A day in the life of an FD Luxe photo shoot

By Chelsea Parker

FD Luxe is a glossy, full-color monthly published by The Dallas Morning News. The publication’s sophisticated design and content reaches readers with a passion for fine living. In the June issue, these readers will be taking a trip down memory lane as FD Luxe puts a modern twist on iconic couples’ marriages.  Through a massive, daylong photo shoot involving eight models, FD Luxe modernly styled and shot the looks of these iconic weddings one Wednesday in April.

8 a.m.  In a hidden warehouse in the middle of South Dallas, a mix of The Who and The Beatles pumps through the space where contemporary versions of iconic couples will soon be re-created. With the first step in the door, the music gives the photo shoot an air of the past as the models begin to arrive for their early call time. Rows of shoes and racks of clothes take up one corner of the space.  They sit  directly across from make-up tables covered in products waiting to paint on the models’ new identities.

The models begin their transformations with the make up artists before moving on to hair and eventually to the stylists where they will be dressed and accessorized to complete the process.

9:30 a.m. Christina Geyer, managing editor of FD Luxe, arrives to the shoot. Before becoming managing editor,  Geyer worked as assistant editor at Papercity. She and another SMU alum also founded the online magazine SMU Style while students as an outlet for their own editorial passion. Geyer oversees the entire photo shoot and enjoys every minute of it.

            “It’s not every month that I get to come to a fashion shoot. We shoot monthly for FD, but it isn’t always a fashion editorial and these are so much fun,” Geyer says.

Christina Geyer was the one who contacted Stephanie Quadri to collaborate for the June wedding shoot.  Quadri, who spent eight years as D Wedding’s style director, has been freelancing with Sister Brother Management for the past three years. As the concept creator for this photo shoot, Quadri was able to make staffing suggestions and fill this shoot with other freelancers from the agency.

“Big shoots like this normally take two days to do,” Quadri notes, “but since everything is being shot in one day, the staff here is doubled what it would be at a typical editorial shoot. We have two stylists  and two hair and make-up artists.” . .

Quadri prefers styling fashion editorial shoots, which generally pay less than commercial shoots. She says that she would rather take less pay and instead enjoy the fun and creativity allowed with fashion editorial concepts – and this shoot allowed exactly that. The concept was fresh and fun, and because of that the photos emit a certain “joie de vivre.”

In Stephanie Quadri’s words, “The concept of the photo shoot is a modern take on iconic celebrity couple weddings.”

12:30 p.m. Lunch arrives at the warehouse, and everyone breaks to eat the home-style catered meal.  During lunch, everyone chatters and talks about their favorite parts of the shoot so far. Everything is ahead of schedule. Since the Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, and Mick and Bianca Jagger shots have already been completed, some models are coming and going as they finish for the day.

2 p.m.. Shooting starts back up after two models sit through hair and make-up to be transformed into the Presleys. These models capture Elvis and Priscilla Presley flawlessly. A chisel-jawed model with jet black hair is dressed in an Elvis-inspired luminous suit jacket.  He is accompanied by a 15-year-old model, who causes the entire room to gasp as she steps out in her veil and gown, looking identical to Priscilla on her wedding day.

Music circa 1950-1960 fills the warehouse as the models start doing the Twist. A little dance inspiration was all it took to bring this scene alive.  A few camera flashes go by, and it is quickly decided that the photographer, Steven Visneau, got his shot.

            Steven Visneau has been in the photography industry for 16 years. He followed his love of fashion editorial photography and never looked back. His passion for his job is apparent and generates an intoxicating environment at the shoot. He smiles with every flash of the camera and dances along with every move the models make.

            “Every day in my life is new and exciting,” Visneau says.  “There is such a contrast in my yesterday and today, and as cliché as it is, it’s an adventure.  Yesterday I was in Austin shooting a rock band with their pet raccoon, and today I’m on set doing FD Luxe’s editorial shoot.”

            Steven Visneau’s enthusiasm translates to the models he works with vicariously. Steven Busby, 23 years old and a new guy to the world of modeling, is on his second shoot with Visneau. Busby took up modeling after graduating from University of North Texas with hopes that the job would help open doors as he pursues a career in music — but a great photographer turns work into play for  Busby.

            “My favorite shoots thus far have been with Visneau,” Busby says. “When we worked together last the shoot had a really dark fight club feel and he had be snarling and actually enjoying the shoot.”

3:30 p.m. The look that everyone has been waiting for all day is ready to be shot. Hours of hair and make-up have been devoted to the model for Elizabeth Taylor while the model playing her male accessory, Richard Burton, simply gets a little gray added to the hair.

4:30 p.m. Taylor and Burton’s shot is quickly followed by the remake of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince. In a sequined gown and lace veil, a young Kate Moss appears to be standing in front of the camera.

5 p.m. The last couple of the day, models cast as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, take their turn in front of the camera way ahead of schedule. The shoot wraps up with one last flash of the camera and a peace sign from each of them.

            Mick Jagger, Sinatra, JFK Jr., Hepburn, Taylor, Lennon, Presley, Moss  – they have all been captured on film, their modern day equivalents, in a matter of 12 hours. All in one day in the life of the FD Luxe June fashion editorial photo shoot.