melissa grace kreider

One of the classes I'm taking here is Intro to Fashion Photography. As I've mentioned before, Palazzi (my host school) really puts you into the real-world so you can apply and experience what you're learning. This Thursday I had the immense privilege of taking part in a campaign shoot for Luisa via Roma. Luisa via Roma is a huge company in Europe that carries a wide range of high-end designer clothing and accessories. 

My class and I were taken through all of the steps of putting together a

campaign. From the ground up, we put together the concept, made tearsheets,

inspiration boards, styled the looks and finally got to photograph on the day of

the shoot. It was a hands-on, collaborative process that gave me fabulous

insight to "How Things Are Done." 

The day of the shoot: We arrived at the Digital Imaging building and the models soon after. Hair and makeup began and finally the clothes showed up. Oh my God, the clothes. I was in the presence of Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, and so much more. I'm pretty sure I can die happy. Not to mention we picked out some of the clothes ourselves; it was lovely to see them in person rather than through a screen.

Viktor & Rolf dress, Balmain (white) jacket, Fendi shoes and A-Morir sunglasses.The jacket of my dreams for the low, low price of 4, 293 euro!!! We finally began photographing around noon. The models were completely gorgeous and perfect for the story were were trying to tell. We actually took some IN my school (below). My professor, Jerry Lee Ingram, would get the pictures he needed for Luisa and then give us time to shoot as well while we were hooked up to the strobes; rapid fire!

The models in the stairway of Florence University of the Arts.  The locations we traveled to were the definition of fantastic. We took a taxi to a beautiful, expensive, massive villa in Oltrarno (the "other" side of the river) where the models changed and we kept on working on the campaign. Obviously the shoes weren't ours, so when photographing in the garden, the models had to be carried inside to outside and back to protect the shoes from getting scuffed on the gravel.

My professor carrying the model and saving the Valentino! We finished up at the villa around 4:30, packed up all the lights, and drove up, up, up to the Palace Hotel where we began photographing the last scenes of our campaign. 

The Palace Hotel Courtyard

Our stylist getting the model ready for the final shots (dress by Vivienne Westwood)!        The entire day took roughly eight hours. All of the clothes had to be returned to Luisa via Roma by 7pm, and our professor took care of that. We finished up around 6:30 and my classmates and I walked down, down, down back into the city and into our respective apartments. It wasn't until I was sitting in my apartment that I realized how exhausted I was and how much nothing I had eaten! I hadn't noticed because of the constant flurry of activity around me. 

         I loved every single second of the day of the shoot. The waiting, the planning, the adjusting, the shooting. I learned so much just by watching!

I'm so excited to see what comes next. :]

Ciao for now :]

-m.

Inside of the villa in Oltrarno; and myself.