Important Details for this Project.
• Models are invited to select up to 4 magazine covers to shoot. At least 2 of the covers must be from the period between 1960s up to 1999. If you'd like to shoot a modern cover, you may choose one or two covers from 2010 to present. Please note that all selections from the 1960s - 1999 will be shot first. You are welcome to schedule as many sessions as you wish, but once a cover has been shot, it cannot be re-shot by any model.
• Once you have selected the covers you would like to shoot, email me screenshots of those covers or the file name associated with each cover in the catalog along with three dates and times that you’d be available to shoot. I also ask that you include a current headshot and full body photo of yourself if this is our first time working together. dbhphotographysc@gmail.com
• I will not reserve the covers you select until we have scheduled a date to shoot. Once your date has been set, no one will be allowed to pick your covers. If you miss your shoot date, your selected covers will be released and be fair game for anyone to pick until we reschedule your shoot.
• The goal of each photo session will be to closely recreate the selected magazine cover and then capture 7 – 20 additional photos in various poses and wardrobe variations that would typically appear inside a magazine. This approach will allow us to create a diverse and captivating set of images.
• I understand that finding identical wardrobe pieces from the 1960s and 70s may be challenging, but please stay as close to the original concept as possible. If the material on the cover you choose is shiny, thin, sheer, loose, tight, long, short, sleeveless, or backless, you should find clothes that are as close to the same material, fit and style as the clothes on the cover you choose. Matching the colors of the wardrobe on the cover is important as well, but if you can find the outfit but not in a particular color I can make it work.
• Some outfits are more revealing than others, so please choose the covers you want to shoot based on what you feel comfortable wearing. Your comfort during the shoot is important, and I want to ensure that you feel confident wearing the wardrobe you choose.
• I will not reserve the covers you select until we have scheduled a date to shoot. Once your date has been set, no one will be allowed to pick your covers. If you miss your shoot date, your selected covers will be released and be fair game for anyone to pick until we reschedule your shoot.
• The goal of each photo session will be to closely recreate the selected magazine cover and then capture 7 – 20 additional photos in various poses and wardrobe variations that would typically appear inside a magazine. This approach will allow us to create a diverse and captivating set of images.
• I understand that finding identical wardrobe pieces from the 1960s and 70s may be challenging, but please stay as close to the original concept as possible. If the material on the cover you choose is shiny, thin, sheer, loose, tight, long, short, sleeveless, or backless, you should find clothes that are as close to the same material, fit and style as the clothes on the cover you choose. Matching the colors of the wardrobe on the cover is important as well, but if you can find the outfit but not in a particular color I can make it work.
• Some outfits are more revealing than others, so please choose the covers you want to shoot based on what you feel comfortable wearing. Your comfort during the shoot is important, and I want to ensure that you feel confident wearing the wardrobe you choose.
• Majority of the sessions will be shot in a private photo studio at USC in Columbia SC. Photos that have to be shot outside of a studio at a location should be grouped together in the same session.
• This is an editorial/ fashion shoot so be prepared for bright modeling light(s) and strobes just above or at eye level during the shoot. If you are sensitive to bright flashing lights, you should only choose magazine covers that have to be shot outdoors in natural light.
• This is an editorial/ fashion shoot so be prepared for bright modeling light(s) and strobes just above or at eye level during the shoot. If you are sensitive to bright flashing lights, you should only choose magazine covers that have to be shot outdoors in natural light.
• After each session, you will have the opportunity to select up to 20 photos for me to edit. These selected photos will be professionally edited, and you are welcome to use them for non-profit print ads, on your social media platform, or as part of your professional portfolio website.
• Please note that I will retain all copyrights to all photographs taken during the shoot. While you are free to use the edited images for personal and non-profit professional promotions, the rights to the images will remain with me.
• I will email a basic model release form that will need to be signed by the model prior to shooting.
• Your comfort during our session is of the utmost importance to me. You are welcome to bring an escort with you to your session for support and comfort.
I kindly request that no pasties or body tape be worn.
For this photoshoot, I am requesting that no pasties, body tape or wardrobe tape be worn. The reasoning behind this is to maintain a natural, seamless look that aligns with the period specific concept we are working on. Pasties and body tape tend to be much larger than the area they are intended to cover, therefore, their edges are guaranteed to become visible in photos as we work due to the cut and style of the outfits being worn.
