This spring, we had the pleasure of working with Victoria’s Secret for 3 days on location in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Art Director Kiel Kong, and Photographer James Macari powered through a long shotlist and a small army of papparrazzi, with the help of the VS knockouts Alessandra Ambrosio, Martha Hunt, and Behati Prinsloo- as well as the ever-strong VS styling team.
Arguably the most challenging aspect of the shoot was the batallion of paparrazi that shadowed our every shot, the sound of their clicking shutters roaring, their long lenses aimed at our backs all day long. Initial frustration eventually gave way to a resigned indifference, as we accepted our fate as the subjects/casualties of celebrity culture.
As intrusive as it felt, the papparazzi were (for the most part) quite respectful, and kept to an appropriate distance. (For the most part). In the end, we had learned many of their names, and become friendly with a few. James Macari, who displayed nothing but calm, measured composure throughout the onslaught, even organized a few portraits with the gang of Paparrazzi (! see below) In the end, they were an inextricable part of the shoot, and something to joke about if nothing else.
As usual, shooting in DUMBO, had its benefits and challenges. Crowds were a bit of an issue, as was the constant noise from the bridge and local construction- of which there is a LOT. That said, there is always something indelible about that neighborhood that always seems to come through in the pictures. Special thanks to the Dumbo Improvement District, One Girl Cookies, Superfine, Hillside, and Jaques Torres for all of their local support! As always, we could not do what we do without the help of local businesses, and we appreciate it!
On an environmental note, we were able to recycle and compost quite a bit from this 3 day shoot, and we kept our vehicle usage to a real minimum. We’re still waiting on the carbon output numbers, we’ll have an update on that soon. Looking forward to seeing the final images from this one, we’ll update those soon too. In the meantime, enjoy the BTS pics below. Thanks VS!
Shoot Credits: Art Director: Kiel Kong; Photographer: James Macari; Photo Assistant: Timothy O’Malley; Photo Assistant:Isaac Bearman; Digital Tech: Liz Lucsko; Stylist: Inge Fonteyne; Stylist Assistant: Liz Cresci; Hair: Frankie Foye; Make-up: Rose-Marie Swift; Props Stylist: Shari Anlauf; Models: Alessandra Ambrosio, Martha Hunt, and Behati Prinsloo;Production Team: Stephen Michael Price, Austin Kennedy, Ryan Newmyer, Austin Kearns, Cale Hughes, Dyami Allen @ County Fair Productions.
