#work
Nine photoshoots per year Perry (Sports) used to do, nine! That's a whole lot. Think about it, organising it all for separate shoots, locations, samples, models, crew, transport, food, post production etc. Definitely double if it is a fulltime job with no other distractions. When Perry approached me and told me about 'the nine', the first thing that came to my mind was “how can I get these nine separate shoots bundled into 3 or 4. It is quite a challenge to set up every shoot, especially for production, but apart from that, there is also a lot more possible if you manage to stick 3 shoot days together instead of 3 separate ones. For example, you can bundle the travel time and go to a different location with a better chance for the right weather conditions, the production team can also get a better offer, we stay longer and bring a big group which is often where businesses can help out with a discount. It is also great for the energy of the group. With the models, in particular, I like to learn who they are, understand where they find themselves in life and see how I can make them spark in a natural way. This takes a bit of time, it takes time to get to know each other. Just as everyone is used to one another and comfortable, you hear "it is a wrap", I often wish we could keep going after the workday and add a couple of days like to get to know the people I'm taking photos of and the crew I work with. Together with Perry’s marketing manager and CJ Laros (production), we reshaped the 9 photoshoots to 3/4 a year and it has been great. At the start, we could only shoot in the Netherland and now, more than 2 years later, we did a four-day shoot in South Africa. One of the biggest challenges is to get the samples on time and once again it wasn't on time. One important item wasn't there and had to be sent from the Nike HQ in the United States via Amsterdam to arrive in Cape Town on the last shoot day. A cliff hanger but we got it!
It all starts with scouting locations, spots that fit the concept but also not too far from where we stay. Perry sells a lot of the main brands like the North face, Fila, Nike, Vans, Adidas, etc. Every brand needs another location and the models have to be diverse in many ways. They have to look good in a bikini, but also know how to run / workout or have a good look/vibe during a lifestyle shoot and most importantly being a great value as a travel buddy. As soon as all the crew and models had landed production finished the plan and the four days shoot started meaning early mornings and late nights and lots of coffee.
