behind the scenes of my FIRST FEATURE SHOOT

www.calgarybrideluxe.com

I landed this gig months ago, while on set for a collaboration editorial for LUXE magazine. I was sitting in a room full of people and just happened to be next to the editor. Instead of being a mindless drone and playing with my phone like most people off side at a shoot, I struck up a conversation with her. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew she was saying she needed a “size 8 model for a dress she thought of in a dream.” And when she explained her dream I was absolutely taken by it. Instantly I piped up and said, “I’m a size 8!” And from there we exchanged details.
Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to a couple months and I had begun to wonder if perhaps the lovely editor had not gone through with the idea… Until…
Jason, (oh Jason, how I love you) messaged me and said “come to the best garage sale of the year! My designer friend is having a garage sale,” I explained I was broke, and he told me not to worry about it and brought me anyway and insisted on purchasing something for me.
When we arrived we had so much fun, I ended up getting a brand new, real, Louis Vuitton. When we went inside to talk I saw a dress on the mannequin…
It looked just like the dress the editor had explained to me…

I said, hey, I know that dress… I think I was supposed to model it.
Dianne said, ” no way you know about that, wait, are you carolynne?”
I squealed in response, “yes!!! Yes I am! Oh my god!”
So we hugged, and right there on the spot she took my measurements to properly tweak the dress (the one on the mannequin was the practise dress made to a typical size 8).

At a fitting with the proper dress, the editor asked me if I wanted to do an editorial for them, so that day i got booked for another shoot!

The material was from Italy, the dress fit me like a glove. Dianne truly is one of the best designers in this town hands down.

When it came time to shoot, we all met at endeavour arts gallery. I sat in hair and makeup with the girls from diva salon and spa, jenny and Rasha.
The photographer came around the corner and low and behold it was the infamous Andras Schram, someone I’ve wanted to shoot with for quite some time. I shook his hand and tried to contain my excitement.

After I finished in hair and makeup

I eagerly ran to where the pizza was as I was so hungry. I opened all 4 boxes to see not one piece left. The groomsmen ate all the pizza. I began praying for strength to:
a) not flip out (I’m hypoglycaemic)
b) be able to to stand/ walk pose for the next 3 hours in a tight corset after not eating.

The photographer saw my dismay and inquired as to whether or not I had eaten yet. I said that I hadn’t, and he insisted someone get me a granola bar. Before someone could I was being put into the corset, last minute adjustments here and there, and waited while the rep from Calgary jewellers placed a $21,000 Chanel Watch on my wrist, and went outside to join the rest of the crew.

My first fellow model was a beautiful dark, Great Dane by the name of Tifah. She was a stunning dog, but by far the strongest I have ever tried to handle. I was in 4inch heels, a corset, a dress with a giant train, and trying to handle a mini horse while posing a watch, dress, hat, and body just right, I’ll have you know this was not easy! Especially at rush hour!

We then moved over to the car where I posed with my groomsmen, then to a limo. We ran out of daylight so the photographer and I suggested we re shoot that following weekend.

We got together at the designers House at 7am. Rasha and jenny worked quickly to do me up before they had to work, and Dianne got the dress ready. We met Andras at the set again and this time I got changed outside, in the back alley behind endeavour. (This wasn’t too bad as I showed up in a onesie, all I had to do was slip out of one and into the other.