Shooting a light filled summer looking cover for a magazine is harder than it sounds.The main challenge is the timing: we often have to shoot in April, at the tail end of winter when the light is still gloomy, for issues that will hit the newsstands during the peak of spring and summer worldwide. Unfortunately, April’s light rarely lives up to the expectations of a brilliant, high-summer July blue.
The reality is that the Salone del Mobile in Milan dictates this April schedule. But since the right light isn’t available in Europe, I’ve had to find creative solutions. I’ve faced this problem several times for Madame Figaro. They often want to use a reportage shot in the Southern Hemisphere and integrate specific products for the Northern Hemisphere, products that are either too difficult to transport or whose advertising space hasn’t been finalized yet.
The key to solving this? Heading to the Southern Hemisphere, where the light is exactly what you need for those perfect summer shots.
Typically, we shoot the landscapes three weeks before the Milan furniture fair. I’ve traveled to Salvador, Brazil, and Los Angeles, among other locations, to capture those specific summer vibes. Back in Paris, I shoot the furniture in a studio and meticulously integrate the images to create a seamless, high-end cover.
You can see the different stages of this process below:
