Story and Photos by Mary Beard
What exactly goes into a photo shoot? You might picture racks of gorgeous designer clothes and accessories, maybe even some drool-worthy diamonds. But, as I sat in on the shoot for ALIVE’s August 2012 Style section, I realized that there is a lot more going into the pretty pages I’d be thumbing through in a few months: Weeks of planning, collaboration and quick thinking—not to mention cake balls and coffee.
Pulling it All Together
Fashion Editor and savvy stylist Jill Manoff arrived with bags and boxes of great gypsy and Spanish-influenced bohemian pieces from local boutiques like Giddy Up Jane and Esther. Mustard yellow, eclectic prints and flowy tops dominated the clothing picks, and the accessories ranged from fringe bags to metal cuff bracelets and bright, beaded bib necklaces. For the fellas, we had casual to professional plaid looks that featured loafers, tees, crisp jackets and layered bracelets.
Executive Editor Jennifer Dulin Wiley and Contributing Associate Art Director Mary Delaware joined Jill in deciding which pieces to feature. Then, it was time (and the job of the fashion intern) to prep the garments by removing (and eventually replacing) the tags and making sure that the garments were steamed and folded to wrinkleless perfection.
Getting the Shot
Taking a picture of a shirt or necklace might seem easy, but there are a lot of things to think about: the lighting, the angle of the shot, the shape that you put the shirt or accessory in, whether or not to shoot the piece against a white background or a patterned one. Luckily, ALIVE had detail-oriented photographer Carmen Troesser on set working creative angles to get everything just right. Men’s collars laid flat thanks to bobby pins, diamond necklaces were shot against printed pants and the back of an old beer sign found in the office served as a great background for accessory shots.
Nandini Style
After getting all of the clothes and accessories out of the way, St. Louis actress and model Nandini King arrived for the My Style shoot, bringing with her great clothes and great energy. She pulled out beautiful bangles from India, leopard prints and eclectic scarves accessorized by her own bare feet (and some adorable rope Birkenstocks for a few shots)—all looks that represent her vibrant personality. Interns, art directors and stylists helped turn our lounge into a studio, and then Nandini did her thing. Ridiculously graceful and charming, it wasn’t hard to get a great shot of her.
Diamonds Are An Intern’s Best Friend
My favorite part of the shoot came at the end, when the high-end jewelry came out. After a morning of eyeing the table where beautiful pieces from Elleard Heffern, Albarré and Diamond & Jewelry Brokers were sparkling in wait, it was finally time to take some pictures. All of it was insanely gorgeous, but my favorites were the Ivanka Trump dangling earrings and a pearl cluster brooch of my favorite fruit.
Sadly, the jewelry was returned and I returned to the intern desk, but considering it was my fifth day on the job and I was already playing with diamonds and Tory Burch? I think this is the start of a beautiful internship!
