Behind the Scenes at Style

As we head into a new year of style and shoots and pages, it seems to be a good time to take a look back at how and what we have been filling this space every Wednesday in 2006.
So how do we think up and get the pages out week after week? Well, it helps to have a great and easy going photographer in the shape of my brother, Eoin, and a seriously helpful new Style Assistant, Michelle Moran.
We also use good models, who are eager to assist, genuinely pleasant and fun.
The local shop and service owners we deal with are fantastic and very much into what we are trying to do with the page, which has always been to feature and support Kilkenny businesses.
A big part in maintaining the quality of the page is that I’m the only one that decides who or what appears on the page, I never use people who expect or demand to have their product featured.
I have broken the shoots down into five areas : Concept, Models and Clothes, Hair and Makeup, Shoot and Digital Art.
CONCEPT
The concept for a shoot can be decided four weeks or four hours prior to the start of the shoot. Generally I will have an idea of whether the style of clothes I want to show, or the store I want to feature, and then plan a way to show them to their best advantage. The ideas are added to a list on a white board in the studio. I then draw out the idea for the shoot with notes about the models, poses, makeup and hair styles, which is known as Story Boarding. This is the only way of laying down and remembering the fifty million ideas you may have every day.
MODELS AND CLOTHES
The models are chosen for their look, or their ability to pose. All of the girls are unique in their beauty, we need models with identity, whether edgy, innocent, bohemian, stunning or pretty.
They also need to be able to leave their inhibitions at the door, follow direction and work the camera, as well as be pleasant and helpful on the shoot. As you can see, we generally have good craic on the day of the shoot, especially when mucho Lucozade and sweets drive us a little hyperactive!
The clothes are always from Kilkenny, which can seem limiting, but is quite good if you were able to play ‘Pairs’ when you were little. Do you remember the card game, where all cards were upside down, and you had to match one to where you remember turning up it’s partner? Anyway, it’s like that with the shoots, I will see a beautiful dress in Coast, then picture the coat in Tempted that would match it perfectly, with those shoes I saw in the Pink Room, and that hairpiece from the Butterslip.
You also pound the pavements all week, and meet with business owners to discuss upcoming events or incoming stock. Everything you see and hear is filed away in your brain for use in future shoots.

HAIR AND MAKEUP
I generally do the hair and makeup for all of the shoots, but occasionally we will enlist the help of a make up artist. I always concentrate on a good clean base, with strong eyes and full glossy lips. Photographic makeup is much heavier than normal makeup, but the more perfect you apply it, the less airbrushing, if any, you have to do in the Digital Art stage.

SHOOT
Shoots can be quite crazy and hectic, I direct the shoots, Eoin works the camera and lighting. Most shoots are on a Friday, starting at 10am. This is when the clothes and concept are finalised. The models generally arrive at 11.30 or so, and we then hit the shops to collect or choose the clothes for the shoot.
Lunch is ordered into the studio at 1pm, after which we get down to business. Makeup is applied to one, while the other models organise and try their outfits.
Shooting is generally ready to start at around 3pm, and can continue til 7pm.
The outfits and prices are noted, and everyone helps to clear up the clothes and re-bag them for their return.
We are definitely perfectionists when it comes to the pose, Eoin can take up to 200 photos of one set up, and all of the models know that a shoot can be one of their best workouts!

DIGITAL ART
This is one of my favourite jobs, the layout and design of the finished photographs. I use Photoshop as part of our general photography business, and have found it invaluable when trying to create unique backdrops, as it is not always possible to go on location, whether due to weather, budget, organisational or time constraints.
Photoshop is where I retouch gently, as I can’t stand overly airbrushed photographs. If you have set up your lighting and composition correctly, and applied good makeup and posed the models well, there is no real need for actual airbrushing.
I also the set ups and backgrounds in Photoshop. It can take a long or short time, depending on how detailed you wish to be, or how off the wall your idea is, but it’s great to have that kind of control over the look of your page.

And Finally….
All I have to do then is write the text, send that to my editor, Tess, in the Kilkenny People, get the images off to Damien in page makeup, and chat with him about the layout.
Then all that’s left is to repeat the process for the two pages in the Kilkenny People Weekender, set up the next shoot for the main paper, and try, just once, to make my deadline!