In August 2006, Sister Heidi Side Kick and I were in New York for the Pilates Style conference where I presented some of my favorite workshops including Barriers to the Work: We Shall Overcome! and Basically Advanced Mat. While we were there, Miss Suzanne Gerber, the editor of Pilates Style, interviewed me for a story and to illustrate the techniques I talked about in the interview, they took a bunch of pictures of me.
It was a fascinating experience and I thought you might like to go with me behind the scenes of a major magazine photo shoot so when you read the article which is set to run in the upcoming September/October edition - you do subscribe, don't you? - you'll have the inside scoop.
But before I take you to the shoot, I want you to know how important it is that our industry - and by industry, I mean you - support Pilates Style, the magazine and the Pilates Style conferences.
As a presenter and as someone who is asked to write odds and ends, bits and pieces, and this new article, my first big piece, for the magazine, I get to work really closely with some of the folks from the magazine and the conferences. I've loved every single one of them. They're all so accommodating, professional, efficient and, best of all, they absolutely love Pilates.
Our industry is made much better by Pilates Style. The magazine is crammed with all sorts of great information and as I read every issue, cover to cover, I can't believe how much quality content is packed into every single issue. A gift subscription is a great way to encourage super motivated clients. I keep 2 or 3 copies in the studio so when I see someone lingering over a particular article I can send them home with it.
Back to the photo shoot.
First, let's talk wardrobe.
I am whatever is the opposite of a fashion diva, which my gay husband, Jimmy, says would be called "urban frump." Gotta love him, he's pretty much right. I wear mostly mens' clothes and my workout gear/work clothes are run of the mill sale left overs from Lucy/Nordstrom Rack/thrift stores/outlets. I'm not a girly girl, I don't care about fashion, I often have no idea what I'm actually wearing and furthermore, I don't care what I'm actually wearing. I do not spend time picking things out, matching things up, trying things on. Yes, m'dears, it's true; when I shop, I just buy it, I do not try it on.
I'm happy to report that I now have a clothing sponsor, Fitlee, http://www.fitlee.com/php/, and I absolutely love every single piece in their line. I'm all Fitlee, all the time, and I've never felt better, never moved more easily, never had so many people tell me I look great and and I've never had such beautiful things come out of the wash in such perfect shape. Buy a bunch of Fitlee!
But the Pilates Style shoot happened well before Fitlee came into my life. I showed up in NY wearing Lucy which, it turns out, was not nearly good enough.
Suzanne is a woman of great style, immense talent and a very kind heart. I trust her implicitly with my words, my intention, my work and, well, with my image both literal and figurative. In turning myself over to her, I was totally relaxed and felt securely in the hands of extreme competence, kindness and grace.
The first few things Suzanne pulled for me were skimpy, sexy and I thought I looked awful in them. When I modeled one outfit she particularly liked, she cooed and said "how does it make you feel?" and I said "like my breasts are going to come flying out!"
At this stage in my life, I do not wear skimpy revealing clothes. At this stage in my life, my breasts are like feral toy poodles which must be restrained at all times. To say that I'm into motion control is an understatement. Soon, and by soon I mean later today, I'll be able to fold them up and put them in my pockets. My back pockets. Do you follow me? Do you get the visual?
Suzanne certainly did and her next clothing selection was perfect.
For my top she chose a watery blue wetsuit body glove type neoprene racer cut with a big plastic zipper that ran down the full length of the front. For the pant, she chose a long bell bottom skin tight low rise with a short plastic zipper, white teeth on one side, baby blue teeth on the other. When zipped, white/blue/white/blue/white/blue. Cute. Really cute.
When you read the article - you do subscribe, don't you? - you'll see that the photos had to depict the text so with Sister Heidi Side Kick chimping (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping) over the photographer's shoulder, we set out to capture the magic that is a deep Powerhouse engagement, proper lifting of the head and shoulders and lifting in length.
Easier said than done.
With my makeup perfect, my hair up-doo'd and my body glove in place, I laid down on the big white sheet and we got the thing going.
One problem.
Every time I lifted my upper body, the big plastic zipper that ran down the entire length of the top would crimp, rolling into multiple humps running down the middle of my rather impressive Powerhouse. Rising high and in different locations than fat rolls, which I also have in impressive abundance, these were unacceptable in every way and they needed to be dealt with quickly and effectively.
While I was holding (and holding, and holding) the position, the lovely photographer's assistant would run into the shot, pull my low rise pants away from my belly, grab the bottom of the body glove top and yank it down, hard, toward my pubic bone, then grab the top of the pants and yank it up, hard, toward my sternum, to eliminate the humps. It's a good thing I raced bikes for years, if you know what I mean.
Click.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
R.
E.
P.
E.
A.
T.
Every time I lifted up, the zipper looked like the spine of the Loch Ness Monster or, worse, the profile of someone happy to see Mae West. I definitely have balls, but in these pictures I look like I actually have a penis!
While we were not entirely successful in eliminating it, we were extremely successful at making me look like my low rise pant was really an empire waist! In the shots, you can see my black pants rise progressively higher and higher up the front of my watery blue belly. Conversely, you'll also see my breasts pulled lower and lower down my chest. I feel so pretty!
When the proofs came for review, there it was, in every shot. Nessy. In the words of Fergie, my hump. Lo and behold, say hallejulah!
Suzanne assured me they'd Photoshop it out, I could see that she'd inserted a big electronic post it on each picture saying "check zipper." She's a consumate pro, I'm not worried about it at all and when our copy of this next issue finally drops into our mailbox, I'm sure I'll be inside it with a flat belly. An empire waist, a smooshed chest but a flat belly.
It was a great time.
When I hit the newstands or land in your mailbox, let me know what you think.
Click!