And a little BTS story of what went into the shoot, what went on in my head leading up to it and how I felt when it was all done...
I’ve done a LOT of design and production work over the last 15 years and without fail, no matter how well you plan things, there are always mishaps or things that go wrong. In this line of work –– events, brand shoots, interior design, Airbnb styling + staging –– it’s inevitable and something I’ve learned to expect and prepare for and it’s where being hyper detail-oriented and resourceful (hashtag: Virgo) comes in handy.
But for my photoshoot last Monday –– when just two days prior it was still predicted as a 60% chance of rain (this was an outdoor shoot) and my assistant had to cancel at the last minute the day before –– the day-of could not have run more smoothly...
Everything just fell into place. From the set design (I was still painting that side table the morning of!) and props (just wait for the balloon + champagne pics!!), to the wardrobe design and styling, picking up and loading the U-HAUL, getting myself ready and being done not just on time, but early(!!!) –– if you know me, you know that’s almost unheard of –– followed by the most beautiful day and best lighting EVER, with not a drop of rain until hours after we wrapped, to my incredible photographer (Juliana Aragon Photography) who just gets me and is soooo great to work with and then having one of my best friends step in to help assist with props and wardrobe and onset laughter. It all just worked, you know?! It was magic.
Everything flowed and felt easy and I was totally calm and at ease –– that’s when I know I’m onto something. Hell, even after the shoot, when I jetted to my storage unit to unload everything before returning the U-HAUL, the lone rolling cart that’s pretty much ALWAYS IN USE, was literally delivered to me by a woman who was finished with it just as I walked up. Kismet.
All this to say, I’m so glad I ignored my inner critic –– she's really a jerk sometimes –– who told me on numerous occasions during the weeks of prep that I was nuts. I’m also glad I pushed past my doubts on whether I could pull this off and if my vision would come to life in a way that felt fun, playful and magical (like the concept + mood boards I shared here), versus manic or misguided. As is evident in the images above, my inner critic can SHOVE IT!
It's crazy what a pandemic-induced professional hiatus (read: when you lose all your jobs + income) can do to your creative confidence...but I'm back, baby!!
Needless to say, I CAN.NOT.WAIT. to see the rest of the images! We shot 5 looks, with various props and had so much fun dancing and laughing the whole time.
The best part: it felt so damn good to be creative, innovative and silly again. Like, so, sooo good.
Stay tuned for more photos from one hell of a photoshoot and tune into IG for some ongoing BTS footage that's pretty funny!
xx
Sadye