Behind the Seams - Getting Glamorous!

I was recently in Ohio doing a photo shoot for an upcoming JoAnn's flyer.  I thought you might be curious about how that all goes.

JoAnn’s Marketing team starts out with a very specific sketch (and plan) for the photo.  They pass it around to all the marketing management teams at JoAnn's to get all around approval.  They send it to me with a variety of wardrobe and color requests. Now at this point I'm usually "required" to go shopping to find suitable choices - because I certainly don't want to wear something that’s already hanging in my closet!

I pack a huge suitcase full of options (new and old) and head to Columbus.  What a nice little city that is!  I go to a Retail Marketing company called Kreber.  They have a great big photo studio there and have everything ready to go when I arrive.  I meet with a wardrobe stylist and we review the options that I brought with me and then the Creative Director makes his favorite choices. Next is make-up and hair.  That is the best!  When I do photos in Spokane, I typically do my own hair and make-up so you feel very glamorous and special when someone does it for you.  Plus, they put a LOT more make-up on than I do. Everytime I catch my reflection in the mirror, I double-take because I think I see Angelina Jolie - Ha! (LOL - I wish!)

This all somehow manages to take a couple hours before I head over to the set.  (Oh, they iron your clothes too - nice, huh?) At that point you can't sip coffee or dip into the snacks like everyone else is.  You've got to preserve the lipstick and avoid things in your teeth.  (That's just a little tip for your next photo session :-) They take many, many shots and constantly move little things around, adjust the lighting and tell me to tilt my head this way, then that way. Oh, and "Smile Pretty!" 'til your cheek bones hurt.  Every few minutes - someone fusses with the collar on my jacket, pulls my sleeve every which way, glosses my lips, powders down my shine or tries to control a few hairs that have gone awry.

Most of the time is in prep - and once the shoot starts it doesn't take too long.  It's kind of like preparing Thanksgiving Dinner - everyone works a lot to plan and prepare - but once everyone sits down - it seems to be over in an instant.  See the final result in the upcoming JoAnn circular due out in mid March - and when you see it, "Smile Pretty!"

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