I trust that your awareness of coverage will be heightened, reducing the chance of any wardrobe mishaps. In the rare event that a mishap occurs, those specific images will be deleted on the spot.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. This will help us achieve the best possible results for the shoot.
Pro Tips To Help You Prepare For Your Shoot
Nails - Chipped nail polish and dry, cracked cuticles don't photograph very well. Make sure your nails are prepped for the camera. If you pan to wear open-toed shoes or go barefoot, don't forget to attend to your toes as well.
Makeup - A typical four-outfit session takes between 2 and 3 hours to shoot. The amount of time it takes is mainly determined by how organized you are with your changes and how fast we get the cover shot. Bring touch up makeup so you can freshen up your makeup as needed.
* If you must change your makeup during the shoot, remember that it's much easier to go from a light colored makeup to a darker colored makeup. Don't forget your makeup remover wipes in case you need them.
Grooming - If you choose a swimsuit cover or a cover with a sleeveless dress or top, please be sure to give some extra attention to your bikini area, legs and armpits the night or morning before your shoot.
Hairstyle – A lot of these hairstyles would take three cans of Aqua Net to perfect. The hairstyle is kind of important, but this is one area I feel we can put a modern-day twist to the look of the photo so try to do something with your hair that will give the same vibe as the cover you select. With that being said, you are certainly free to copy the hairstyle exactly if you want to but make sure it will look good for all the covers you choose to shoot. Don’t forget to bring extra hairspray for touch up.
Buying or Borrowing Wardrobe
Don’t break the bank buying new wardrobe.
• Use Amazon’s “try before you buy” program and keep the tags on the clothes so you can return them when we are done shooting. We can hide tags easy enough or I can remove them in Photoshop if needed.
Don’t break the bank buying new wardrobe.
• Use Amazon’s “try before you buy” program and keep the tags on the clothes so you can return them when we are done shooting. We can hide tags easy enough or I can remove them in Photoshop if needed.
• SHEIN and TEMU are really good options as well for inexpensive clothing. The clothing from either site are questionable for long term use so make sure you understand the return policy before buying from these sites if you plan to return teh items you buy.
• Pannerpete Vintage, 738 Harden St. Columbia SC has partnered with me so I can borrow wardrobe from them as needed. Their selection is really good, but it changes from day to day. There’s no guarantee they will have the outfit to match the covers you pick to shoot. If you wish to use this option, we will need to meet at their store two hours before your shoot to pick out cloths that match random covers in the catalog. This is by far the least reliable and hardest way to get wardrobe for this shot because sometimes they don't have anything in stock that matches any of the covers in the catalog. Note: I will provide them with photos from the shoot to use on their social media account if they choose to do so.
• Lastly, you can probably find some clothes that will work for the 1960’s – 2000 at thrift stores, and who doesn’t like thrifting :)
• Pannerpete Vintage, 738 Harden St. Columbia SC has partnered with me so I can borrow wardrobe from them as needed. Their selection is really good, but it changes from day to day. There’s no guarantee they will have the outfit to match the covers you pick to shoot. If you wish to use this option, we will need to meet at their store two hours before your shoot to pick out cloths that match random covers in the catalog. This is by far the least reliable and hardest way to get wardrobe for this shot because sometimes they don't have anything in stock that matches any of the covers in the catalog. Note: I will provide them with photos from the shoot to use on their social media account if they choose to do so.
• Lastly, you can probably find some clothes that will work for the 1960’s – 2000 at thrift stores, and who doesn’t like thrifting :)
Wardrobe Order
Plan your wardrobe sequence carefully. Wear the loosest fitting and shortest outfits first. This will help avoid impression lines in your skin as you change from one look to another. For example, if you go from tight pants to shorts, the areas where the seams of the pants were against your skin will be imprinted on your skin for a short time.
Skin – If you use lotion on your skin, please apply it well in advance of your shoot so that it has time to absorb into your shin. Freshly applied lotion will give the appearance of wet or shinny skin under studio lights. If a studio cover requires the skin to look wet, I will ask you to apply sunscreen to your skin to give it a wet look. If you have an allergy to certain sunscreens, you should bring your sunscreen of choice with you. If we are outside of the studio at a location and your skin needs to be wet, I will provide either sunscreen or glycerin diluted with water to wet the skin.
