What Happens At A Magazine Photo Shoot

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Do you ever wonder what happens at a magazine photo shoot that is featuring a blog? I was filled with anxiety over this very thing yesterday.

But Franklin and Esther, the man-and-wife team that the magazine sent (he photographs; she styles), could not have been nicer.

By the end of what turned out to be a very long day, I felt like they were old friends. The couple came from the East Coast and had stayed overnight in a hotel.

They were sent here to take photos of my little house for a decorating magazine.

What Really Happens At A Magazine Photo Shoot:

“So what happens at a magazine photo shoot?” people are asking me.

Well, there is a LOT of equipment involved. Big tripods for one. And a very important, vital component: the laptop, where so much of it actually happens.

I had no idea you could set up the cameras and then sit down to work from a computer or remotely.

That way, there isn’t so much walking back and forth and checking to see what they might have missed in the shot.

The Editor’s Instructions:

They are given instructions from the editor who wants the feature. In this case, it was Country Sampler. She tells them how many shots she wants of which rooms, etc.

They started in the kitchen. I stayed with the dogs in the living room while they took photos of the kitchen and dining room.

There is only so much room in my little house, and the equipment and electrical cords were everywhere.

Talking About Different Editors:

They told me that every editor is different and has something he/she does not like.

This particular editor did not want the following things. Live plants (geez, there went my pretty houseplants), lace (there went every doily), and appliances. (Okay, there went my coffee bar.)

Not only that, but there could be no telephones, computers, or anything else in a shot. So there went photos of my office, which I had worked on for weeks.

They said some editors will say no dolls in the photos because they look like mummified babies. Who knew?

And since they work with so many editors for various magazines, they know their preferences pretty well. They’ve been doing this together for 25 years, they told me.

I had to fill out and sign release forms. The magazine’s editor also sent a letter explaining how things would go once the shoot was over.

They shoot at least a year ahead, she wrote. And write the articles many months in advance.

Then, when they start working on an issue, they finalize the editorial lineup for home tours and contact the homeowner to confirm the home will be published.

The magazine publishing world may or may not use your feature. It all comes down to specifics and what happens with last-minute editorial decisions.

Rules The Editor Gives You:

You can’t have your home scouted or considered for publication in any other decorating-related magazine or book until it has appeared in their magazine. The same goes when that issue is no longer available on the newsstand.

When they assign the article interview to a writer, which could be several months later, a managing editor will call you. She will then conduct a “pre-interview.”

That person will ask you a few brief questions to give the writer basic direction for the formal interview.

A Printout Of The Final Photos Will Be Sent To You:

They will mail you a printout of the final photos before the writer calls. You CANNOT post these photos on your blog, as they are considered under copyright.

When your home is scheduled for publication, you’ll receive a call from the copy editor for fact-checking and clarifications.

What I Fed Them For Lunch:

I served them deli tuna salad for lunch (my grocery store sells delicious deli tuna). It was served on poppy seed bread with coleslaw, sweet potatoes, tortilla chips, and iced tea. For dessert, I served warm cinnamon rolls.

We ate informally around my $35 round oak coffee table, which I found at a garage sale years ago.

Franklin and Esther loved my dogs, Abi and Charlie. Charlie was timid at first, but finally took to them and allowed them to pet him.

Things In Your Home Will Be Moved Around:

No matter what you have done to your house in preparation, things will get moved around.

For instance, after sending the photos, I changed the dining room and painted the potting bench white.

Since the editor didn’t like the changes, all the coffee stuff had to go, and they moved other stuff in there instead. The editor might nix the whole room or feature over that one thing.

The Stylist:

Esther did the styling. She removed some things and added others.

My poor plants were put into solitary confinement during the photo shoot. And my yellow bromeliad had such a beautiful bloom!

I had also changed the living room wall. They said they liked the window pane over the mantel better, actually, but the editor might not.

So, if a magazine sends photographers to your home, don’t change anything the editor has already seen in the original photos.

A Problem With A Painting They Wanted In:

I told them the painting over the fireplace, which I sent photos of, had to go. The plexiglass had come out of the frame at the top.

Flying bugs had found their way inside the painting and then died at the bottom. Quite literally, that was not a pretty picture, so I took it down.

The editor wanted a photo of the dogs on the bed. But they refused to comply for some reason. Instead, they photographed me sitting in my favorite chair with them.

They Will Bring Props:

They brought the flowers, tomatoes, and apples. I’m not sure if they made the cut.

Franklin and Esther were here till after dark, as they had told me they would be. After they left, I began putting things back where I had initially had them.

I will let you know when (and if) this house is published in the magazine.

Would I do it again? If I had those two particular individuals, I would. It was exciting to see how all this is done.