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Homer Tribune

Homer Tribune

Homer Tribune

HOMER -- As hundreds of shorebirders flocked around the Homer side of Kachemak Bay last weekend, John and Nelda Osgood saw more than a little excitement of their own as models and camera crews flew into Tutka Bay for a high-end fashion photo shoot featuring Izod brand clothing.

Members of the Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. spent two days shooting at Tutka Bay Lodge, having already finished shooting several photos at Knik Glacier.

"We were up shooting around the Palmer Airport and got some really nice shots out on the glacier. I saw some of the older planes around Palmer and thought they might be good for some of the shots," said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of Marketing for Phillips-Van Heusen. "Then, when we came to Anchorage and I saw the '55 Grumman Albatross, I knew I had to have it in the shoot. It's a beautiful plane."

Jon Osgood couldn't agree more.

"Once I saw them bring in that plane and I heard the engines, it brought back a lot of good memories for me," Osgood said, recalling his days of flying the behemoth amphibious aircraft.

Jon and Nelda Osgood hosted several of the guests, including providing meals and whatever props the crew deemed appropriate.

According to advertising and photograph manager Joani Walsh, it was all really just another day in the busy schedule of fashion photography.

"We generally set aside five days for a shoot, with one of those built in as a weather day," Walsh explained. "Our days are usually so long, we really get no down time. There's just no such thing as free time."

Walsh, who has been on the job for 11 years, said when models and photo crews get a day or two off, she and her team still have plenty to do with picking out wardrobe, packing and wrapping and coordinating things for the next shoot.

In fact, every piece of wardrobe is individually picked out, trimmed and fitted to the models.

"It's a pretty full schedule for us," said product and photo shoot coordinator Tarrah Amato, "It generally takes about three days to prep things for a shoot. We have to set up the wardrobe, scout out areas, check the weather and have everything ready to go when the models arrive."

Phillips-Van Heusen, which acts as an umbrella company for Izod, Bass, Arrow and Van Heusen, spared little expense to procure the setting, equipment and top models to do the job.

International models Chanel Celaya, Courtney Robertson, Sandrine Marlier, Forest Elander, Jeffery Young and Steve Vanda were on hand to work with photographer Troy Plota for the Izod session.

"We have to plan months ahead for these shoots," Walsh said. "It's a six-month process that begins with an idea. This was our fall and winter clothing line for Izod, so Alaska seemed like an appropriate place to shoot. We generally move to a location where we can capture the feel of the season. And we like to think of it all as a big, open canvas."

Last year, the crew traveled to Reykjavik, Iceland, for the fall/winter shoot. They even went so far as to sling in a bright red boardwalk by helicopter to add some splash to the photos.

Still, not much could top the splendor of Alaska's glaciers, mountains and plentiful wildlife.

"The glacier was pretty incredible," Amato said. "And we actually saw a moose or two. In New York, we generally don't see a lot of wildlife - unless you count the rats, cockroaches and pigeons."

Walsh agreed.

"This is a great environment," she said. "The people here actually smile, say hello and talk to you. And things are at an entirely different pace. I'm amazed that so many people from Alaska have told me that they don't even lock their houses. I have locks and alarms on my doors and windows, and I live in a pretty nice neighborhood."

"Every time we do a shoot, we try to do it a little better," Walsh said. "We find what is unique about a place and embrace it. Prior to working in this field, I would flip through a magazine, look at an ad and think, 'that's a pretty picture.' I had no idea just how much work went into it."

Both Walsh and Amato said they get feedback about photos from a shoot, but it's often surprising.

"When people see our shots in magazines - especially things like the glacier shots - they say it looks fake," Walsh said. "I tell them, 'Trust me, it's not fake. We froze our butts off doing it.'"

Look for photos from the Tutka Bay shoot in several fall publications, including the September issue of GQ.