4/11/2018 0 Comments Preparation equals success!Aside from this being the first year the Viva car show's main day got sold out early, everything looks the same. It's clear that so many people attending have planned ahead. I've seen countless flyers, event pages set up and tons of advertising and promotion, by everyone who's offering services or having shoots. I just can't get it out of my head, I can't grasp the concept of winging it! I guess its because in all aspects of my life, I'm the same way. I can't feel solid about anything, an event, a shoot, etc , unless I've planned details ahead of time. I can't have fun, or even imagine having fun, unless I'm prepared and organized. I don't associate myself with folks who are known for not planning ahead, known for being unorganized, known for being late, or constantly rushing! At my academy I deal with all that and more, but not in my career or my personal life. Those are all negative things that effect every shoot, and are bad habits to develop. I look at goals. There must be a plan for success, a plan that includes planning ahead. To me, you're directly showing you don't really care about your goals if you are constantly winging it, with your shoots. If you're not planning every detail, being unprepared will effect your shoot and your images. If you've set goals, have tried and failed, after the 1st time you should be evaluating why. If you've tried a few times, you should then reevaluate why you haven't succeed yet. Once you have, you should see where YOU need improvements. Not where any other model needs improvement, but where YOU need it. When I look at pinup magazine covers, especially the top pinup magazines, I not only see the money that was obviously invested, I see the time and skill!!! Unless you are booking shoots where makeup and hair styling are included, plus wardrobe, its obvious that you will be responsible for those things, and your skill level will clearly show. It's almost like you can see when someone wasn't prepared, or they were rushing. You can see when edits are rushed, same applies. I just can't see the kind of shoots that land covers, being winged or rushed. Appears to me those shoots were planned ahead of time, and in detail. Looks like high quality styling was involved which takes time, or time and money to hire a professional. The wardrobe is not only fabulous, match the era of makeup and hair, but it fits well and flatters the model. There should always be scheduled time to test out wardrobe before every shoot. If you're leaving it up to a pinup studio to provide wardrobe, then they'll have that time planned, for when you're there. A garment can be beautiful, still doesn't mean it flatters you, or anyone just because they like it, or it fits. When someone tells me their goals, I'm automatically going to ask myself, if I feel it's a realistic goal or not. I'm going to think back to what I've seen them do, my biz experiences with them, and what I see them doing, or not doing currently. Its obvious any race, age, height, weight, social class, etc., can be on magazine covers and in them. If you want to be in the top pinup magazines in the world, and or land their cover, or even smaller ones that feature high quality images, you must be preparing for every shoot! Your styling is as important as your skill level, as important as the quality of the photography. It all must be high quality or the images won't be! So, back to Viva. A few months after last Viva, people were already talking about and lightly planning for this year's Viva. Once January hit, photographer's had already been promoting. Same with hairstylists, pinup contestants, bands, pinup clothing companies, and more. Viva is a major event. It's the biggest pinup and rockabilly event in the world, and only once a year! Its like submitting to the biggest pinup magazine in the world, there must be preparation, and high quality involved to achieve success. Looking at all the pin-ups, professional pinups, and those that actually live a vintage lifestyle, its crystal clear, when attending Viva they didn't wing it! I'd venture to say, they are like that with photo shoots as well, always planning ahead and every detail. If you know how to do high quality styling on yourself, and have an idea of exactly what styles you'll be doing, you still must plan exactly what clothing and accessories will match. You have to sit and imagine it, unless you test it before an event or shoot. Then there's clothes. Do you already have brand new wardrobe, or an outfit you can piece together? If you already have it, or have to order it, it still should be tried on. What if it used to fit well and now does not! What if it looked great on the model in the ad, but is unflattering on YOU?! If your choice in wardrobe doesn't fit right, didn't arrive in time, etc., this means finding something else to wear. That may also mean, coming up with a different hairstyle! If you wait until the last minute to test, or fail to do it at all, all those, " what if's ", WILL cause issues and delays. It will effect your overall shoot. Look at the models and images featured in the magazines you want to be in, and their cover images. You do honestly think those style shoots and high quality images, were cheap to produce? Do you think whoever did the styling wasn't skilled? Do you think there wasn't time scheduled to test out wardrobe, or at the studio, to try on wardrobe? Just like that high quality photography level, meant skill, planning ahead, investing money, and not rushing edits, it's exactly the same on the models end. She and or her stylist are responsible for high quality looks, everything from head to toe. I realize for 100% of the gals that shoot pinup, it's fun. That's the basis and what everyone has in common. Same with attending Viva, its 1st and foremost about having fun. If your're a pinup model, you're a walking billboard! You're representing your brand. Once you set goals, theres a biz side. If you're unable to prepare ahead of time and in detail, if you aren't good at planning ahead, aren't good at being organized, and aren't making the time to do those things, be prepared to fail. If you're constantly late, or rushing to leave, it will effect your shoot, and the quality of the overall images. It's a fact! Pinup magazine cover shoots were not winged, I guarantee you! Look at the top 3 pinup magazines and their covers, see what they feature inside. You can't sit there and tell me, time, money, skill, resources, high quality styling, fabulous and flattering wardrobe, high quality photography,....... weren't ALLLLL involved! I feel exactly the same way about Viva. Everyone will be having a blast. Everyone will look fabulous. But, I know darn well that they spent time and money, and they definitely planned their looks in detail, ahead time. Those that decide on hairdo's or wardrobe last minute, and create high quality, flattering and flawless looks, are usually either pro stylists, professional pinup models, or have created that style numerous times, and have mastered it. It's like what I learned in fashion school. Wardrobe usually dictates the hairstyle. Wardrobe is usually 1st planned with the theme of the shoot, and the location. But 1st, the wardrobe must fit you well! Not just fit. The color should also flatter your skin tone. Also era's. 1940's hair, 1940' makeup, and clothing style 1940's. Not 1960's makeup, with 1950's looking wardrobe. When there are stylists involved, or you hire one, they are specialists, experts, and you can leave most of the above, up to them to plan. However, if you're doing your own styling and using your own wardrobe, it's all up to you!! If a stylist you're about to work with soon, offers you a complimentary styling consultation, DO IT! If it includes testing various wardrobe pieces, and it's a free styling session, DO IT! If you're unable to pay for a professional stylist, or unable to attend a styling consultation, wardrobe test at home, DO IT! Never wing it, with any aspect that YOU have total control over, with any of your shoots or events you'll attend. If you have resources of a professional stylist, USE THEM! Never pass up an opportunity to get styling advice, feedback, constructive criticism, or tips, from a professional! Value their expertise, experience, knowledge, and skills ENOUGH, to actually take their advice. Vintage Stylist Dianna Prince Columnist Dianna Prince Gina Lollobrigida above. Marilyn Monroe Gina Lollobrigida prep·a·ra·tion ˌprepəˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun
Lucille Ball People prepare because their goals matter, their reputation and brand matter, who they are representing, and who represents them matters! If you invest time and money, all your shoots and events you attend, will matter enough to prepare in detail, ahead of time! Lucille Ball Audrey Hepburn There are and were, major productions that involved fully testing out an entire look, before the shoot. Makeup, hair and wardrobe, were all done exactly like, how it would be, but on a different date than the filming, event, or shoot. Similar to brides. Bridal consultants usually offer testing on a day other than, and before the wedding. Day of a wedding, movie production, event, or shoot, everything should ALREADY be planned!!! Sophia Loren Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor Jayne Mansfield
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