Top Billing has a particular feel and ethos when it comes to their covers. The look is uncluttered clean with an edge of perfection draped in high style. Cover styles change over time but the procedure described below can be applied to most cover situations.
Much discussion precedes the final cover shoot. Top Billing is a lifestyle magazine in the recent past the covers have mostly been shot in homes that are décor rich, or in a settign with a lifestyle element. The format and even page size has changed which has to be taken into account. Top Billing covers are shot with purpose. The location is selected to link with the editorial content. When I began shooting the covers as from the Dec 2006 issue, the magazine was still identifying strongly with the top hat that has been inherent with the Top Billing brand that is spear-headed by the weekly television show. The covers have featured celebrities and Top Billing presenters.
Once the location is decided upon then the stylist is briefed on the look and feel of the space and will bring relevant clothing and accessories.
On this shoot Jenny Andrew was flown in from Johannesburg to Cape Town’s Steenberg Estate with an array of extraordinary designs. Bradley was Art directing the shoot and he decided on the vibrant green grown that Jo-Ann Strauss was to wear. He hair had to be wild and big.
The setting was at the bottom of the garden where the grass was overgrown and there was interesting texture from the trees and branches. We added a bench where the presenter would be lounging in. On cover shoots everyone lends a hand, it brings many creative minds perfecting every aspect of the shoot. Outdoors has more variables than when shooting indoors, it was cold and the grass was wet – so often times not ideal conditions. Jo-Ann was cold, so she was intermittently being wrapped up while we fiddled with something or other.
On the Aiden Benetts cover shoot, we selected the area of the apartment we would shoot and set-up the lighting accordingly. When the cover is indoors, we try and have even lighting all around, to ensure it looks fresh and well lit. Everything is in focus and sharp.
I shoot directly onto the laptop, and often place the image into the cover layout to make sure the cropping works with the format. Sometimes there are a few wardrobe changes if we aren’t too sure of the options. At Top Billing we usually have the TV crew shooting behind-the-scenes footage for the TV show. I set-up and they film everything, from the make-up, the clothes, and interview everyone on set, so it slows the photographic shoot down somewhat.
On shoot: Angie Lazaro (Photographer); Bradley van den Berg (Art Director and Insert Director), Megan Evans (decor stylist – Aiden shoot), Geraldine Mouton (hair and make-up), Evert Theron (behind the scenes photographer). Presenters: Jo-Ann Strauss; Aiden Bennetts. TV crew: Charles Watson (Aiden shoot), Dorian Alexander and Julian Bruyns (Jo-Ann shoot).