Photoshoot Live

A model knitting while she gets her hair done.

I should have posted this sooner, but it is not too late if you are reading this on Friday!

Sugar Studios is hosting their first seminar on Saturday June 12th, which is the opportunity to be a ‘Fly on the Wall’ during a fashion shoot.

“…watch fashion photographer DEXTER QUINTO and stylist LEILA BANI as they shoot the feature spread for TLC magazine’s September 2010 issue. Dexter, Leila, and TLC have teamed up with one of Vancouver’s premier boutiques, BACCI’S, in celebration of their 25-year history of fashion. The shoot will feature pieces from BACCI’S 25-year archive, which include the likes of JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, CHLOE, MOSCHINO, DRIES VAN NOTEN, and JUNYA WATANABE, to name a few.”

If you are a fashion student, or an aspiring photographer or stylist, it could be a great way to see what happens during a photoshoot. (And the clothes will be fantastic, since they come from Bacci’s.) I don’t know Dexter, but I know that Leila is a fantastic stylist, one of Vancouver’s best, and even I’d like to see her in action. However, it is a long and boring day (photoshoots always are) and what I can’t understand is the price of this “seminar.” THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. So, no, I guess it is not aimed at fashion students, or anyone who has less money than sense.

Model looking bored and getting her hair done. Photo by Tommy Ton from Jak and Jil.

So for those of you wanting to understand a bit about what goes on “behind the scenes” during a photoshoot, I’d like to suggest the following. If you are a student, contact some local stylists and try and get some work assisting. If you are nice, intelligent, and have some basic fashion knowledge, it won’t be hard. Then you get to be PART of the behind the scenes and it won’t cost you a thing. In fact, you’ll probably get a free lunch. For the rest of you, I will kindly give you a detailed run down of a typical photoshoot, at the bargain price of zero dollars (that is 300 dollars cheaper than tomorrow’s seminar, and you can still enjoy a day out in the sun.)

Call time: 8am

8am: Hair stylists, makeup artists, stylist, photographers, assistants arrive at studio

8:15am: Model calls to say she is running late. Photographer starts setting up, discussing shots with stylist. Clothes are ironed. Hair and makeup set up their equipment.

8:30: Still no model. Hair and makeup are sitting there, bored.

9am: Model arrives, panting. Team wants to yell at her for being late, but it is a bad idea to yell at a model, because she might be in a bad mood for the rest of the day, and that means bad photos.

9am-10am: Model gets hair done. Photograph finishes preparing first set up, stylist is ready to go.

10am-11am: Model gets makeup done. Photographer and stylist are sitting around, bored.

11am: First shot. Realize hair is wrong. Hair takes another 30 minutes to sort out it out.

Model being dressed and looking bored.

11:30am: More attempts at getting first shot. Model isn’t getting “into the mood.” The photos look crap. Panic that everyone has been there for almost four hours and nothing has been accomplished yet.

12 noon: First photo looks good. Model changes into second look. Hair and makeup doing minor touch-ups, bit otherwise bored.

1pm: Second look gets shot.

2pm -3pm: Lunch. Model gets new hair and makeup, photographer sets up new lighting for next photos. Atmosphere is tense as the shoot has been going on for 6 hours, and there are only two photos taken so far. Only 3 more hours before models starts charging obscene overtime fee, and studio wants to closes.

3pm-6pm: Miraculously six more shots get taken in the last three hours. For some reason, it takes four hours to get the first shots right at a photoshoot, but the rest come easily. Hair and makeup bored, until they decide to start packing up at 5pm.

Model looking bored. Photo by Tommy Ton of Jak and Jil.

Hours spent sitting around doing nothing: LOTS. Moments where things are exciting, MAYBE 2 hours. The rest is boring. Why do you think we always see photos of models sitting around reading books or knitting? It is because they spend a lot of time being bored. One photoshoot with a team of people, and you tend to know them better than most of your friends, since you’ve managed to tell them your life stories five times over. And that’s just while the model is getting her hair done.

So that’s it folks. If you still feel the urge to see the photoshoot live tomorrow, I am sure there are tickets left. If not, rest assured you aren’t missing out on anything that exciting, it is a long day.

(I have to say, I am quite shocked at the ridiculous price tag involved with this seminar. They have 40 seats, at 300 dollars a head? That means they are expecting to make over $10K in profit, from letting people watch them work? It is ridiculous.)

Contact details for the tickets:

Contact studio manager CHRISTINA CULVER at 604.879.1635 or sugar@sugarstudios.com.