Frequently Asked Questions
Our biggest questions are below so we’ve answered them for you. If you’re still left scratching your head after reading this, feel free to send us a note with your specific question and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
I want in! How do I get involved with this?
The answer is to form up your own teams! Due to the nature of a project like this, with personal information, like mailing addresses being shared, it’s important for groups in the photography community to form organically. Plus, more people can participate if groups don't have to funnel through an "approval chain." The more the merrier! Find a group of trusted friends, pick a dress, choose your leader, and start up your group! Then submit your group's images for publication on our site. You will be contacted only if your submission is accepted.
Can I get one of the dresses sent to me?
Unfortunately, because each team is formed organically (and not by any specific person), there isn’t a way to send any specific dress to any specific person or team. However, if the dress designer/brand is known we try to list it for you so you can get it yourself!
Is this collective just for women photographers?
No! Women photographers have participated heavily, but actually, this project is open to anyone who would like to participate. And furthermore, this project is open to photographers of all experience levels.
Are all the images self-portraits?
Nope! Some participants choose to do self-portraits in their group’s chosen dress, while others ask someone to sit for them, maybe even some have asked clients to wear the dress. Some have only used/showed a portion of the dress in their final contributing images. There are no rules really apart from having the actual dress present in your final image.
Does it have to be an actual dress that travels and is photographed?
Nope! Let’s get creative! Scarf, doll, shoes, objects... the sky is the limit really as long as your group is all photographing the exact same thing. Bottom line: let’s make this collective of groups of photographers pursuing this personal project as a way to express yourself with no restrictions. You’ll be amazed at what you are capable of creating, I promise.
What if another group uses the same dress as my group?
That’s the best actually! The whole premise of The Traveling Dress Collective is that there is nothing holding you back from creating something unique to you when you’re creating for yourself and from a place that is inside you. Even if you and every photographer were to photograph the exact same thing. This is the beauty of the collective. We are all unique. And we all have creative visions and perspectives which are unique to us. So there is nothing that can hold us back! This project hopes to prove this exact thing time and again as groups form and photograph the exact same dress.