Making of a Photoshoot
End of June we shot our next Spring/Summer 16 collection. Yes, 1 year in advance! It's always a stressful time, a lot of last minute pre-panic to get the shoot day run smoothly. But what really happens behind the scenes before the shoot? This is how we do it.
Collection
For us everything starts with the collection. It sets the mood and the story. Throughout the design process, which usually takes about 6 months, I gather all sorts of pictures online or cut them out from magazines. A month before the shoot it all gets serious as we pull together the best bits that create the final moodboard. Pinterest is a great place to get inspiration and keep all finds at one place.
Once the shoot concept is in place, we'll share the ideas with our shoot team, so everyone can contribute to the final moodboard.
Model & The Team
We try to work with the same people as much as possible but every now and then new blood brings fresh life to the images and the brand. The photographer, the hair and make-up artist, location scout - everyone has to understand the brand concept and the story.
The choice of the model is crucial. It's a brand from women to women, so we look for free-spirited, quirky, cool and fun girls that embody the brands ethos. No regular pouting pin-ups but girls that are sexy without knowing it. Finding the right girl is time consuming but when you finally find your girl, it makes the shoot run oh so smoothly.
Location
The story and purpose of the shoot define whether the photoshoot will happen in a studio or somewhere at a location. A big role is also played by seasonality - is it an Autumn/Winter or Spring/Summer collection?
Our latest shoot for SS16 took place in Estonia where we do most of our shoots. The weather in Tallinn is always unpredictable, so even though it had been quite nice and warm, on the day a very cold wind arrived and the conditions become freezing. The team was all wrapped up in coats and scarves while our brave model fought the cold and managed to pull a very "summery" face. We joked that at least it wasn't raining.
Collection
For us everything starts with the collection. It sets the mood and the story. Throughout the design process, which usually takes about 6 months, I gather all sorts of pictures online or cut them out from magazines. A month before the shoot it all gets serious as we pull together the best bits that create the final moodboard. Pinterest is a great place to get inspiration and keep all finds at one place.
Once the shoot concept is in place, we'll share the ideas with our shoot team, so everyone can contribute to the final moodboard.
Model & The Team
We try to work with the same people as much as possible but every now and then new blood brings fresh life to the images and the brand. The photographer, the hair and make-up artist, location scout - everyone has to understand the brand concept and the story.
The choice of the model is crucial. It's a brand from women to women, so we look for free-spirited, quirky, cool and fun girls that embody the brands ethos. No regular pouting pin-ups but girls that are sexy without knowing it. Finding the right girl is time consuming but when you finally find your girl, it makes the shoot run oh so smoothly.
Location
The story and purpose of the shoot define whether the photoshoot will happen in a studio or somewhere at a location. A big role is also played by seasonality - is it an Autumn/Winter or Spring/Summer collection?
Our latest shoot for SS16 took place in Estonia where we do most of our shoots. The weather in Tallinn is always unpredictable, so even though it had been quite nice and warm, on the day a very cold wind arrived and the conditions become freezing. The team was all wrapped up in coats and scarves while our brave model fought the cold and managed to pull a very "summery" face. We joked that at least it wasn't raining.