In the past, we’ve given you a glimpse into our stylebook image selection process, but have you ever wished you could step behind the scenes to see our photo team in action? Today we’re doing just that, with two of our fab photographers, Danielle and Mel, to lead the way.
You see their work all across ModCloth, from the gorgeous pics in our Style Book to the DIY images you see right here on the blog, our photographers work tirelessly to bring you the inspiring visuals that make ModCloth what it is. What you might not know about the stunning pics you see on our site though, is how much work goes into making them happen, from securing models, to making sure that trash is picked up at the end of the day. Check out what Danielle and Mel have to say, below:
Before a shoot, the team first scouts a location that is fitting with the theme of the style book: “We always try to physically see the location we’re shooting, take some overall photos to show different angles or points of interest for each location,” says Mel “Often times, we’ll scout a few locations so we can best choose a place that will suit as many of our needs as possible for one day of shooting.”
Once a location is chosen, the team gets down to business securing the proper insurance forms, permissions, and payments so everything runs smoothly the day of the shoot. “There are generally hundreds of emails back and forth between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles to set up scouting” says Mel. Along with hiring models and hair and makeup artists, the team is also sure to secure trash removal services, facilities, hair and makeup staging areas, and a fridge for the crew’s snack supply — not quite as simple as showing up with a camera and a couple of models!
With so much work going into just finding the perfect location, the photography team is sure to get the most bang for their buck on the day of the shoot: “When we’re shooting on-location our call time is 4:00 a.m., that way we can be ready to shoot by 6:00 or 7:00 a.m., basically when the sun rises” explains Danielle, “for these shoots, I usually wake up between 2:30 and 3:30 a.m. to get there on time.”
Danielle adds: “We don’t like to keep the models longer than twelve hours at most — ten hours ideally — so we wrap by 4:00 or 5:00 p.m., unless we want that evening light. Then, depending on the location we pack up the equipment and get back to the studio or hotel and process our images in the evening, definitely a long day!”
“For smaller on-location shoots and when we’re shooting in the studio, we arrive a little later — usually 7:00 a.m. — to start propping the set,” says Danielle “The models and hair and makeup come in at 8:00 a.m. The models are in hair and makeup ’til 10:00 or 10:30 a.m. and we wrap by 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.. — a slightly shorter day, but just as exhausting.”
“Early call times and long days is the main motto for this industry … along with a ton of improvisation!” adds Mel.
Have questions for our talented photographers? Sound off in the comments!