Paris - Planning A Photo Shoot

My shoot inspiration board

Next week I have a photo shoot planned in the city of light!! Like all photo shoots that I work on I plan them well in advance and I thought you might like to come along for the ride and see how I do it!! This is a small part of the preparation that goes into a shoot. Vogue cover shoots are months and months of preparation by a team of talented photographers, stylists, designers, models and make-up and hair artists.

This shoot is inspired by a shoot I did years ago at 3am in a beautiful Piazza in Florence (which was in turn inspired by a scene in Dolce Vita). See top black and white images. I adored shooting at night and the incredible atmosphere that is created by the street lights.

To start I break the photo shoot down into bite-size pieces so it is easier to plan. Here are some questions I ask myself?

Who am I shooting and Where?

I am shooting at night in Paris!! Yippee.. Paris doesn't get anymore atmospheric than at night. And I am shooting a beautiful woman with long blond hair and her companion.

The Story

My story (invented by moi) is called 'The Party is Over". Its glam, glam, glam.  A beautiful gal who is on her way home from one of Paris's most fabulous masked parties with her handsome beau! Its fun they are a little tipsy, they stop to take a breather on a park bench, he wheels her home on a bike..

Styling

I want her to be wearing a big fat couture frock!! The dress every girl dreams of wearing..Fab cocktail rings and jewels and fun masks to wear pushed up on the top of her hair..

Props

Party stuff!!After all she has been to a party. And an old fashioned bike that her beau can wheel her through the deserted streets of Paris on. A bunch of white balloons for her decent into the Metro only  to find the metro is closed. White cocktail gloves to put on a bench. A bottle of champagne and plastic cups..

Hair and Make-up

I love the messy Claudia Schiffer hair above and strong eyes and lips. The night will eat up subtle make-up kind of like stage lights do. Bling in her hair.

Locations

(See Wednesday's scouting around Paris post)

Lighting

I'd love to replicate the beautiful soft street lamp light of Paris and I will be doing a light test later in the week. Stay tuned.

I gathered the above imagery to inspire me for my shoot, some of the images are mine, some are by the fabulous Ellen Von Unwerth and others from a film. Inspiration can come from anywhere, art, books, photography, music, film, history, the weather etc.. We are surrounded by inspiration..

Endless Fashion Shoot Inspiration

Carine Roitfeld Irreverent

Tim Walker Pictures

Ellen Von Unwerth Fraulein

Deborah Turbeville The Fashion Pictures

Deborah Turbeville Past Imperfect

Love + Bling

Carla x

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