"I wanna be in pictures. (step, tap) I wanna be a star. (step, tap)" That was the song to one of the very first recital tap dances I preformed in when I was three or four years old, and last Tuesday (4/12/2011) I found myself singing that song over and over during our first professional photoshoot.
Let me back up a little...several weeks ago, Ann received an email from a casting agency that looks to cast "real people" for commercials, photoshoots, movies, things like that. The email said they were looking for families for a milk photoshoot. Ann forwarded me the email, and I quickly signed up with the casting agency and submitted a picture. About one week later, I received an email saying "the milk client has chosen you and your son for the photoshoot. Please confirm your availability." My first thought was...are you kidding me?! The second thought was...what the heck have I gotten us into?!
The next thing I knew I received a phone call from a stylist asking what size clothing Cooper and I wear and she requested a few things that I bring for us from home. She said our scene for the shoot was a mom at home playing chase with her son. We can do that!! I was starting to feel better about this and actually get excited about it.
So, at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12, we show up for our call time at a very nice, very large house in a nearby neighborhood. I told Cooper that we were going to play a lot of chase and someone was going to take our picture. He was in a great mood, luckily, and seemed excited about chasing Mommy. When we walked in the house, it was bustling with activity. Lights, equipment, computers, racks and racks of clothing, directors, stylists, hair and makeup area, art director, photographers, assistants, and just a bunch of other people who looked constantly busy.
After about an hour of being there, we were taken to hair and makeup. I kept thinking...what is happening right now?! They didn't really do anything to Coop, but it sure was nice to sit in a chair and have someone pamper me for a bit. Next we were whisked down to "wardrobe" to get dressed. They ended up putting Coop in clothes that I had brought from home, and I wore my own jeans with a pink shirt they had picked out for me.
We were officially ready for action! The director came to get us said they were ready. Eeekk! I still was feeling like I was having an out of body experience. No idea what we were doing or how we ended up here. We headed upstairs and got the direction that we were going to play chase in the hallway and all Coop had to do was hold a cup of milk while running. It was a cup with a lid, but had a straw coming out of the side. That sounded easy enough, right? When they offered the cup to Cooper, he very politely replied with a, "no thank you." Hmm... I offered him the cup and got the same polite decline. The photographer said that we would try a couple of shots without the cup and then see if he would hold the cup. Well, several chases later, back and forth and back and forth down the hallway, he still had no interest in holding that cup. And his polite responses were replaced with a very simple, "no" when someone asked if he would hold the cup. Hmm...what to do now?? I mean this was for a milk company. Milk in the shoot was probably pretty important. :)
I quickly realized there were a lot of people around and they were all trying to give Cooper direction instead of giving me the direction and letting me convey that to Coop. I could see some hesitation starting to show on Coop's face and he became more and more clingy with me. He perched himself on the top step of the staircase and decided that was where he and Mommy needed to sit for awhile.
The director decided maybe we should go outside and play and see if he might relax a little more. So off we went to this gorgeous backyard to play, along with the photographer and the lights and the light reflector things and the assistants and the art director and more and more people. "Run this way!" "Kick the ball!" "Peak-a-boo!" "Where's your milk?" "I'm gonna chase you!" "Where's Cooper?" These were some of the things they were all using to encourage Coop to engage with the photographer and interact with the cup of milk. But, again, it was just too many people and he just didn't know what to think. I was trying my best to balance what they wanted, help Coop with the directions, and keep a 2 1/2 year old happy. After about half an hour, we decided Coop needed a break...phew.
I grabbed the iPod, our PB&J sandwiches, edamame, and drinks and headed to a back room where we could just relax and get away from all the action. Coop settled into the couch, cuddling up to me, and ate his lunch while watching Toy Story. I stepped away from Coop for a few minutes to talk to one of the guys running the shoot. I told him that it might really help Coop if not so many people were around and giving him direction. If they told me what they wanted, I could guide Cooper in the right direction. And, the milk cup they were using was spilling everywhere every time Cooper held it. Of course he's not going to run around with it! Maybe they could find another cup?
With a full belly and Toy Story over, Cooper was happy and energetic. I told the director if she wanted to try again, we probably had 45 minutes or so until he crashed and was ready for a nap. They got a new "scene" ready in the front yard and called it a "closed set." Only me, Coop, the photographer, and one lighting guy around. The director stood at the second story window and would call out instructions every now and then, but other than that, I was the only one talking to Coop. They had us playing around and in some adirondack chairs. And that cup of milk, in the same spilling-all-over cup, was nonchalantly sitting on the arm of one of the chairs. I was able to get Cooper to pick up the cup a couple of times by pretending that different animals were hiding under the cup. Just as Coop would pick up the cup and peak under it, the lighting guy would make a monkey noise and Coop would smile and look up at toward the camera. (That's got to be a good shot, right?!) After about 45 minutes we called it a wrap. And good thing because Cooper was starting to ask if we could go home. Poor guy was TIRED.
In the end, it was a super fun day. Tiring, but fun. And I'm so glad we got this opportunity and hope to do it again sometime. I was told the shots are going to be used for a new campaign on their web site, so I'll post the site on the blog when it's up and running. The Director told me she thought they got a good shot, but will talk with the Art Director and the client and if they didn't get a good shot, they asked if we could do a reshoot at our house! Hmm...I guess, sure!
So. We'll see. We might have Round 2 of running around with leaking milk cups.
Coop decided that Ferris and Poppi needed to be showered with kisses. I mean over and over and over. The best, sweetest, slobbery, two-year-old kisses right on the nose!
Then we headed to Gammi and Poppi's house for a yummy, yummy, yummy brunch. Gammi outdid herself with ham, cheesy grits, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, little biscuits with honey pecan or blackberry butter, egg breakfast casserole and a salad...YUM-O.
And, of course, the Easter Bunny hid some eggs at Gammi and Poppi's house. Some of the eggs had little cars in them and some had candy. I'm pretty sure that Cooper ate more candy in that half hour than he's had in his entire two and a half years. 
Coop loved playing with the new train set that the Easter Bunny brought him.
The day wouldn't be complete without a Cooper Concert! He kept saying "bravo!" and "Thank you, everybody!"
Love my family!
And, love my growing belly!
Happy Easter!
