Nadine’s Photoshoot – Women’s Expressions 2013 Calendar

Behind the Scene

The team wanted to take another approach to the preparation of the models. How about a separate session with each of the models before the actual shoot occurs? This way, they could get more comfortable in front of the camera, thus reducing the session time. This prep work would determine the poses, clothing and accessories, make-up and hairstyle. At the end, we would take pictures with our own camera and take the pictures home to practice. Meanwhile, the team would identify the location of the shoot and discuss the details with the photographer.

So, we did the preparatory session with two of the models. It was a fantastic evening. Although we worked all day, we still managed to find the energy we needed to do it. It was just like being a teenager: a girls-only party. We drank wine, laughed a lot, talked about men, and sang, etc.

Nadine participated in this experiment, which took place on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011. Nadine was determined to have a swimsuit shoot. She already had a lot of experience in fashion shows and modelling. So she made our lives very easy, with hardly any time dedicated to her. With her big heart, she went on to coach Chantal, the other model.

Nadine’s photo shoot happened on Wednesday, Sept 7th, 2011. The temperature was forecasted at 25 degrees Celsius and higher. We were very happy to hear that we would have the perfect temperature for a swimsuit shoot. How lucky could we be? But not so fast! All week, it was beautiful, but when Wednesday arrived, the temperature dropped to 15 with clouds and light rain. The photographer was prepared but worried about the model handling the cold weather. But not Nadine! Her warm blood and aboriginal inner source provided her with the courage to go through it all. We were also worried about the make-up and hairstyle. It was difficult to get her hair slightly curled. Now rain threatened to destroy our chef-d’oeuvre.

The shoot started at 7:00 p.m. in a boat, thus limiting the number of team members that could be part of this session. Those present were Richard Jolin, photographer; Rachel Landriault, calendar coordinator; Amélie Deschênes, make-up artist; and Jo-Anne Landriault, founder. We were on location at 6:40 and carried our equipment and jackets to the boat. Nadine was in a swimsuit with a housecoat that she could wear in between the shots. Unfortunately, the housecoat never got worn since the photographer had to take as many pics as possible due to the early sunset. Yes, the days were getting shorter, and by 8:00 p.m., it would be dark; summer was ending.

The photo shoot was great! With Nadine’s experience, everything went like a charm. Her body temperature was warm—unbelievable! During the session, a team of dragon boat rowers were practicing, and all we could hear from the coach was, “Concentrate….go…go…go…concentrate! Just then, Nadine changed into a different swimsuit with her housecoat half open. Did the guys really concentrate? Perhaps not for a few seconds!

Within one hour the shoot was complete. The very last pics seemed to be the most promising for the calendar. At one point, we had to pour water on Nadine’s hair. She felt the cold water running down her hair, head and along her back, but she did not yell although she was surprised at the coldness. Despite the cold water and cool breeze, Nadine kept still and focussed, as she lay on the side of the boat while Rachel steered. Regardless of the challenging weather and unforeseen discomfort, the photographers were able to get some excellent pictures in very little time.

After the shoot, we went back to Jo-Anne’s house, where her husband proudly made sandwiches for us. We were very hungry! We laughed, talked about our experience and had a little more wine to relax. Then we all went home satisfied with our work and because of the delicious snack.

Article by Joanne
Edited by Lee-Anne C.