Intern Life: Photoshoot Day
All I have to say is "wow" This was my first professional editorial shoot, and I got so much out of it, as with just about every aspect of this internship thus far. Thanks to reality TV, you have a pretty good idea what goes on during a shoot, but seeing one unfold live is another story. The energy and positive vibe during the day only enhanced the awesomeness that was seeing Bodybinds showcased at its best. The adventure first started on a short trip on the 7 (RIP 5Pointz) to Studios LIC. Thank goodness the studio was only a few blocks away from the train because that Wednesday was THE coldest day, at least up until that point. Amusingly enough, I arrived just as Jackie was parking her car. Then at the door I met my photographer counterpart, Matt's assistant/friend Mitch. Later on, I would meet the other assistant, Jay. One by one, the rest of the players showed up--Britt (hair & makeup super artist), Flore (the unicorn/model), Jess (stylist extraordinaire/our raison d'etre), and Matt (awesome photographer, heavy on the awe). Although this was my first shoot, I had a good idea what was supposed to take place. Since I was only really responsible for hanging the Bodybinds and arranging our version of craft services, I decided to take in the whole scene.
I've seen models all the time around here, especially in the garment district (if you see a ridiculously tall and lithe girl in NYC, she's probably a model), but I'd never been right next to one. Mythical creature she is, and rather easy on the eyes regardless of her makeup status. No jealousy here, just simple appreciation that all of us come in a a variety of packages we can all appreciate. Watching Britt transform Flore into our avant-garde vamp was fascinating, since it wasn't bridal or everyday makeup that she was applying. As cliched as this sounds, it really was like watching an artist paint on a canvas.
Then there was the photographer's side. The last time I'd seen any type of photography done on an artistic level, that photographer was using contact sheets. It was impressive that Matt hauled around a 20"" iMac in its original box whenever he worked. (Later on, I'd be even more impressed that he fit all his equipment into the car he had.) Throughout the day, I probably harassed him the most, as his world was the least I knew about. Luckily he's generous with his knowledge and passionate about his work!
Of course, my favorite part of prep was Jess' arrival with her stunning apparel. One of the many cool things about Jess is that she strives to use up and coming designers when she styles shoots, which is how Bodybinds' relationship with her came about, through an editorial shoot for Oribe haircare. This time she brought a collection of faux and real fur coats, one of which was from Brooklyn designer Nathalie Kraynina, and swimwear from Mirame. Once Jess put Flore into her first outfit with the Bodybinds, you could already tell we had something very special in front of us, even without one picture being snapped.
As you can imagine, the day went by like this: set up, shoot, check, change, repeat. Since I'd never seen tethering in relation to photography before (seen it on movie sets), I was amused to watch the picture transfer from the camera to the computer in a matter of seconds. I can't remember which image it was, but during the time the model was laying on the ground, Matt took a shot that made all of us say "wow" in unison. I hope Jackie chose it!
What made the experience worthwhile was observing it, and the great thing was this group of merry men and women worked extremely well together, so time flew by so fast. I felt like I was among great friends goofing off on a random Saturday afternoon, rather than being at work with colleagues in the middle of the week all day long. At one point, the shoot moved outside to the rooftop access Studios LIC had. Boy, did I feel sorry for Flore, but she shrugged it off, probably partially due to being able to wear a nice fluffy fur coat. At the end of the day, I was really surprised at how tired we all were, considering we had a lot of fun working together, and I think the images reflect that.