A Day at the Shoot

What I like most about photo shoots is the complete absence of responsibilities I have. For the most part, all I really need to do is show up and thank everyone for coming. Apparently I can keep this job for as long as I like.

This year, however, I decided to step out of my box and have my own photo shoot at our annual fashion shoot. For this project, I chose a highly technical and sophisticated camera. My iphone. The photos you see here are taken with a mod little iphone application called the Hipstamatic.

Yes, that really is the Lone Ranger. Well actually, not. It\’s better than the Lone Ranger, it\’s John Scott, head of John Scott Motion Picture Animal Productions, and on whose ranch we\’ve been allowed to conduct this year\’s fashion shoot.

This place represents dream territory for a photo shoot. Not only because the ranch is set in the Alberta foothills with a stunning – and on this day sparkling snow-capped – Rocky Mountain backdrop, but John Scott\’s ranch has provided the real-life western landscape of many a Hollywood movie. In fact, John has been involved in three Academy award winning movies filmed in Alberta, including Days of Heaven, Legends of the Fall and Unforgiven. Many a scene has been shot right on the ground I\’m standing on and the land is populated with some impressive sets such as the buildings above.

And this General Store.

I love the patina on this building. I\’d like that on my barn. John, may I take this building home?

Photo shoots are a lot like horse shows. Hurry up and wait.

This leaves time for everyone to stop and smell the roses. Hey look, it\’s a crocus, the first of the year.

This is Travis Rogers, our fantastically talented photographer. He\’s looking out onto a herd of buffalo, where the next set of photos are to be taken. That slight appearance of concern might be traced directly back to John relating to him we could have had horses in this set, but two of the female buffalo are prone to charging.

Yes, I took this photo from inside the truck. I didn\’t want to startle the herd, is all.

That\’s model Sandy Hansma to the right. She was conducting her own photo shoot at the photo shoot as well. I think the gal on the left might have been a technical director and is quite likely wringing her hands and praying Sandy doesn\’t forget herself and scuff up the outfit she\’s wearing for the next shot.

And this is Command Central at the photo shoot. Hair and make-up. Six talented and lovely gals from MC College in Calgary came out to make the models look like a million bucks. Not that they didn\’t already. Those gals did a fabulous job.

Thanks gals! Y\’all come back next year!

Walking towards me is Donna Andersen, one of two leads on this shoot. Donna and Deanna Paulsen had most every detail organized, and each outfit meticulously co-ordinated. Running on time relaxes everyone, makes for a fun day and leaves room for little mishaps such as loading the entire photography crew in the wrong truck. Those darn white Fords all look alike, don\’t they? I\’m going to hold a contest later this week to see if you can guess who might have been behind that. Hint: she may be in the photo above.

Hope you\’ve enjoyed this peek into our fashion shoot day, and hope you\’ll join us for the real deal – complete with fabulous photography, an array of real-life western riders stepping out as models, and stylish fashion and jewelry, all in the June issue of Western Horse Review.