Behind the Scenes: City Dolls Fashion Preview

13 October 2010

When my alarm woke me at 6am this morning, I cursed myself for being so ambitious. Why had I planned a 7am call time for a hump day photo shoot? Thankfully I walked into one of San Francisco's three 90 degree days of the year; even at 7am the bike ride from 3rd @ Anza to 20th @ Shotwell was glorious. Flying down the Fulton Street hill toward the city center, I closed my eyes for just a moment to hold the freedom of spirit.

When I arrived at Ginger Rubio Salon in the Mission, Kelle Schlax was already crimping the short hair of Chelsea Allen, our lovely model. Becky Jane Harrington and Ashley Clarke trickled in with wardrobe and accessories in tow, and last on the scene was Antonio Fernando. It was the first time our City Dolls crew had met the local photographer, a friend of Becky's, but we instantly hit it off. He immediately took the reigns and guided us to his location of choice, Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse.

By the time we started shooting, it was well after 10am. Antonio was thorough in his measurements of light and camera settings as he likes to "shoot it once and shoot it right." At first, Chelsea was a bit timid posing on the grand stage of Golden Gate Park's busiest tourist plaza. Antonio quickly drew out her attitude and encouraged her to get comfortable in front of the camera (and dozens of curious passerby). We attracted a sizable crowd and with good reason; Becky Jane's garments were made to flatter Chelsea's every curve. Antonio's 5D Mark II and lens as big as my kitchen table proved that something notable was going down - the promotional fashion photography shoot for our November 5 event at Space Gallery SF: City Dolls.

I was struck by the natural flow with which our 6-person team worked together. Each of us took ownership over one aspect of the shoot with a cheery attitude and creativity flowing out our ears. Cooing at Chelsea and drawing out her most pouty, wide-eyed inner model, we buzzed around Antonio as he shot off directions. He had great command of the team and the model with a clear vision for every shot.

After three wardrobe changes in a $350 blue pop-up dressing room/tent, we called it a wrap just before 2pm. We were all exhausted from the flash heat wave, schlepping gear, eating only hotdogs and cigarettes, and expelling all our emotional energy toward the model. s expected, Becky Jane's designs were flattering to the T; her skirts and dresses bring out the best in every woman. 

We parted ways with a feeling of accomplishment and excitement; this was just a preview of City Dolls' massive undertaking. Official photographs by Antonio Fernando coming soon! In the meantime, mark your calendars for November 5, 2010 from 8pm-midnight at Space Gallery SF (Polk @ Sutter). The debut of Becky Jane Harrington's spring fashion line will be a mulit-sensory art experience not to miss.

See the full photo shoot behind-the-scenes on Flickr.