Real life vs magazine shots

This has been a lucky year for me as far as publications go. First, Where Women Create, and now Shabilicious and Romantic Country.  I've also got an upcoming feature in Country Sampler, but I think that might be 2015. The Country Sampler article has already been written, and the photos will be from the same batch as the Romantic Country article, but different photos.

I was so pleased to see that the writer of the Romantic Country article was kind enough to link back to my blog.  And since I wrote the other two articles, I blathered on plenty about my blog and the art events that I have in the studio. 

Who knows if that creates any extra blog traffic?  But it's worth a try. Although I don't really know why it matters... I haven't had a chance to add anything to my shops in a while, so I don't need my blog to advertise that, I haven't got much to hawk at the moment. So sometimes I wonder how I even justify having a blog. anyway.  

Wait! I've got an Art Journal tutorial for sale right now!! Yay, justification!! 

So, it isn't pure vanity that makes me spend two weeks cleaning, rearranging, and foofing my house for photos.

 Right?

It was for business reasons that I put myself through the grueling turmoil of making my house spotless (which is far from its normal condition).

Although, I have to admit, it is a lark, to do a magazine shoot. Even though, sometimes, between the stylist rearranging things and the editor tweaking the color on the photos, it doesn't even look like my cottage did to start with. And it is a LOT of work to get the house ready, then even more work after it is over.

After a stylist going through cabinets to find the items that fit her needs to make the house look more interesting for photos, and moving stuff from one room to another, by the end of the day the home ends up looking like someone picked it up and shook it.

And what isn't changed physically that day, can later be changed when the pics are edited.  In real life, this quilt is a faded blue, but in the magazine, the saturation was turned up for a brighter look.

 This is the color of the quilt before it got tweaked for the magazine.

And in real true life, this quilt belongs in the linen closet to use when we need an extra blanket in the grand fairy's room, and my bedroom is all very, very neutral colors, with no pink rose pillows on the bed.

This is how it really looks.  See, too boring for a magazine photo.  Darling Fifi gave me a new look for the day to make the room more photogenic.

Here is a link to the blog post I did last summer after her photo shoot with some details about how she worked her magic.

And here is a picture of what my living room really looks like on a daily basis (but probably not that clean, there are usually toys everywhere along with some weird thing that Sugarwings decided she needed to play with, the curtain over the TV is always open, and the kids have knocked most of the pillows onto the floor) I also have to keep rugs put away because the horribly untrainable, nasty mongrols puppeesh think it is a pee pad.

This is where the rose pillows from the magazine picture of the bedroom came from, along with some from a bench in the studio too.

And this is what it looks like after being styled for pictures. The pillows are moved back in from the bedroom along with the ones from the studio, a pink rug from the grand fairies' room is brought in, and all the flowers from other vases in the kitchen are added to the table top.

This is a photo I took of Sugarwing's bed (before I painted a mermaid on it).

And here is how it looks in the story, with the colors deepened, and no longer faded.

The original colors are more pastel.

It is an honor for my house to be published and I enjoy seeing it all special-ed up. It looks different in the same way my head does after I get home from the salon. I look in the mirror after getting my hair dyed and cut, knowing that it is in a style that I wouldn't normally wear, or possibly couldn't replicate if I wanted to.  But it is fun to see and a very nice change. 

I've worked on, written, styled for, or had my home in quite a few magazines over the years.  Here are a few on a shelf in the office part of my studio.

 I don't know if anyone noticed me in them, but I did enjoy the process and it is nice to have a record of how my style has changed over the years. (or in some cases, how the stylist who set up the shot liked my home to look, but still it is my stuff she is arranging, so it is still me, I guess?)

 

Comments

[Soarenth]

"So sometimes I wonder how I even justify having a blog." Your blog is a creative creation, a chance for the rest of us to get glimpses into your outlook on living life fully. Not everything has to be about making a profit for the time spent to be valuable. Besides, as far as I'm concerned your posts are priceless.
Pretty please keep sharing!

[Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions]

I just saw that one in Romantic Country, Karla, and was pleasantly surprised to see it. I loved seeing your home, even if it was "dolled up" for the magazine photos. I wonder if sometimes they style something in a way that you don't think of and so you leave it that way after they go. I'm glad your blog was mentioned. Many times I read an article and wonder if that person has a blog because I'd like to see more of their home or whatever it is they might do that is talked about in the article. Many magazines don't seem to mention the blog links anymore.

[Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique]

Congratulations and well deserved Karla.

[Laurie Jackson]

I haven't seen the magazine yet, but will keep an eye for it. I love coming across your home on paper -- it brings back such happy memories of being there! It looks like another lovely article.

[Liz]

I love to read your blog and many times in searching for topics read much older posts. I even like to see the menus for tea parties and holidays! (Hmmmmm...how about some recipes, maybe???) Don't ever think your time spent writing isn't worth it. We all need a creative guardian angel and you're mine!

[bobbie]

Congratulations!! I like the "original" version of your bedroom better than the retouched version!

[Becca Spencer]

I was excited to see your home in this issue of Romantic Country. I have admired your style for years, but it's even more fun to see you published now that I can say "I've been there."
I must admit, I looked for the little chenille puppy on Sugarwings' bed, but saw that the bed had been styled differently for the shoot. ;)

[Kathy]

This was interesting to read about how they re-arrange and enhance. When I read the magazine article it struck me that some things seemed a lot brighter than what I think of as your style.
As far as "justifying" your blog - good golly girl! I adore reading your blog and hope you will never stop!

[Karla Nathan]

Liz, that is so nice of you to say. It feels good to hear from people on the other side of my blog.

Sorry I dont post much in the way of recipes, but I pretty much make things up as I go.

[Beth Boothe]

Beautiful!!!
What an honor!!!!!
Congratulations ;)

[Karla Nathan]

I do feel lucky to be in these publications!

[Yvonne Welty]

I too like your more subdued colors. I had no idea they did all that for magazines. Please don't abandon your blog. It's one that I check on every day while on my breaks. It's one of the best blogs I've read.

[Karla Nathan]

Laurie, my home looks so much better with my Birdsong friends in it!

[Karla Nathan]

Kerryanne, thanks so much for including me in your pretty pages!

[Pallas]

Oh, it is so much fun to peek into your pretty house. I'm not familiar with Shabilicious, but I will look for it the next time I'm at the bookstore. I'm interested in reading your article on how to hand-paper a wall that I believe is in Romantic Country.

By the way, you can justify your blog because your followers would miss it if you quit - always a pleasure.

[jeanie]

No matter how you look at it -- color hyped or pastel -- it really is beautiful and such fun. Congratulations on the shoot -- I'll have to pick up the magazine and add it to my bloggers' collection! And Karla, I so appreciate your honesty and sharing the before photos, too -- although they're quite perfect (no puppeesh pee was visible anywhere!)

[Annie]

Keep blogging, please! I look forward to visiting with you every few days, even if only in a virtual sense. I feel as if I've known you for years!

[Charlotte]

Karla, I am already prepping for thanksgiving day family dinner...with just family! I would be living on coffee, wine and nerves if I was readying my home for a magazine shot. The very idea makes me queasy. But I sure do like looking at the beautiful photos of your home. :) hugs...Charlotte.

[Karla Nathan]

It is a lot of work getting the house ready, Charlotte. Luckily, my husband was out of town, and I even banned the rest of the family the day before! I packed picnic bags for them and sent them on a sleepover in the den, they werent allowed to mess anything up.