For this cover/back cover catalog spread, the client wanted the Americana theme of a lemonade stand surrounded by a variety of faces and ages. With a large set, wardrobe, props, 11 models, and a chimp this was no small feat, but with a little forethought and pooling of my own resources, it went off without a hitch.

Although I used professional models, wardrobe, makeup and hairstylists on this shoot I did use alot of my own alternate resources. About half of the characters were friends and models I have worked with previously and the other half were picked from a Los Angeles modeling agency. I make it a habit of snapping headshots of most people I meet (including friends and family) on the occasion they will fit with any of my shoots. For example, my biker friend Tony, a prominent motion picture propmaster, along with his wife and Harley added a nice edge to the shot, and he rivaled any biker character from an agency. After searching for a pre-made lemonade stand, we ended up nailing one together in my garage the day before the shoot.

To add a bit more dramatic interest to the shot, we included a boy flying with a handful of balloons (every kids? dream!), and a chimpanzee squeezing lemons. The chimpanzee was hired from Animal Actors of Hollywood and short of coaxing him from our telephone pole, he was a joy to work with and took direction quite well. The client originally wanted an orangutan, but I found them too unpredictable to use around children.

For the backdrop, the treelined front yard of my Los Angeles home was a convenient choice that the client happily agreed on. Lighting was simple and straightforward, with 2 large strobed softboxes to each side of the camera, balanced to match the bright sunlight. With about 5 minutes of rehearsal, I shot a variety of choices in a short 10 minutes. Since the balloon boy was not in the original shot, I directed the Rollerblader and lawnmower man to react to an imaginary spot. Using identical lighting the ?suspended? boy and balloons were shot in my garage against a white background, and in post-production art director Dale Mustful did a masterful job of placing the boy 2 feet off the ground in Photoshop.

In closing, I urge you to think about every resource at hand. You may just find them in your own front yard!

David Honl Bio