My year has finally begun and it seems like everywhere I look, I see my own face starting right back at me. Even when I go to the grocery store with my mom or out for a quick Starbucks, I run into a friend, acquaintance, or someone I vaguely know who congratulates me on my win and recounts their personal voting tales. I mean, Tucson is small, but not that small. It makes me realize just how many people were rooting for me.
My grand prize—the photo shoot for the cover of the January 2013 issue and web header—came up fast, just as I was buckling down for finals. I think I actually lugged one of my textbooks with me to the shoot but, alas, homework took a back seat that day.
Even though my modeling experience is limited, I’ve come to learn that photo shoots aren’t as glamorous as they seem. Yes, the clothes are expensive and beautiful. Yes, you get to have your hair and makeup done by professionals. And yes, you get to frolic in front of a camera in heels. But modeling and everything that goes on behind the scenes is genuine hard work. By the end of the day, everyone on the set (myself included) was exhausted.
We began at 7:30 am and after bagels and coffee, I was whisked away by the wonderful Diane Aiello for hair and make-up. As you can see from the pictures, she did an amazing job transforming me into what AZ Foothills refers to as a “brunette vixen.” Very flattering but in real life, I’m just a regular 19 year-old who hasn’t the slightest clue how to apply any kind of makeup and wears sweatpants and UGG slippers whenever possible.
We had seven outfits to get through and wasted no time getting started. Diane and I got into a rhythm right off the bat. She would hand me an outfit, usually something wrinkle-prone—the steamer got a lot of use that day. I would scurry off the bathroom to change (after a couple cycles, I ditched the bathroom in favor of changing in the hallway) and before heading outside, Diane strapped me into my heels (no shoes in the house!) Warren, the photographer, made the whole process easy—his directions were clear and I felt comfortable while he snapped away. Unfortunately, we shot outside and in order to make my hair as voluptuous as possible, a fan was blown directly in my face. After about three hours of trying to be sexy through watering eyes and goose bumps, I started to droop. Thank God for lunch breaks. We sat down for pizza but being a health nut, I brown-bagged it: avocado and turkey sandwich and an apple.
The rest of the day went quickly and all of the images turned out beautifully. I have yet to get my hands on a hard copy of the magazine, but I’m sure they will blow my mind yet again when I see them on the glossy pages of AZ Foothills.
Well, time to wrap things up, but before I go, I’d like to impart some of my wisdom on any girl reading this who wants to be a model. My number one piece of advice is to always be respectful and gracious towards the people working on set with you. The photographer, the makeup and hair artists, anyone helping with lighting, with props, with set-up. Being friendly and saying please and thank-you can go a long way—they are working just as hard (if not harder) than you. And of course, always bring snacks, unless you enjoy passing out.
See you next month! Or get your fix early by following me on Twitter at @EmilyS_Glynn.
Emily
