There have been a flurry of unexpected moments in and around the studio lately, so I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes snapshots. From spilling two gallons of paint in the driveway to a shelved project that finally sees the light of day, plus papaya outtakes and more—here’s a peek at the chaos and creativity.
Outtake from the brushstroke nails photo shoot. I loved this shot, but since the nails are barely visible it didn’t make the final selection.
We celebrated reaching 50,000 followers on Instagram with cake—because that seemed like the right way to mark it.
When your DIY vintage hat pendant lights need to hang in a precise spot but there are no rafters, you get inventive. In this case, we attached a DIY blanket ladder to the ductwork and hung the lights from it. It looked a little odd while we were setting it up, but it worked.
If you follow me on Snapchat, you may have heard about the paint spill. I never fully explained why two gallons of paint ended up spilled beside a toppled ladder. Long story short: don’t use completely full paint cans as counterweights for a ladder that’s supporting a large piece of drywall or backdrop—especially on a windy day. It was a frustrating mess, and a lesson learned.
Sometimes the concept is better than the finished product. That was the case with these “LOVE” crescents. Anissa did a beautiful job crafting them, but after I added glaze and sprinkles, the lettering became hard to read and they didn’t photograph well. That was on me—I shouldn’t have glazed them that way. Fortunately, our funnel cake love letters were a great backup and photographed much better.
Amelia hanging the “LETS MAKE OUT” sign from one of our DIY posts. It’s always a team effort getting set pieces safely in place.
Evidence that I really only rely on two hairstyles at work: Bun #1 was in full effect while I attempted (unsuccessfully) to record an Instagram video for a nail tutorial.
Anissa carefully shaved the bottoms of the chocolates with a knife so they would be perfectly smooth for our Valentine’s Day candy box DIY. It was painstaking work but paid off in the finished shots.
Leftover donuts from a breakfast-in-bed shoot—always welcome studio treats.
Trying to figure out the best spot to stand in a field of tall grass so I wouldn’t be visible on camera. At this point I hadn’t quite found the right position, though it worked out in the final shot.
Finally, papaya outtakes. We bought six or seven giant papayas for a post but only ended up using one. Typical—buy more than you need and then let the extras become props for future shoots. I also had paint on my hands during the shoot since it was the same day as the great paint spill of 2016.
What kinds of projects or mishaps have you been getting into lately? Any strange, funny, or unexpected moments to share? I’d love to hear your stories.
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Photography by Amelia Tatnall, Rachel Brewer, and me