Some people ask me if the bed is photoshopped into the gorgeous images you see on my website. I can tell you that it is most certainly not! Teamwork is key, and I am very lucky to have some great people on board with my ideas who are willing to lug my big old bed and heavy mattress to the most inconvenient of locations! Nothing would happen without the dedication and efforts of these individuals.
If you are wondering what goes into a Jenny Aves photo shoot, here’s the answer: Tim arrives at my cottage at the crack of dawn, and dismantles the bed I’ve recently got out of. Yes, MY OWN BED is the one used in the shoots. I’ve said before that this is personal. My bed frame and mattress is unceremoniously loaded into James’s truck, and driven through narrow country lanes till we reach our destination. It’s then unloaded and assembled in position for the first shot.
Meanwhile, I’ll be in my shop with the people who appear in the images (I hate the word “models”) – local people from Mevagissey who’ve kindly agreed to join me on this mad journey, even if it means getting up before sunrise. We’ve all lived, we all have a tale to tell. I love the story of people’s skin, so make-up is kept to a bare minimum, as I’m a huge believer in keeping things natural, just like the environment that surrounds us here in Cornwall.
My Fiat 500 is crammed full of my beautiful bedding, I triple check my lists, and I join the team on location, where I make up the bed (everybody pitches in) and make a few tweaks. I’m a bit bossy, but nobody seems to mind; I’m really passionate about what I do, it comes from my heart.
Sally Mitchell, a truly talented photographer, understands my vision and philosophy of keeping things as simple and natural as possible. I like my linens and the environment to speak for themselves. Sal always has a thermos flask of coffee to keep us alert, and I’ve learned the importance of a snack box for all involved to keep energy levels up. And then…the magic happens. We go with the flow. We go with the unexpected. We welcome the unpredictable. We get some bonus shots. And we celebrate the end result, usually with a sandwich and yet more coffee eaten on the cold slate floor of my shop.
We’ve been lucky on all our photo shoots – the weather has always been kind, and the scenery simply stunning. The images you see are of my beautiful bed linens, enhanced by natural surroundings and friends.
