When you work in big organisations like me you learn lots of incredibly stupid and annoying sayings. Actually they are probably not special to just big organisations. Things like "at the end of the day" and "he's a good guy". But when I came to write this post the term "the rubber hits the road" came to mind. This saying happens in many a management meeting and it drives me nuts!
But on the day of my personal branding shoot with Prue Aja I felt that the saying was apt. Shit was about to get real!
I had spoken with Prue and answered many questions which made me reflect on who I am and what my purpose is. I spent much time on Pinterest pinning ideas and clothes and thought about my outfits with a small, ok large obsession. I bought some new clothes online and then returned said clothes because they either looked much better in my head, better on the size six six-foot model, or didn't fit. Despite all this I ended up with a fabulous blue sequined skirt. Doesn't every women need a sequined skirt? Helloooo?
I woke up on the day of the shoot and felt a little worried. I don't feel like I'm a natural model and am not that photogenic. I have some really great clothes but they don't always suit my body (but sometimes I wear them anyway and just amp up my attitude). Most of the time I love my body but we all have insecurities and being photographed really puts them out there. In my head I think I look like a tall model and then I see a photo of the barely five foot tubby person. Doh! And there is a difference in feeling generally sexy in your skin and having photos taken that will appear on my blog and in my social media feed. Eeek!
Prue and I started the day with a walk along with Singapore river and returned home to have a shower. The first task was to have my hair and make-up done. A professional person had been booked for the task and turned up and mde me look beautiful. While this was happening Prue was reviewing the looks and shots we had agreed on.
Nicole looking glamorous getting her hair and make-up done
Next was choosing an outfit. Prue being a former stylist was super helpful. We started with a fairly conservative look for headshots. Prue created a great backdrop from some dark denim fabric and we got started. Despite feeling like a complete gumby the intitial shots looked great. Before I knew it we were working out the next look.
What was really interesting to me was trying an outfit, taking a shot, and getting instant feedback as to how the shot looked. It's really amazing how some clothes don't translate well in a photo and others look great.
Reviewing the shots. Instant feedback.
Prue's experience in putting together outfits had me in outfits that I never would have put together myself. Things like a white buttonup shirt tucked into a blue sequin skirt with a statement necklace over the collar. For one of the outside shots she had me in a long black and white Sass & Bide vest which I hadn't worn for a number of years (and had tried to sell because I didn't think it suited me). The vest teamed with fitted pants, a long black top and my don't-you-dare-mess-with-me Saint Laurent studded stilletos, made me look slim! I can tell you I'll be rocking that outfit again!
What did I learn? I think the main things were to trust in the process and trust in the professional, who knew completely what she was doing and what we needed to achieve. Prue learnt that shooting outdoors in Singapore is like shooting in a sauna. Hair and make-up becomes decimated in a very short time AND the model becomes very droopy!
What happens after the shoot? Stay tuned for part 3....
Missed Part 1? Find it here . Photos in this post are from Nicole La Galia's personal branding shoot with Prue and taken by me. I tagged along on Nicole's personal branding shoot, played photographer's assistant and learnt some photography tips from Prue along the way. Make-up and hair for Nicole and my shoot is by Gayathri Menon