Prepping for a Photo Shoot

To make a home look beautiful, lived in and, hopefully, effortlessly chic in photos takes work!  It's like when you try on 10 outfits in order to look like you didn't try at all;you just rolled out of bed and without a thought or care you put yourself together in a way that makes everyone jealous.

The house in Florida was sold before we were completely done but I wanted a few shots for my portfolio.  I took stock of the shots that I thought would be strongest and begun the task of  setting them up.

I had to have succulents which led to Issac's Farm.  It was a treat to see.  Now, I know where to go for great pots, then on to the always dependable Whole Foods for cut flowers.  Figures that there were orchids on every corner but I didn't want orchids in these photos.  I always seem to make things harder then they have to be OR, I am detail oriented and sweat the small stuff??

There is ALWAYS cleaning to be done and if you are photographing a bed, the sheets and pillow cases need to be ironed.  Everything must be considered.

20 minutes was spent arranging the bamboo in the vessel so it looked good in the shot AND in the mirror.

We wait for just the right light.  Having so much natural light is a luxury.

We  experiment; Dog in or out?

Everyone wanted to get in on the act

Jeff Herron hard at work.

Furniture is moved, pictures are switched out, pillows are fluffed, food is styled.  Sometimes hours are spent setting up complicated shots. So next time you are looking at a picture in a magazine, realize ~ it takes hours and a village to make a room look "finished" and there is a bit of magic that happens when you capture it just the way you envisioned it.