One fun thing about publishing a book is that you get to have your picture taken. Correction, you get to have your picture taken wearing make-up. Correction, you get to have your picture taken wearing make-up that’s been applied by someone who knows what the hell they’re doing.
My first author photo was snapped by the most talented, gracious and easily the most gorgeous fashion photographer in the country, Mr. Chris Chapman. He corralled a super-talented young make-up guy and hair guy who were willing to work for the credit, Beau and Dylan respectively. I corralled my fashion editor friend, Derick, who commandeered the scene by making use of clothes pins and accessories exactly where and when needed. I shall never be able to thank D as he deserves for that. The pictures turned out as well as could be hoped. (My lips need a lot of bolstering and my bangs are generally clumptastic.)
Up until a few years ago, authors weren’t supposed to really care how they looked in their dust jacket picture. Most authors subscribed to the school of get-your-significant-other-to-snap-you-on-a-park-bench -looking-pensive, and left it at that. Writers need to finance the author picture ourselves; it’s in our contract. Author will supply recent publishable photo, blah blah. A lot of authors have an 8×10 specialist whip them off a standard head shot at best, black turtleneck etcetera.
I was, like, “Screw that, I want to look as good as damn well possible!” (Which was very chick of me, which is perhaps why I’ve been relegated to the chick lit dungeon.) To be extra provocative, I even added a dress credit to my first pic. I love, love, love the stellar, genius Canadian label Mercy and don’t care who knows it. Admittedly I was keen to stir up a bit of a furor. I mean, no writer that I know of has ever credited hair, make-up and a stylist let alone a designer. But nary a peep of complaint out of anyone, no matter how establishment. No one objected to my blatant gussying. Rats!
But this is a gratitude post. I’m grateful. Because every so often I’ll get asked for a shot of myself and lo and behold I have a bunch. From both shoots that I’ve done so far I scored four airbrushed poses each. I hope to keep them all on file until 2018.
For my PEI book I approached the head of the photographic arts program at Charlottetown’s Holland College. I promised to pay a student the same amount for my second photo as had financed my first. I was invited to take a look at six portfolios. I had never interviewed potential hirees before — shall we say it was trippy to the point of jarring. One portfolio jumped out at me. The artist in question, Jessicah, seemed like a great lady to spend a PEI summer day with. She had no problem procuring a make-up artist and Kelly turned-out to be a doll. Arrangements were finalized for a July Saturday. Hence me in wellies and a sundress hanging out at my cousin’s horse paddock and smiling broadly on her beach.
We nixed all the jogging shots, and Louisa looking (effortfully) sultry by the lobster traps. May I never again have to clap eyes on Louisa vamping on the wharf.
I’m a long way away from my next author photo; it should be the last thing on my mind right now. One of my Catch shots just made it to the contributors page of FASHION Magazine, however. That’s thanks to a roundtable discussion on financial habits that I recently anchored and edited. What a fantastic gig. I owe FASHION a huge debt of thanks for all the fascinating things they’ve had me do over the last few years. I especially love it when I make it to the contributors page. Snazz-a-matazz!
Smile with your eyes, everybody. A good picture of oneself is worth a hefty chunk of soul. May you all have a passel of high resolution Jpegs in your laptop files.
Of course, sex! works just as well as cheese!