Travelling the world to create epic campaigns is a dream job. Most of our team have worked together before, but after each photoshoot we find our Billabong family expands with those we meet along the way.
Working while being away from home means emotions and stress can run high. When weather turns or travel plans change, we work together to keep up the good vibes.
Here’s a day in the life of shooting our new campaign in Bali.
MORNING
It’s always an early morning on shoot day.
As soon as our alarms shock us awake, we check the weather forecast and surf conditions of the day.
We scout out the location the day prior to know exactly where we want to shoot, so we can just pack and dress to get out there as soon as we can.
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Our head photographer Steve Baccon and our videographer Mike Calvino bring their own gear, so while they pack, our Billabong girls Josie Prendergast, Marina Alonso and Grace Kama prep with our hair and makeup extraordinaire Satya Schmitz and stunning stylist Catie Allen.
Ensuring we have all the surf outfits and boards, we check in with the locals to check their thoughts on weather and surf, then bring the team together for breakfast before driving to our first location.
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While our Billabong girls slip into our Spring swimwear and slap on some extra sunscreen, Steve and Mike set up tripods and other equipment, looking for great compositions in the soft morning glow. Travelling as light as possible, we rarely require heavy structures or complicated set-ups. We try to keep it simple for shooting on the beach.
Our crew work their magic, capturing what they can in the morning sun. As the light is constantly changing, opportunities usually present themselves by surprise, so it’s important to capture as much as we can as quickly as we can.
Once we’ve shot as many looks as possible, we grab a quick bite to fuel up for what will most likely be a 12-hour day.
While waiting for food, our team will look through the shots they want to edit.
MIDDAY
Maximising the time at each location is key, especially with light moving and shifting every
minute of the day. Clouds can drift over at any time so we must make the most of the light we have.
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On this shoot, we kept hair and looks natural, keeping skin dewy and glowing - the Bali heat helped with that too!
AFTERNOON
These long days ask us to keep the energy up, even when the heat of the day has settled in.
Scouting the perfect location to achieve the mood we are after sometimes takes a little longer than usual, especially when we are in an area we’ve never been to before, but sunset is always a magical time of day for trying out new looks and feels.
EVENING
Winding down from the long day is all about chilling with the crew.
Steve and Mike start sorting through the raw footage while we pack up and prep for the next day. Then we all have dinner together, experiencing the local cuisine wherever we go.
We usually try to give ourselves some free time either side of hectic shoot days to relax.
Next day? We’re doing it all again in different locations. But what helps us get up and get out there is knowing that what we create in these beautiful places will inspire women to get out there too and explore this wonderful world we live in.
