To meet our clients' needs, our Art Directors work hard to capture diverse themes anywhere from teens playing video games to flying helicopters over a rocky landscape. Once the shoot is done each Art Director has thousands of images to look through, with the end task of narrowing them down to only a small percentage. Among all of these images there is always one that stands out from the rest. Devra Brick is going to share her story behind this shot....
Hero: Tell me about this shoot.
Devra: This shoot was a little bit of a unique adventure for us. We knew we wanted to photograph independent and strong women working in roles typically dominated by men. Since we live in a prairie province that hosts one of the largest rodeos in the world, it was a perfect recipe to showcase a cattle drive led by cowgirls.
Southern Alberta’s vast landscape provided us with an amazing backdrop for what would become our studio for the quick 20-hour shoot. Right outside our backdoor we found the perfect location with rustic ranch-style buildings, cozy cottages for us to rest our heads (albeit briefly), and the most AMAZING home-cooked meals (THE PIE!). June weather is always unpredictable in Alberta but we gambled and boy, we're glad we did. The stormy sky did not disappoint. Aesthetically it made for some pretty great shots and although the threat of rain loomed over us the whole time, we didn't feel our first drop until about 5 minutes before we yelled, "THAT'S A WRAP!!!"
H: What is the story behind the image?
D: We had a couple scenarios that were must haves. The camp scene was one of them. We lugged the tents, camping paraphernalia, and some blankets down from our office prop closets and the scene was complete with saddles and riding gear. We were lucky enough to have a group of girls who were not only friends, but also authentic cowgirls. They had their own gear, authentic wardrobe, and most importantly, their own horses. The casualness and warm expressions of the models create a welcoming tone that makes you want to go and hang out with them. I think this is what I like so much about this image. Spending time with friends, doing what makes you feel happy out in nature. It has a bit of a lighter feeling to it compared to the other images shot that day.
H: Why is this a good representation of what Hero does?
D: I think the combination of the authentic models, gorgeous landscape, and perfect sky help this image hit the Hero mark. Having models that knew each other gave it that little something special. That's what we're all about here at Hero. Authentic, believable images that tell interesting stories.
Would you like to see more cowgirl images from this shoot?