Cataloggin'

For the past two days I've been immersed in a catalog shoot on the West Side of Los Angeles. We started on day one in Marina Del Rey and day two was in Venice. Venice is always an interesting place to shoot; with so many interesting characters on the boardwalk, there really is never a dull moment... "Oh what was that? A man in ankle socks and a fanny pack dressed as an Aztec warrior? You don't say?!" Anyhow, here are some behind the scenes shots that I took with my new iPhone.

Model popsicles... seriously, it's true- whenever you are shooting spring/summer it's always super cold. The girls piled on blankets, sweaters and Ugg boots between shots. Such troopers!

Action shot, all fancy Hipstamatic style.

Video village

Sweet graffiti on the boardwalk.

Fisherman's Village, Marina Del Rey, CA.

I was trying to get a quick shot and the model took a sip of the hot chocolate (yeah, it's a very tropical and fancy hot chocolate)... apparently, it wasn't very good.

 

Miss Alex, so sweet and beautiful. Loved her.

The beasts: Hair & Make-up Kit. 

 

Now that my bones have warmed up a bit, I want to share my favorite things that I used on this job.

This is my favorite new product by far, hands DOWN. I used Smog, Half-Baked and Darkhorse on all of the girls.

With commercial and lifestyle work you want the make-up to be long wearing and unfussy. I like to use this pencil super tight to the lashline and smudge it up just a bit to emphasize the lashes.

I used this color on everybody on this shoot, this bright coral pink is super versatile and makes  a beautiful stain when it's patted lightly on the lip.

I am so in love with Super Lush Lips balm. I have one for myself and one for my kit. It is the perfect cure for wind chapped lips.

Kevyn Aucoin Powder Glow Blush in Myracle- used it on everybody and it looked stunning, I like to use a fluffy brush and get a nice sheer wash of color.

This is my secret weapon for limp hair. Shooting outdoors in a misty environment like the beach can be a hair nightmare especially with when the models are constantly messing with their hair. On day two when we were on the beach, in lieu of weighty product I spritzed a bit of dry shampoo on their roots and had them flip their hair before we started shooting.

I don't know if I'm adding this one more for me or for the models. I like to use a super fine mist to keep the make-up fresh especially after the after-lunch powder and touch up. it keeps the make-up from looking too make-up-ey.... and I really like the smell.

I try to use as little powder as possible, so between changes I like to do a quick sweep with the Clean & Clear blotting papers.