A Huge Success! Lela Campaign Photo Shoot to Launch New Girls Backpacks and Travel Accessories.

It was the morning of the photo shoot and my daughters were running around in excitement and anticipation of the knowledge that the day of the photo shoot had finally arrived. I had packed their outfits ready the night before and all the props that were needed for the shoot were also packed and ready to go. As an avid list maker, I made certain all that was needed for the shoot had been ticked off my list to ensure that nothing was forgotten.  

The Thames Barrier Park  was beautiful as always particularly as the weather was absolutely blissful. The sun was beaming down on us whilst we waiting for the models and their parents to arrive. We were sat outside the café alfresco style making the most of the chill out time, as there wouldn’t be much time for sitting around once everyone had turned up. Hubby decided to bring out the Frisbee to keep our daughters entertained and soon after my brother in-law arrived with Niyi the Videographer. And with Oleesha of Precious Red Photography not far behind, I couldn’t help but feel exhilarated by the prospects of the day ahead.

Whilst the mums and their girls started to arrive the photographer and videographer began setting up their equipment and making test shots in preparation for the shoot. I couldn’t help thinking how lucky we were to be working with such wonderful, enthusiastic and professional people. Everyone had arrived and as you would expect the girls looked absolutely adorable. Whilst hubby was offering out beverages I was doing the introducing and our little models got quickly acquainted with one another, running around the grass together like they’ve known each other for years. The adults were having so much fun catching up that we’d almost forgotten we had work to do. So out popped my clipboard and pen and off we went to begin the shoot. On the way to our first location in the park, the photographer immediately witnessed a great photo opportunity when two of the girls were walking up the field hand in hand through long grass full of meadow flowers. There were plenty of aww’s coming from the adults who looked on whilst the girls were having their pictures taken with the products. It was a delightful scene, particularly as the girls were really enjoying the attention.

I had a schedule on my clipboard of at least 30 different poses we needed to get through. The list also included the number of girls in each shot with the names of each girl, so we knew exactly who would be shooting with who in a mixture of group shots and individual shots. We thought it would be best to start with the younger girls should they get tired towards the end. I’d call the girls names out and prepare the props for the next shoot to speed things up. We used a bubble machine for a few of the shots to add a bit of fun to the images. This was the girls’ favourite prop and it was so sweet watching them run around chasing the bubbles. The bubble machine also proved to be a great tool to keep them occupied whilst they were waiting their turn. The older girls went off to the playground to have some fun on the playground equipment that was close by whilst they were waiting for the younger girls to finish shooting.

I was hugely impressed with how hard the girls worked, particularly in the blistering heat. As you would expect some of the girls were a little shy, but the photographer knew exactly how to bring them out of their shell. She asked what their favourite children’s programmes were and sang them the theme tune which was delightful to watch as the girls became more comfortable. A few of the adults, including myself, were goofing around to get the girls to laugh more. With 2 girls of my own I had no problem playing the big kid.

We created a picnic scene involving 5 younger girls with the Lela backpacks next to them. We had them playing with toy tea sets and set up props around them that included some apples and a large picnic basket which made the girls look even more precious. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed myself and the whole process involved in putting this photo shoot together. From selecting the goodies for the girls' goody bags to picking out the props for the shoot. I’m a girly girl at heart, so I relish any opportunity to get my creative juices flowing by picking out feminine touches and imagining what my own daughter would like... this is why I love what I do. 

Our videographer Niyi was nearby, shooting the behind the scenes and waiting eagerly for the photo session to be completed so that he could begin shooting scenes for the online commercial. The girls got the opportunity to do some running around at the landscaped semi maze located at the lower level of the park. It was another stunning location and the photographer did not want to miss an opportunity, so it was back out with the cameras to take more photos of the older girls. The girls knew exactly what to do with the products and didn’t need very much guidance as they’d been learning throughout the day how to model the products. I won’t be revealing what the new products are as yet, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves when we finally launch. What I can tell you, is that these campaign photos will go out on many mediums which includes our Website, Magazines, Leaflet, E-leaflet, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Its less than 2 weeks to go before the launch of the new products, so subscribe to our blog to get further updates on our new products. 

A huge thank you to Esther, Shereen Ricot, Claire, Almaz, Shereen Nelson, Gina, Aida, Mary & Dami for allowing their beautiful daughters to take part in our campaign. Huge thanks to all the Dads that were also on location with us. Thanks for helping to make the photo shoot the huge success that it was! 

www.mylela.com