Are you curious about how editorial photos for magazines are created? Have you always wondered what happens behind the closed doors of a set? Then you'll love this exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of my ROIDX photoshoot. Just like in real life, the shoot comes first and is only later followed by the edited photos — scroll down to see the results!
When arriving at the photoshoot location, the first thing you do is greet all the new faces. In this case, I met photographer Aleksandra Wlodarczy and Make-up Artist (MUA) Virginie Verpoucke. Both shared a clear vision of the mood they wanted to convey in this outdoor photoshoot which made it easy to decide on the execution of the looks. After everyone grabbed their coffee and Virginie unboxed her make-up arsenal, we got started.
Depending on the look you want to shoot, you need to decide on the correct order in which put on the outfit, hair and make-up. For this photoshoot, I changed into the dress first and then we got started on my hair. I love trying out new styles that change my appearance significantly, so I was happy to get extensions for the first time in my life.
I was amazed by the ponytail itself and the sheer endless number of hairpins that were needed to fixate it.*
Although I have long hair already, we wanted to go bigger and give me a super-long ponytail. Ariana, who? All you need to attach such a ponytail extension to your head are lots of hair clips that are sitting so tightly on your scalp, it feels like you grew this fake hair yourself.
Adding the extensions went well so we could quickly start with the make-up. For this editorial shoot, Virginie and Aleksandra had envisioned a strong, dramatic look in yellow, white and black.
A steady hand is a MUA's best friend.*
Make-up usually takes the most time to prepare since it requires excellent color matching, ingenuity and precision. While I sit on the make-up chair and transform into a new alter ego, I usually ask the MUA all about their favorite looks and products. Every time, I'm fascinated by their skills as they talk about their life while they put on perfect eyeliner in just a few minutes.
Once my make-up was done, we headed out to our location. It was just a few meters away from where we got ready, but I often bring my backpack with me filled with a warm jacket, some water and other handy things like anti-blister stickers.
Ready to rumble for look #1.
On this day, we had typical Belgian weather: cold winds and only a bit of sunshine, so keeping the light reflector in the right position turned out to be an unforeseen workout. The gusts of wind are typical for Antwerp and don't make it the best place to wear short dresses in, but that's more of a nuisance than a real problem.
As a model, you pretend you're simply not able to freeze.
After we had captured lots of good poses, it was time for the second look. This meant going back, changing into a new outfit and sadly also removing my wonderful ponytail. While I already loved the ponytail, I just adored the water waves Virginie was creating next!
Shoots just feel right when you have an open and friendly team.*
My waves were fixated by the strongest hair gel I had ever seen, but because of the strong winds, I needed to keep the big hairclips in until we started shooting. Luckily, the sun was coming out for longer periods now which made keeping a straight face easier.
Only the biggest hair clips and strongest hair gel can stand against Antwerp's winds.
It took about 4 hours to prepare for the shoot and collect good material. When heading home, I felt exhausted and was looking forward to taking a long, warm shower. But I was also happy to have worked with such an amazing team on such creative looks. While I went through the selfies I took with my phone, I could only imagine what the edited images Aleksandra took would look like later...
Some photographers rarely touch up their photos and only adjust the lighting whereas others go into every detail. The time it takes between the photoshoot and receiving the edited photos depends on this editing style but also simply on the schedule of the photographer.
Aleksandra was rather fast and delivered the results the next week. I love the adrenaline rush I get when reading that the photos are ready to be downloaded and again when looking at them for the first time. Here are some of my favorites of both looks:
Click on the arrow on the right to skip through the images.
6 other photos from this shoot were later printed in ROIDX Magazine, Volume 252 (Issue 2022). Of course, this edition is now standing on my bookshelf, together with other magazines in which my photos were used.
Watch Aleksandra's Instagram Reel for a quick, creative summary of this photoshoot!
*Copyright of photos 1,2 and 5 by Aleksandra Wlodarczy.
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