundance of that neutral hue). From shorts to chinos to performance golf pants, in shades from stone to British tan, I was able to pull enough khaki pants to halfway cover a 4×8 piece of foam insulation, which served as my temporary wall.

NOTE: 18 pairs of shorts and pants didn’t go nearly as far as I thought they would. YES – he has 18 pairs. We won’t discuss my denim collection 😉

Using T-pins, I was able to secure the pants to the styrofoam insulation panel to try to make it into a wall. Engineer and fashion merchandising expert, I am NOT (though I am always bowled over by the incredible visual retail experience at Anthropologie), but the pants wall remained upright. A low bar, for sure.

Playing off the theme of the khaki pants, I decided to stick with a classic 90’s-inspired Gap or J.Crew catalog vibe. Not too much of a challenge, since literally everything we wore in high school has come back around (pleated khakis WHY???). Caroline nailed the wardrobe, and in fact, brought so many perfect options that I kept photographing her even after the khaki pants wall was exhausted.

I loved taking a crazy idea, brainstorming ways to make it work and executing the vision. Challenges like this really opens my eyes to possibilities and overcome obstacles, which only helps to broaden my creativity and to serve my clients. On to the next creative challenge – any suggestions??

J.Crew-inspired teen session for a creative challenge