Rings, watches and jewelry – Period specific rings, watches and jewelry are not required but would be nice to have. There are some cases when I will ask that smart watches to not be worn.
Once we have a solid date and time to shoot booked, I will email my cell number to you so we can communicate through text or phone calls. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Why I chose Cosmopolitan Magazine
I chose Cosmopolitan specifically to draw inspiration from because it is one of the oldest and most successful women’s fashion and lifestyle magazines in U.S. history. Cosmopolitan’s first issue was published in 1886 and currently they publish over 50 international editions each month.
The history of Cosmopolitan magazine is intricately tied to the social, cultural, and feminist shifts of the 20th century, particularly during the Second Wave of the Women's Rights Movement, which spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The history of Cosmopolitan magazine is intricately tied to the social, cultural, and feminist shifts of the 20th century, particularly during the Second Wave of the Women's Rights Movement, which spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The Second Women's Rights Movement focused on various forms of gender equality, including reproductive rights, workplace equality, and the breaking down of sexual taboos. Cosmopolitan became a key part of this conversation by addressing many of these issues in a way that was both mainstream and accessible.
The magazine, founded in 1886 mainly focused on family and literary publication offering content on home life, fiction, and advice for the whole family. By the 1960s, the magazine was in decline until Helen Gurley Brown was appointed editor-in-chief in 1965. Brown, already famous for her book Sex and the Single Girl (1962), which promoted the idea that women could “have it all”—a fulfilling career, an active sex life, and independence, had a revolutionary vision for the magazine. Under Brown’s leadership, and partnership with iconic fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo, Cosmopolitan became known for its bold editorials and imagery regarding female sexuality, relationships, and women’s ambitions.
Brown envisioned the "Cosmo Girl" as an empowered, career-driven woman who was unafraid to take control of her life, body, and desires. These topics were rarely tackled in mainstream media of the time and resonated with young, urban women who were challenging traditional gender roles during the feminist movement.
Francesco Scavullo played a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of Cosmopolitan during Brown’s tenure. A highly sought-after fashion photographer, Scavullo worked as the principal photographer for the magazine for nearly three decades, starting in 1965. His work was instrumental in creating what we know as the "Cosmo Girl" look, which is still used today as the standard in editorial fashion photography.
Scavullo’s photography featured on numerous Cosmopolitan covers, often depicted women in sensual, high-fashion poses. His images of models and actresses like Farrah Fawcett, Brooke Shields, and Lauren Hutton became iconic, combining elements of near nudity with sophistication. The suggestion of nudity, was frequently featured in Cosmopolitan’s photography and editorial content, often seen on the covers and within the magazine’s pages. While the magazine didn’t publish fully nude photographs, it pushed the boundaries of sensuality, presenting women in provocative, yet tasteful, ways. Cosmopolitan’s use of suggested nudity aligned with the broader movement toward women’s sexual liberation during the 1960s and 1970s. It sent the message that women could own their bodies and be proud of their sexuality, which was a radical departure from the more conservative ideals that had dominated earlier decades.
While some feminists criticized the magazine for its bold articles and emphasis on beauty, fashion, and sexual attractiveness, others appreciated how it normalized conversations around sex, pleasure, and independence. Cosmopolitan provided a platform where topics like sexual freedom, birth control, and women’s desire for both personal and professional fulfillment could be openly discussed.
Cosmopolitan was one of the few mainstream publications in the mid 1960s and 1970s that openly discussed the use of birth control or “The Pill” which was FDA approved in 1960. Brown, a proponent of women’s reproductive rights, frequently included articles on the Pill, helping to normalize its use and inform women about their contraceptive options. This was crucial during a time when the use of birth control was still a controversial subject, and access to it was limited for many women.
The magazine’s support of the Pill aligned with its broader message of women’s empowerment, encouraging women to take control of their sexuality and make informed decisions about their reproductive health. In many ways, Cosmopolitan helped demystify birth control and promote its use as a tool for independence.
The history of Cosmopolitan under Helen Gurley Brown is a story of cultural revolution. The magazine became a defining voice of female empowerment during the Second Wave of feminism, embracing controversial topics like nudity, sexual freedom, and the Pill. While not without its critics, Cosmopolitan played a significant role in challenging traditional views on women’s roles in society and in promoting a vision of modern womanhood that was independent, sexually liberated, and unapologetically bold.
I look forward to working with you.
Britt
I look forward to working with you.
Britt
