her from head to toe in sea treasure, Carly applied shadow around her eyes in dramatic blues and greens. We thought it looked perfect, but Car wasn’t done yet. She drew scales around Nikki’s hairline and dusted them with gold and glitter. That final touch made her look so much like a mermaid, we couldn’t wait to get her in the water.
The late afternoon sun shone soft through a thin layer of cloud. It was a short walk to the beach with our cameras, props, ladder and mermaid, and we got a few curious looks from the locals. The air was warm. The sand was cool. The water? The water was really cold, about 56 degrees. We wanted to capture fluid motion but since this was photography, not video, the pose had to be held. It was a priority to keep the shots free of footprints, and Sasha had to stand in the shallows to keep Nikki, the dress, and the accessories from being washed into deeper water. The sand shifted under Car’s ladder with every surge of the tide. Laura hovered nervously, but our founder, creative director, and mother-to-be balanced strong and graceful on the top rung until she got the angle she was after.
The rain didn’t come until we were driving back to Chicago. Once we were home, warm and dry, we couldn’t wait to upload and view the images. It was the perfect way to end a challenging and successful shoot. Now, look at the final cover. Doesn’t Nikki’s facial expression look peaceful and dreamy? Consider this. She was half-immersed in frigid water for almost an hour in a wet gown, waves breaking against the back of her neck, and barely winced. We are very proud of her.
Reverie Fair / July. 2015 18