If you’ve ever stared in wonder at some of the phenomenal images in such magazines as National Geographic, Leisure + Travel and Arizona Highways, you’re not alone. While every image might look like the photographer was simply in the right place at the right time (and this happens sometimes) many of these shoots actually require a great deal of preparation, vision and the occasional luck.

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making some of the great images for Arizona Highways. Photographic and artistic team John and Julie of J2 Photo Productions traveled up to Cherry Creek Lodge on June 18 and 19 to help tell the story of what makes the Lodge such a great place to visit. Cherry Creek Lodge is owned by GCJPR clients Sharon and Michael Lechter and will be featured in an upcoming publication of Arizona Highways.

The week before traveling up north to Young, John and Julie sat down with Editor Robert Stieve to discuss what his vision was and compiled a shot sheet. Whenever possible, it is always important to be a part of these discussions and suggest ideas based off a familiarity with the area. It could be the difference that provides the atmosphere for that perfect shot.

The first day of the shoot was dedicated almost entirely to scouting out possible locations. John was searching for an area that would offer just the right lighting conditions, tell a story and create a powerful image. After a few hours jetting around on the Lodge’s range rovers, a decision was reached on just the right spot. Jetting back to the Lodge set-up began for a dinner shoot.

Ever seen a natural and pristine looking set table filled with delicious foods and a smiling hostess? Well to create our natural shot required one burst light with a yellow-tinted filter, two flash soft boxes and just the right natural lighting from open windows. It was well over an hours worth of prep work for a single image; proof that the pictures valued most don’t often simply fall into place.

One of the best images of the shoot required an early wake-up at 4:00a.m. to begin preparations, make-up and carting gear over to the photo location. Again to obtain that natural look we were going for, Julie spent nearly an hour on hair and make-up on our beautiful model, a member of the family. The extra effort and blurry eyes were well worth it though upon review. The shot was nailed perfectly.

All told, the photo shoot was a great success. Each “natural looking” photo took a good deal of planning, vision and time. So remember the next time you see those great shots in the magazines, they came together through the vision of the photographer and hard work of his/her team.

To learn more about Cherry Creek Lodge or to book a stay at this wonderfully relaxing retreat amongst the Rim, visit www.cherrycreeklodge.com. Now is the perfect time to escape the scorching summer heat in Phoenix.

Photos credit: Matthew Dutile