K.O.S Boots Shoot

It’s been a funny old experience this last week, with the first shoot for the first client for my new, joint  Photography Company:  Kiwi:Fuse (http://www.kiwifuse.co.uk). 

From the cold and windy Moors to an amazing show room with top stylist, Gemma Sheppard (http://www.twitter.com/sheppardstyle) this shoot was an all round brilliant day.

The client is, Red Alert ( http://www.redalertagency.com/) a top Fashion Agency based in Manchester and London providing some of the biggest shops for example ASOS.com and Selfridges, with the best designer fashions. 

The morning started at 10am, everyone at Red Alert was very professional, as usual, their offices and showrooms where a bee hive of people working hard, but we got to work as soon as possible.  After a short run-down meeting with the companies partners, I picked up the day’s model from Manchester Piccadilly the stunning Emma Green (http://www.emma-green.net) and introduced her to the team at Red Alert. 

After intros we headed over to the ladies wear show room, now this was heaven, I’m definitely looking forward to their Sample Sales.... anyways, here we were able to choose from whatever clothes we wanted to go with the boots we were commissioned to shoot, K.O.S Boots (http://www.kosboots.co.uk). 

The clothes were all, Super Trash, Rare or Maison Scotch.  The best part about all this was Gemma, the funny part however, was that Gemma was only visiting Red Alert viewing their lines, but very kindly agreed to style our shoot, so spare of the moment and yet ideal timing and a pleasure to meet and work with.

I simply watched in awe at Gemma doing her thing (Video to the right - apologies for some of images being landscape which should be portrait) and Emma changing from outfit to outfit.  Just over one hour after intros we were walking about the show room, with mountains of clothes and accessories, back to the main show room for Red Alert where the K.O.S showroom is held to pick up the 12 pairs of boots we would be working with. 

We left Red Alert at around 12.45 with a car full to burst of some of the most stunning clothes, accessories and boots I have ever seen and headed off to my studio in Ashton-under-Lyne to meet with the day’s Makeup Artist, Sophie Battersby (http://www.make-upbysophie.co.uk/).  I have worked with Sophie on a few projects and I am always amazed at the quality of her work, a true perfectionist and a pleasure to work with. 

Whilst Sophie worked her magic, I began setting up the studio lighting, backdrops and reflectors, in this case being used to deflect the light.  I choose to shoot dark slightly shadowed effect very simple yet effective.  Having set up a deep grey backdrop two reflectors and only 3 lights, I was ready and waiting for my model, brew time, nice break before the chaos starts. 

TIP: never use or buy Black backdrops, you can create a better effect with grey, black shows up too many marks, if you insist on using black, make it black velvet rather than a black paper backdrop, as they’re a waste of money guys honestly.

Despite beginning my day at 8.30am it was now 2.40pm and everything was finally ready to begin, Emma looked stunning simple Smokey looking makeup with deep red lips, hair sleeked back with her fringe down and poker straight. 

For the studio shots I choose the black and gold simple, yet stunning, tight fitting dress from RARE.   I choose this dress so as not to take any lime-light away from the products.  Also knowing already how I wanted to edit (more on editing and using Photoshop in my next Blog) the shots I know the more skin rather than clothing the better.

Within no time at all the day was going, all sunlight fading, and yet we were due to next shoot on The Moors.  We left the studio in a rush to get out to the correct area of The Moors before Sundown, this was a 40min drive from my studio so peddle to the metal we headed out.

Although very cold and very windy on The Moors, I was very impressed by Emma’s work ethic.  We had nailed the shots of the boots on location in only 45mins, just before the sun began to set, only hiccup there was I spoilt my own pair of K.O.S Boots, by stepping on hollow ground, which was full of mucky water... gutted, however they came clean with a spot of Vanish the day after. 

Whilst shooting on The Moors the light was changing rapidly so I was forever changing my Camera settings, and ended this part of the shoot using my Flash Gun despite all efforts to work without it.  Think for my next location shoot along these lines I’ll be buying a power supply for my lights.  However, this would of course draw even more attention to the shoot, we’d already caused a stir on this usually empty stretch of nothingness.  It was funny how many cars suddenly slowed down as they saw Emma trying to change in the middle of The Moors – some rather amusing behind the scenes photos of this. 

We then drove from The Moors back to Manchester town Centre, approx 1 hour drive to try to complete the day as planned, shooting in a bar.  However, by the time we reached the centre it was way too busy, being a Friday night the after work drinkers were out in force.  So instead we ended the day there, on a high as the day was although a stressful day, a very successful one.

One week today this all took place, and several texts, tweets (http://www.twitter.com/SaraCallowPhoto or http://www.twitter.com/KiwiFuse)  and meetings later the final 20 images to use will soon be chosen, and hopefully be seen as the company Brand images across the country, so watch out for our combined efforts.

My next shoot for Red Alert will be of their showrooms for their website upgrade, which has been scheduled for next week. 

I have really enjoyed working with Red Alert and am very much looking forward to working with them on future projects for their lines, including our next shoot for K.O.S, the ecommerce shoot so you’ll soon be able to buy these amazing boots on line ladies, these boots are a must have, amazing! So watch out for the must have pair of boots, I’ll be sure to give out the link to buy as soon as they go on sale.

Here are two finished images ready to use for Brand Advertising: