Cover shoot with Isidingo’s most manipulative characters: Cherel and Katlego
Michelle Botes must be one of the most recognizable faces, (she gets around the soapie sets, and of course never dies but seems to kill off everyone else); I wonder how many hours she has featured on our tv screens – probably more than Riaan Cruywagen or about the same?
On my first assignment with Top Billing in 2006, I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle and her son Daniel for the first time. This was an insert for the tv show as well as the magazine – a skiing trip on the snowy slopes of Lesotho there is an interesting story about that shoot which I will share soon. Five years on I would get to photograph Michelle again and it would also mark the last Top Billing Cover shoot. We came full circle together – I like that thought!
This time Michelle and her colleague, fellow actress Kgomotso Christopher were to feature on the cover. Kgomotso has such a haunting presence in the way that she moves and yet she has such a strong personality. We started the shoot with the images that would appear on the inside feature of the magazine, with Michelle in a sheer pink dress by David Tlale.
I wanted a soft fresh feel to this shot. I specifically wanted to overexpose the light seeping through the windows, making the image look as natural as possible. She almost looks like she belongs in a fairytale.
With Kgomotso I went for a more dramatic but romantic look. In a dark brown velvet gown she looked mysterious and pensive. There is a silent drama, and yet a feminine gentleness to this image.
The day wasn’t without it’s challenges. There was a wedding about to take place at the venue: Westcliff Hotel. We had to hurry things along. We did another three shots to go with both Michelle and Kgomotso, one exposing their “super-bitch” Isidingo characters and another as a cover option with more charm than venom.
The final image was to be the cover. 
Shot in the garden, while we watched hoping that none of the wedding guests arrived early. There was no time to over-think anything!
I was so humbled when Michelle said: “My favourite part was working with Angie again – magic!”
The team: Photography: Angie Lazaro; Production: Hayden Fortmann; Art Direction: Julia Fell; Hair and Make-up: Nikkila Mann; Stylist: Jessica Lupton
