Okay, so “elle summer” – sounds fancy, right? I wanted to do something different, something, you know, chic. I’ve been seeing these amazing photo shoots in Elle magazine, all breezy and summery, and I thought, “I wanna try that!”
Getting Started
First, I needed a theme. I decided to go with a “beach picnic” vibe – think flowy dresses, straw hats, and lots of sunshine. My backyard isn’t exactly the French Riviera, but it has a decent patch of grass and a few trees. That would have to do!
Gathering Supplies
- Outfits: I raided my closet and found a white linen dress and a big floppy sun hat. My friend lent me a cute wicker basket.
- Props: I grabbed a colorful blanket, some fake flowers (because, let’s be real, real ones wilt fast), and a few pretty glasses. I even had a vintage-looking lemonade pitcher.
- Camera: I have my camera. Nothing professional.
The “Shoot”
The actual photo-taking part was… interesting. My friend came over to help, and we spent a good hour just trying to figure out the best lighting. The sun kept going behind the clouds, and then it would be TOO bright. Classic!
We tried a bunch of different poses. Some were inspired directly by Elle – you know, the ones where the models look like they’re effortlessly laughing while gazing into the distance? Yeah, those are harder than they look. I felt so awkward at first!
We also tried some more candid shots, like me pretending to pour lemonade or arranging the flowers. Those actually turned out to be my favorites. Less posing, more “me”.
The Results
After taking, like, a hundred pictures, we finally called it a day. I uploaded everything to my computer and started going through them.
Honestly, most of them were… not great. Blurry, weird angles, awkward smiles – you name it. But there were a few gems in there! A couple of the “candid” shots were actually pretty cute, and one of the posed ones, where the lighting was just right, looked almost professional.
I used a free online photo editor to do some basic touch-ups – brightening things up, adjusting the colors a bit. I didn’t want to go crazy with filters, just enhance what was already there.
So, was it a perfect Elle-worthy shoot? Nope. Was it fun? Absolutely! It was a great way to spend an afternoon with my friend, and I even got a few pictures I’m actually proud of. I might even try another themed shoot sometime – maybe “elle autumn” next?
