Bar Suit
For those who have followed my blog since the beginning of this Paris journey, you KNOW that I'm in love with the Dior Bar Suit. To have a Dior-inspired Bar Suit for Maggie to wear while actually IN PARIS is just mind-blowing to me!!! We did a very quick test shoot in Denver before leaving for Paris and Maggie wore the beautiful Bar Suit. It was then that I photographed her for the very first time and I could tell in my gut that we would make incredible magic once arriving in Paris.
On Sunday morning, I pulled the Bar Jacket out once again and started steaming it. But here's the fun twist: on less than TWO HOURS of sleep!!! Our days have been long and exhausting and when I finally tucked myself in after composing my previous blog, the sun was already knocking loudly on Sunday's door. Yet somehow, the excitement of paying homage to Christian Dior while in his beautiful Paris just yanked me out of bed. The adrenaline made me temporarily feel like I had been asleep for eight full hours!
I handed Maggie the Bar Suit (which will officially be available for any future clients to wear for their portrait session once it's dry cleaned in Denver! I know...exciting!!) and then hopped in the shower. When I finished getting dressed, Maggie emerged from her bedroom truly looking like she had stepped out of another time. We decided to put a gorgeous red wig on her, just for variety...and who doesn't love changing up their look just for the day?! The red hair...the ivory silk Bar Jacket...oh my God, it was just too much!!!
Perfect timing
Although I felt a huge adrenaline rush upon waking, I was in reality really dragging my feet when it came to getting ready. The Bar Suit took a long time to steam, particularly the silk jacket. And we were doing another vintage look that morning, so that outfit also had to be steamed. I had originally planned for the portrait session to begin at sunrise, but it became quickly apparent that that wouldn't be happening. If you want to see just how fast the sun rises, try doing a sunrise photoshoot. Every ten minutes it's like the light is completely different...and it is! It can go from warm and golden to bright and obnoxious in just minutes. So I had no idea what to expect at our chosen location at the now moved time of our portrait session.
We arrived, set our things down and I immediately started taking test shots of Maggie. I wasn't totally thrilled with the light...it was too dappled. Martin was assisting me and pulled out a translucent reflector, which helps diffuse and even out light. It was helping, but I just wasn't crazy about the results. I started beating myself up for dragging my feet with getting a move on that morning...and that's when I decided to turn Maggie around and shoot into the sun.
And oh my God. Magic. When you see the images, you will lose your mind.
I shoot into the sun all the time. Some photographers are scared to do this and I don't know why. But the sun was high enough at this point that I thought it would overpower Maggie, so it hadn't even occurred to me to try it. As I saw the images on the back of my camera appear, it felt like I was being winked at by the Universe. I remembered in that moment that everything happens with pinpoint precision...never a moment sooner or later than it's supposed to. I felt like I was running late...but if we had arrived to the location at sunrise, we wouldn't have received the gift of the light that helped create the images that morning.
Quick change
We finished up images of Maggie in the Bar Suit, including one pose replicating the iconic image from 1955/57 (there are different opinions of when it was taken) and then it was time for a wardrobe change. Maggie was a sport and agreed to do it outside. It sounds sort of nuts, I know...but in reality, Maggie was able to keep the Bar Suit on as she stepped into the 1940's pants for the second look. Then she quickly changed the top under a blanket and voila!! New outfit.
Quick wardrobe change in the great outdoors, as one does.
I've got your back
As a Denver Portrait Photographer, I'm usually able to location scout quite easily because I have my car. In Paris, it's obviously a bit different. I had two or three locations in mind...but after that, I've had to improvise a lot. And Sunday morning was no different. It was actually Maggie that suggested we photograph her second outfit where we ended up going; I love when clients get creative!! We quickly found the perfect light and pose, but there was one problem: I needed a ladder and didn't have one. Because even I'm not nuts enough to bring a large step ladder in my carry-on.
I didn't have a ladder. But I had a Martin.
Martin bent down, had me (and my heavy camera) get on his shoulders, then stood up. I was able to get the perfect shot because of this and the only thing we regret is not having a photograph of me taking the photograph. It was truly ridiculous and in the very best way!
Hitting a wall
We completed the first two portrait sessions of the morning and upon arriving back to the Paris apartment we've been staying in all week, I still felt energized enough to keep going. I wanted flowers, however so I told Maggie to get some rest while Martin and I ventured out to find flowers to act as a bit of a prop for the next portrait session.
I don't know if it's the wrong season...if we looked in the wrong places...or if I'm just too picky...but I didn't feel that any of the flowers in any of the shops were right for Maggie. After three shops (and lots of walking) I settled on two options: pink roses and bright yellow sunflowers. We arrived home with the flowers and the exhaustion finally took over.
And my bed had never felt so amazing.
Photographing against walls
I woke up about two hours later, ready to go. The three of us walked over to a nearby park that Martin and I agreed had some really interesting walls. The portrait session was almost lightening fast and then it was time for the final wardrobe change of the day.
Photographing Jackie O.
Taking behind-the-scenes video.
Maggie switched into her peach dress, inspired by the iconic First Lady, Jackie Kennedy. Wearing a gorgeous brunette wig, we hopped into an Uber and headed for Dior. Once there, I photographed her just outside of the Dior store, which was closed. People took all kinds of double takes when they saw Maggie and I truly wanted her to chase after them yelling, "YOU CAN SEE ME??????!!!!!!!!"
The Jackie O portrait session went great and was done before we knew it. We hesitantly asked Maggie if she would be comfortable taking the metro in what she was wearing. Being a laid back California girl, she said "Eh. It's fine." And so we did!
Ghost.
We had a lovely dinner that night...but I could barely focus on my meal. My mind was racing a million miles a minute thinking about the portrait session coming up the next morning: the Jardin du Luxembourg.
To see if the permit was a waste of money and to see how it all went, please visit my blog tomorrow ;)
link of the day
