While all the pictures I am sharing from Jumby Bay on set with heidi klein may look like a walk in the park, let me please reiterate the fact that it is anything but. Of course there is an extreme element of glamour to the whole thing. Here we are in one of the world’s most luxurious locations, putting together looks for a leading swimwear brand, all the while enjoying our surroundings and the crew on set.
What doesn’t usually get discussed is the fact that the beautiful model, Le Call, and the word renowned makeup artist, Ciona Johnson-King, were up long before sunrise working to create a look for the first shot on set. You don’t see that the amazingly talented photographer and his devoted assistant are up packing their bags and preparing lenses and cards at 6am, having gone to bed at an ungodly hour the night before trying to prep for the big day ahead. There are no pictures of Heidi and the PR unpacking and repacking as each new location is reached. Instead what we show here are the shots that come about as a result of a phenomenal, devoted and extremely creative team. And what you see at the end of the day with the finished images, will be, for me at least, like watching the love child of these amazing minds come to life for the whole world to see. Am I romanticising the whole thing? Maybe so. But, honestly, folks, I am dazed and confused by all that has taken place today.
We began our journey this morning on the beach of a beautiful estate on Jumby Bay. This was a house so glamourous one would almost believe Jay Gatsby himself would call it home. For a moment I do believe we all stopped to imagine how it would feel to call it a home of our own. However, these thoughts were fleeting and all attention turned to Le Call, heidi klein and the sand laid out before the grand estate. With this location we shot one of my favourite looks from High Summer that’s set to drop soon – a beautiful white broderie anglaise dress that’s soon to hit stores. While most of the shots from set are under wraps (as we’re shooting Resort 2014), I was allowed to share a few pics from the pieces being shot from the high summer collection, including this dress. I am a smitten kitten and you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be sharing more info on this dress, seen below, once it hits stores.
After the great estate, we stopped into another beautiful villa to once again utilise the stunning coastline that Jumby Bay provides. Le Call very bravely battled sand and sea to help make for the perfect shot. And when I say “battled”, she truly did look as if she’d had a row with the sand itself as she was covered head to toe. While this may sound uncomfortable for many, and I’m certain it probably was for Le Call as well, the end result is one of the most stunning photographs of the day.
It must be mentioned that I put a picture on instagram earlier today of Jonathan Glynn-Smith standing atop a ladder while shooting Le Call in her sandy moment. My quote went something along the lines of “a man risking his life for a great shot.” The picture below is a tame one. Jonathan actually did stand right at the top of a ten foot ladder, holding on to nothing, but merely balancing to capture the perfect image of Le Call sprawled across a rocky terrain. Did he have to do it? No, of course not. Did it make for a breathtaking shot? You bet your rear-end it did. What you don’t see in the picture I shared is the fact that if Jonathan had tumbled over, he wouldn’t have been hitting soft sand but rather a bed of rocks that would have put a dent in our photoshoot, not to mention our photographer. The group of individuals on this set are that hell-bent on making sure every possible frame is in fact frame worthy, and this was proven time and again today.
The final location of the day, and perhaps the most intense, was to be found on an island just off the coast of Jumby Bay. The crew fought rough seas, as the weather did not always cooperate, getting to and from the island. After five hours of non-stop sun, sand and shooting, the team finally came home for the day. One would expect spirits to be dampened, but I doubt much can ever hold this group down. The boat docked and the whole crew pitched in to unload and get us all back to base camp where it wasn’t long before we were all once again sitting around a dinner table talking about everything from heidi klein to returning home to London. It is definitely hard to stomach the fact that tomorrow is our last day in this paradise.
Speaking of which, it’s time for me to pack up and get some sleep so I can keep soldiering on with this group of people that seem to have more energy than the Energizer Bunny himself.
