My week did not start off as well as I would have hoped.  I ended up with the stomach flu from hell on Sunday night, emptying my digestive system completely between 3-4:30 early Sunday morning.  Consequently, I did not go to my internship Monday morning and decided to stay home to rest up and take care of myself.  I was very careful on Monday in only consuming liquids, saltines, and pieces of toast.  I was determined that a stomach flu was NOT going to stop me from going to the photo shoot on Tuesday.  The photo shoot that I have been super excited about since I learned that I would be going.  Although I did get an e-mail from the Assistant Art Director Alisha who asked me if I was going for sure because they really did need my help.  She sent it at 7:20 PM and I didn’t check my e-mail till 10:40 PM so I immediately called her cell number and left a voicemail assuring that I would definitely be there.

The photo shoot was a lot of fun.  Crazy but SO much fun.  And one of the coolest things I’ve been a part of.  It was also a lot of walking.  A lot of walking and a lot of standing.  I decided, after much deliberation, to take the BART into Berkeley for the photo shoot which was at a beautiful building called the Berkeley City Club.  It’s very European with the columns and archways.  Perfect for a photo shoot.  Luckily, after some research (I have to say this internship has really honed in on my google searching skills), I learned that the BART stop was relatively close to the place I needed to be.  I also felt comfortable walking that area of Berkeley since Billy and I had visited there plenty of times (thank you Billy for finally dragging me to Berkeley).  I walked from the BART stop to the Berkeley City Club (actually I cut through campus, but you get the idea).

I showed up around 9:15 AM because Alisha told me I could come between 9 and 10, and I decided to be more on the early side.  Although I could have been later, because neither art directors were there, the model just barely arrived, and the photography crew is in their own little world.  Nervous and awkward, I introduce myself to others.  It was a really small crew: one model, the stylist, the stylist’s assistant, the hair and makeup guy, the photographer, two men for the lights, the art director, the assistant art director, and me.  The photographer was actually really cool as were one of the lighting guys.  The makeup guy was nice (and BRILLIANT with the makeup. It was like watching an artist).  The model was Russian and had only been in the US for about a week.  She was really sweet and pretty but super shy, so I didn’t get to talk to her a lot (which was kind of a bummer.  I really wanted to know more about her modeling and how she got into it.  Just curious).

Around 10:30, the photographer wanted me to get some flowers for the shoot and she was very specfic about what she wanted.  Flowers with large centers and tissuey paper petals, similar to a California poppy.  I understood exactly what kind of flowers she was looking for and made my way to try to find something.  I imagined something like this:

Since I was on foot, I started walking.  I asked the concierge where to go and she gave me two places.  One on Durant and one down Telegraph.  The first store was closed and the second had nothing I was looking for.  But she told me that they had a bigger store further down.  So I kept walking.  I neglected to ask how much further down however.  It turned out it was about 3 or 4 more blocks down where I ended up on the corner of Ashby and Telegraph.  Basically, this was my trip (or at least close to it.  I walked on Durant to Telegraph than straight down from there.  It still equals close to a mile, which I had no idea of at the time).  That florist shop did not have anything and kept offering me roses and lillies, which is NOT what I specifically asked for (I don’t think she spoke English very well.  A couple of florists offered me other flowers too but the flowers weren’t FOR ME.  I told them it was for a PHOTO SHOOT.  All flowers are nice but I was looking for something VERY specific.  They just wanted to make the sale).

Luckily, Whole Foods was right next door.  So I tried my chances and still ended up empty handed. The man though was very helpful and when I described to him what I was looking for he mentioned a scabiosa (which sounds somewhat like a disease, but whatever).  It ended up being this flower:

I’m not sure if this was what I’m looking for, but an upgrade from a lily.

He didn’t have any scabiosas though.  Or anything else I was looking for but recommended I go to a place called Bloomies which sounded promising.  But it was another third of a mile away.  And I was so very tired of walking.  It would have taken me this more of a walk (the guy I called at Bloomies told me it was only a third of a mile, but mapquest says it’s over a mile…LIAR).  Finally I called the Assistant Art Director and told her about the situation.  She told me to just come on back so I did (checking the one the place that had been closed earlier just in case, but still didn’t find anything).  I came back as a failure for finding flowers.

Later though, our Editior in Chief was going to get us some flowers (since she had her car with her) real fast.  I told her what place to go to and who I talked to on the phone.  The photographer also told her what flowers she was looking for and in bright colors (no dark colors, no reds).  What did she come back with?  Calla Lilies, RED roses, and white Hydrangeas.  If had known I could have gotten away with buying those, I would have done it myself!  CALLA LILIES!  They don’t have tissuey paper petals!!!

That does NOT look like TISSUE PAPER.

That was an interesting adventure.  Although on the way back, I was so upset I stopped at a donut shop and bought myself two donuts.  After nearly starving myself yesterday because of an evil stomach, the sugary confection was DELICIOUS.

The photo shoot continued with relative ease.  I basically helped with whatever they needed me for.  Taking down the shots they set up, being the subject of a test shot for the light, and my most important job for the evening was listing the items of each outfit including brand name, vendor, and price.  The photo shoot was supposed to end at 6, but lasted past 6:30.  At one point, after being upstairs with the stylist pricing, I came downstairs to check out the last photo shoot.  The art director was surprised to see me still there and told me that I could leave.  I said I didn’t mind and I could just price her last outfit and leave.  He mentioned it was technically out of my contract but I told him I really didn’t mind and that I would rather have been there working with them (which was totally true).  He later thanked me for all my help and staying late with the photo shoot, so I think I did a good thing.

After the shoot, I still had to walk back to the BART station.  Luckily, I drove to the Walnut Creek BART lot.  It was a lot of walking, but I guess it makes up for the times I don’t go anywhere.  Although I have noticed my ankles and toes being a little sore.

The next day, I got to my internship on Wednesday morning.  The art director and the assistant art director still weren’t in for the day until 11 or so because they had been so late at the photo shoot (wish I could have come in later).  I worked on typing up the list of all the outfits brand names, vendors, and prices which I think I will also be working on next week as well.  I also spent the morning working on a blog about Hershey buying out all the good local chocolate companies.  I got a chance to check out some of the pictures from the photo shoot the previous day which were really beautiful.  It’s going to be hard to choose the photos for the 8 page spread.  Oh well.

I also took a couple pictures during the day of where they took the photo shoots.

That was where one of the shoots was taken where she was laying down on the couch, and the photographer took a picture of her on the ladder.  It turned out really cute.

This was where the took the very first shot with her in a strapless dress and stacked chairs behind her.  I think this might end up as the cover shot for the March Issue.  But I’m not sure.

It really is a beautiful building.

Also, I was really excited to learn that the February issue of Diablo Magazine has MY name as one of editorial interns on staff.  I was really excited that my name was finally in the magazine.  And asked if I could take a copy for myself.  My boss Ethan assured me I could and take any of the back issues if I wanted to.  I told him that I just wanted the one with my name in it for now.  (I’ll take a picture of the Feb issue and my name soon).

Edit: I found a way to get a screen grab of the Diablo Magazine staff list online.  Close to the bottom, you can see my name under Editorial Interns.

After such an exciting, crazy week, I’ll be back to my normal schedule next week.  Wish me luck!