300 pounds of sand.
That’s what it took to style my latest cover shoot for our August issue.
We took to Facebook and Twitter this month to promote our Dog Days of Summer cover contest, which turned out to be a successful exercise in social media.
After an online vote, we had our winner — a 90-pound Bernese mountain dog named Zoe.
Having already shot several outdoor covers this year, I wanted to stage a fun studio beach scene on this one.
After deciding on the right beach chair, umbrella and other accessories, I asked one of our interns to get me two 50 pound bags of sand.
My photographer and I set up our “beach” the day before our shoot and quickly came to realize that 100 pounds of sand simply would not do. I had to run out and get four more bags and even then, with 300 pounds, we were dealing with a very limited beach.
We were able to mound it enough for my vision and arrange a nice set.
It took us a few hours to set everything up and once on site, it took our massive, hyperactive pal Zoe about three seconds to destroy it.
Zoe was a very spirited dog and one playful roll from her had the studio covered in sand and beach items, but she could be repositioned with a few kind words and a handful of her favorite treat (Cheerios).
Working with animals can be an exercise in patience for sure, and after several rebuilds of my “island” I was able to get the frame I needed.
Our beach girl, Erin was a wonderful model and kept her pose and her cool even with the Godzilla-style scene.
Shoots like this are a handful, but in the end, a lot of fun.
The thing that wasn’t fun — shoveling and sweeping up 300 pounds of sand afterward.