Nicole’s Photoshoot – Women’s Expressions 2013 Calendar

Behind the Scene

Nicole came on board for the calendar after I mentioned to her and her husband, while shopping at the mall, that I was going to produce a calendar for women 35 years and older. I explained the purpose of the calendar and that I wanted to show the world that mature women today can be as beautiful as 20-year-old women.

Nicole’s husband asked me to add her to the list of women. He expressed that he really wanted a photo of his wife because, in his eyes, his wife was the most wonderful woman and beauty definitely was part of her allure. He explained that she exercised on a regular basis and that her body was perfectly built, with feminine curves and tight legs, not too bulky but perfectly defined. I could not refuse the wish of a man who so admires his wife; the femme fatale. So Nicole was in, a calendar woman who would be part of this adventure to collect money for a good cause.

I had not been in contact with Nicole since the kick-off meeting which occurred in May 2011. Once we communicated, we set a date for the photo shoot. Nicole was very excited and was going to give everything she could for the photo shoot. She had done her homework as to what she wanted to present in the calendar and proposed the following themes for the photo shoot:

Yoga with the pose of Ballerina, Tree and Sitting for meditation
Waiting for the Train to Paris sitting on an old suitcase and waiting impatiently as if she had been there for hours and there were some delays

It was a go! Nicole got advice from her yoga teacher. She recommended that she prepare herself for the poses by warming up and meditating to get centered. The most important aspect would be her facial expression because we wanted to portray a meditative pose where her eyes would not be fully open, and she would be in a calm state of mind.

As for the train station, we fortunately had a train that was parked and almost ready to be put away for the winter. Amélie (the make-up artist) and I stopped in the area a week before the shoot to scope it out and ask permission for the photo session. To our surprise, there was no one to ask, so we both agreed that this was the perfect site and best time for the shoot since the train was not in operation and, therefore, no one was going to be in our way.

The day of the photo shoot was Saturday, November 5, 2011, and the team was ready. We all went about our tasks and by 12:30, we were ready for the yoga shoot in a controlled environment. Nicole had to prepare herself and get into a state of calm. The set was very quiet, and we all watched as she concentrated. When both she and the photographer were ready, we could hear the camera clicking to capture the inspiring photos. As the pictures were taken, we all gathered around to see them (see videos). We then proceeded outdoors with my Buddha sculpture. It was fairly cold: 5 degrees Celsius. Nicole managed to concentrate and ignore the cold. She was wonderful.

Satisfied with the yoga poses, we then applied a more dramatic look to Nicole’s make-up, applying another layer of eye shadow, which enhanced Nicole’s nice blue eyes. Her eyes were stunning! Nicole had two different wardrobes that Nadine had suggested for the train photo shoot. We hopped in the vehicle and drove to the train station close by. The second part of the shoot was about to begin. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, the sun was shining. It was warmer outside.

We proceeded with the different poses, and I was convinced that one of these pictures would be chosen for the calendar. Each photo was great with the old newspaper and the model sitting on the old suitcase; the whole attire was just perfect. We continued for another hour and a half. While the photographer and model worked, the remaining team curiously began to look more closely at the old journal, which was entitled “The Journal.” Amélie started reading the headlines: an article from the First World War! Charles de Gaule was making the headlines way back then. Then Amélie told us how these old newspapers came into her hands. They were found on the floor of her aunt’s house when they renovated. The newspapers were probably used to insulate the house. It almost felt as if we were back in time. It was all very strange, just like the movie ‘Back to the Future’ with Michael J. Fox. We continued reading some of the articles and were moved by the stories.

We then concluded it was time to wrap things up and come home. Again, we shared a sense of pride and accomplishment as we looked at the beautiful pictures while we enjoyed a snack and drank some good wine.

Article by Joanne
Edited by Lee-Anne C.