You may look at the current issue of Quick and think, “Jason sure has it easy, getting to shoot bikini models for newspaper and magazine covers.” Well, it may look like an easy and fun shoot, but looks can be deceptive!
Jessie, the model was awesome! She was very easy to work with and she made a tough shoot much easier. The location – Hotel Zaza – was amazing, with so many beautiful and exciting spots to shoot at. However, one key ingredient wasn’t on our side… the weather! Yup, it was pouring down rain, so all these sexy, fun spots to shoot at were now off limits.
We thought about setting up under a large umbrella near the pool, but then it started to lightning and thunder. Giant metal poles and lightning don’t mix, so that was out of the question. We had to come up with a summery spot to shoot, regardless of what mother nature was trying to do, so we finally found a covered area that looked out on a lush, green, ivy wall. With a little lighting magic, it was a hot summer day again!
We contrasted the outdoor cover and contents page photos by doing a nightclub style image inside on the story page. We found a room inside Zaza that had colored lights and flowing drapes. Using the red in the room to complement Jessie’s red bikini top, we completed the shoot. I went for a single, hard light source on her, trying to mimic the feel of spotlights at a dance club. It’s kind of like Miami meets McKinney Ave…
Yes, it was a hard shoot, thanks to all the pouring rain, thunder and lightning. However, I think I overcame all the obstacles and came out with some nice, summertime shots that look easy and carefree.
