Olivia Pires - Nika Designs Charlotte Style Magazine

Olivia Pires - Nika Designs Charlotte Style Magazine

I'm a Cover Girl is what I like to shout but really it's just a photo I shot but hey it sounds good! The name of this cover girl is Olivia Pires and I'm pretty lucky to work with this model. Lucky for several reasons and one is her mother and NY/NC agent have her on lock down. Yes she is famous in Japan and does not talk about it, she shot the American Eagle campaign does not brag about it and I'm sure that's the tip of the iceberg... actually I know she is slated for a few national/international things so this could be the last shoot I'm allowed to have with her... YES I said allowed remember she is on lock down and her 'handlers' are very mindful of who she works with.. So thanks for the approval and knowing I/We also take good care of her image... NO Beauty School for the model it's simply not allowed.

Knowing her image is on lock down  and understand the value of being able to work with Olivia... I as the director of photography for Charlotte Style Magazine almost did not use her. I know national photography fashion trends and sorry Calvin & D. Furstenberg your winter line having to be shot in color incl. a mix of designers was not going to work for one of our three editorials, sorry I love local fashion designers but no not going to happen.... Then the Niki/Nika story hit (see below) and I knew this was the one... Sure it will be in color but its a collection of a national/international designer. Yes the clothes have been worn by a lot of famous people (read the article) this should fit and keep your fingers crossed Ms. Olivia is in Charlotte when it's time. So yes it worked because as much as I don't want to allow my personal life to filter in the work life... I know the Pires family and I believe Susan would 'jack' me and pull Olivia out of a shoot in a second so I had to do this right. The shoot team had to be right, the location if any had to be right..... oh the things I have to think about... So it was all perfect thanks to my friend Leigh Jones she just sealed the deal on the location.... (see Niki below). 

Basically what happened that this became a cover too was this entire story took on a life of its own. I cant thank my publisher enough for quietly taking a risk on this being a editorial as it was slated to be one shot in one article but really I wonder what her face looked like when she reviewed the previews... Mine was like Oh No one photo out of the day.... good luck to her for making the final selection... glad that's not my job... but she is smart she knows the value of this type of model and designer and is always on her toes with being ahead of the game... I'm just lucky she found me and asks me to play in her sandbox.

I found out in NY that this was going to be the cover and that actually it was going to be a double cover... I was stunned and had to keep my mouth shut for weeks. It was painful to not tell the team and Susan Pires the good news but the reward came when at the magazine release party , hearing Ms. Olivia say "It's Me" it was so sweet to hear the surprise in her voice and then to see the designer Niki Kapoor just smiling at both covers and approval on the model moms face, what a relief.... remember it's a lot of pressure of 'will they like it' do they like it' and I pretend to not care but I do... Its so important that people like the final portrait I shoot. Plus I always when working shoot for more than what its slated for and it seems to pay off.. The no sleep, stress and the just keep shooting until your hand is broken (it happens)..... remember photographers actually have long days, live with the photos after the shoot, submit and resubmit corrections it really is a long process from the word go... When the shoot is over for the team my work has basically just begun.... sure assistants are nice but I look at every single image, process individually if it holds merit because I have real darkroom habits and basically stop and think about the set of images as a collection. This type of obsession takes time and sure I torture myself with it but I'm ok with that.... its my process.

Many thanks to the following people and a special thank you to the handlers of Ms. Olivia for saying yes to a shoot with me.... And Ms. Olivia don't forget our conversations of your retirement plan, your mom is always right (sigh), education is key, and never forget you are one amazing model for simply being yourself at all times. 

Shoot Team :

Olivia Pires - Clark/NYC via Evolution/NC

Leigh Jones - Location Coordinator

K.D. - Location 

Adrian D. Howe - MUA

Larry D. Webb - Hairstylist

Charlotte Style - Media

Bridgett West - Publisher

Niki Kapoor - Nika Designs

Custom Shop - Jeweler

KK Bloom - Accessories

Embracing Out Takes While Landing in Comfort

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Embracing Out Takes While Landing in Comfort

My mind keeps thinking about this set of out takes (handful shown above). The photos I decided to cut and why did I do this. This takes me to the first set of images labeled 1. These were fun just playing shots but if you notice she is falling... she stops, slowly tips, arms open, then lands so relaxed this is exactly what a shoot like this feels like... breath, arms out, fall in and relax. 

Believe it a lot of pressure rides on the photographer well chances are good it's self imposed but... say a shoot like this.. On set I had the actual designer, a magazine publisher, model, hair stylist, makeup artist, location owner, recommendation for location, custom jewelry included boutique jewelry and the designers two assistants oh video being shot. So knowing my job is to please everyone with my finals, location backdrop, lighting and well with a model like this she knows what to do but still I have to get the angle on what she gives. With I believe a total of 5 gowns to shoot so that means fun downtime watching them work or well that's what I do while setting up the next shot. Sometimes I find out that what I want for the background is not going to work so it's changing time during this gown... So people are relaying on the final product is really what I should say and I'm at the end of the models line when she jumps from station to station.... remember she hits every department, crazy right.

After hitting every station its my turn. What I quickly figured out is without a proactive shoot team and I mean all of the people listed above you never have outtakes like these examples shown here. What you will see here are some processed images and some half processed or none at all but the point is without team work my outtakes would never look so pretty. Also I think it has to do with the organic manor that most of the people I work with come with. One thing I do have to take pride in is working closely with my subjects. Really some of the out takes are just hilarious... what this tells me is this subject enjoyed the experience from station to station.... and that's where the soft landing in the first set of images leaves me... it leaves me with the thought of how lucky I feel to be surrounded with such talented happy people. 

Sure this shoot team has names and that's a whole new blog post. The point is a lot rides on photographers but when I work with great people I can open your arms to embrace them and land comfortably knowing they would understand the explanation of what got cut because after all its their art too...... 

breath, arms out, fall in and relax.   

Niki Kapoor Nika Designs Cover 1 of 2 - Charlotte Style Magazine

Niki Kapoor Nika Designs Cover 1 of  2 - Charlotte Style Magazine

It's one thing to shoot a designers work and its another when you shoot a designer and her work all in one day... meaning oh wow the designer is on set. I arrived nervous and left feeling like this was the best shoot I ever. Meaning this shoot was rewarding for many reasons.... 

This shoot took on a life of its own. The first thing out of the gate was one of the beauty editors of Charlotte Style mentioned Niki Kapoor, her work but most important he stressed her charity. So when the green light was given by our publisher my thought was where, I know the perfect model but where. Then comes my friend of many years Leigh Jones. She stopped by one day and asked 'so what ya got going on'... So I did one of those "Pssstttt its secret but" then Leigh said I think I have something for you. These friends of mine have this amazing private home and get this they are builders from India... Leigh delivered this strange cosmic connections of sorts. We visited the location and the owner of the home KD was so nice. I thought this must be a dream but again this was a baby step to the cosmic connection. We really had a blast visiting KD as she just made you feel at ease in her beautiful home. I wanted to move in I felt so welcome. Many thanks to KD and her husband for hosting this shoot. 

The day of the shoot I arrived with a slight plan but knew it was best to be organic. Meaning allow the artists to be artists. The shoot team that day was Larry D. Webb on hair and Adrian D. Howe as the mua and Ms. Olivia as our model. This team is always a treat to work with... but then the actual designer portraits for the artical. The publisher ordered up a softer background for the cover photograph or what could be the cover... So once this was shot the publisher and subject approved we moved forward to the other images in this artical. Keep in mind my goal was to use as many different backgrounds in the beautiful home as possible to give each shot a new look. We nailed it ok so this home is so georgus we basically worked in the main entry and formal living room and were done. I could not believe how stunning this home is.... so many shots every turn you make... it was a dream location. 

The important information I'm leaving out is the cosmic connection that was made with Niki her mother and KD the home owner... So catch this they are all from the same home town in India... What are the chances of this happening.. Then the next is Niki is building a home for children in India and the home owner and her husband are builders from India building communities in the US... How did my friend Leigh peg this, how did she make this cosmic connection without knowing it was. So wild. 

Then the entire story took on a life of its own when Niki was interviewed during the gown shoot. The writer and Niki disappeared for a long while during the model/gown shoot. I knew once the writer came up for air with the look on her face she was bitten by the bug of SEED. Basically I would love to tell you the entire story of SEED but feel its something best left to the writer... BUT basically its to assist children all over the world. For the children who have been written off by socitey (yes it happens) to give them education and stabality to ensure a full life as a child to adult... Really the concept is amazing and Niki has been setting the ground work for five years in India and will take her mission to other countries. The reason for India first is because this is her home and has a group of professionals working on the ground right now.... really this story is so much bigger than I could ever express in a blog... so check out www.charlottestylemag.com to read the story. 

What this shoot taught me was to think global, never be nervous and some subjects really prefer to be behind the scenes shedding light on a bigger issue most people never see. So thank you Niki for putting me at ease by being yourself. I suggest everyone take a look S.E.E.D. and see how you may assits with this global crisis, believe me I'm on the volunteer list... see I already forgot she is a international designer with work in no less than 13 countries and I was lucky enough to photograph her...  This cover video for Niki is short and sweet because really I have a feeling Niki would prefer less attention on her and more attention to the information at the end of the video. 

Thank you to the enitre shoot team this day and to Leigh for creating this cosmic connection.