I'm writing this from 38,000 feet above France on a British Airways flight. I've got a splitting headache from one to many Stellas last night and I only got a few hours of sleep in before my return to London.
Why my job is AWSOME:
Shooting on location has always been my favorite thing to do. There's nothing better than receiving an email detailing all of your travel arrangements, and knowing that all you have to do is show up. My job is to fly to a location, make some new friends, and get my picture taken, be wined and dined, and then fly out again. I woke up in France the morning after the passport fiasco, and headed downstairs an amazing continental breakfast (minus the part where I was served lunch meat)! After breakfast we crammed the eleven-person crew, and all their gear into a van and sped off to an unknown location.
Imagine rolling up to the gates of a sprawling £25 million ($40 million) home, perched atop the French Alps, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. A five-story mansion built into a mountain, expansive terraces and a rooftop deck looking out towards the water, tons of exposed rock throughout, a wine cellar built into the foundation, a cave entrance that leads to an elevator (straight out of a Batman movie) and an infinity edge pool that spills into the sky. This massive house was worthy of a king, and I was told royalty has rented it on numerous occasions. The crews mentioned the owner only stays here a few times a year because he has an even larger home in Monaco... MUST BE NICE!
My new “mate” Dylan and I proceeded to get lost in the house, so much to explore. Dylan and I were the two male models in the shoot – we also worked with three other girls. The shoot ended up lasting 12-hours, which is pretty standard for on location jobs. All of the gear (clothing, photo equipment, food, tables, chairs, etc.) has to be hauled in, then packed up again immediately after. The client was incredible to work with. We spent the day lounging by the pool getting to know one another while the photographer, Tom, and his assistants set everything up. After the final shot, we all packed up and headed upstairs to one of the many decks and were treated to wine and sushi on the terrace. I was munching on salmon sashimi, sipping pinot noir and gazing out over the ocean watching a cruise ship depart.
After we finished eating we crammed back in the van and headed to the hotel for a quick wardrobe change before heading out to meet the crew for drinks. Not knowing if or when I would return to Nice, I chose to make a night of it! Many of the bars in Nice close at 2AM, but Dylan and I weren’t finished yet, we grabbed a few insomniac crewmembers (luckily one of them spoke French) and the four of us walked for about 20 minutes. After interrogating some of the locals, we found a skanky little nightclub spinning old outdated music. What a nightmare! For some deranged reason a pint of Stella cost €10, but we didn’t care, we were just happy to be served. Two or three rounds later everyone stumbled back to the hotel.
Back to London for thirty-six more hours of gloomy weather before Megan and I jet off to Tenerife. I know… it’s a rough life, that’s why I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!
Coming to you live from Seat B, Row 15,
Kyle
