11:30am. Friday. One of my part time day care days. Finally, after 3 weeks of a hacking cough, no voice, hoarse voice, chest pains, headaches, and dropping in constant need for sleep, I'm feeling better. I had to cancel an audition last week, cancel my classes I coach for the week before, cancel my son's scheduled shots, all because the cold virus turned into a bacterial chest infection for both me and baby Kana'i. No one else in the family got it bad because they got to sleep it off unlike mom; mom who must always wake up to tend the coughs and sobs of the children (who can otherwise end up at the ER not breathing from the throat swelling up😳), attend to their need for comfort in the day and night, give the nebulizer (steam mask breather machine that delivers medicine to open the passageways of the chest, lungs, throat and clear bacteria) every 6 hours, give the Antibiotics in morning and night, give the warm bathes and prepare the warm soups, therefore never getting enough rest or sleep herself...hence I was on strong Antibiotics usually prescribed for pneumonia. Anyway, because I could finally take the kids into daycare for a few hours this week, and the antibiotics cleared me all up except for the leftover minor nasally voice, I could continue some life of my own (about f***'n time!).

After my hair cut with Khole, at Macy's Salon in Honolulu, who I've been going to for 4 years now.

So this week's work life consisted of catching up on the aftermath of an informal fashion show I coordinated last weekend, organizing a wardrobe collection for today's shoot, yoga to try to maintain some figure and body vibrancy, meetings, consulting on model hiring for another upcoming fashion show, getting a gel polish manicure so that my short broken nails would look decently professional for the upcoming work, getting my hair trimmed to keep it on par with the industry expectations of clean ends and versitle, this morning was an audition, and in a few hours, the photoshoot I spoke of. And yes, the kids causing absolute havoc Inbetween....

My neutral pallet is always preferred for modeling jobs as it does not attract attention away from the fashions being featured. My short nails do better with the strengthening gel coat that goes Inbetween the base and gel color polish.

"So what is that like? " I get this a lot. "How do you run a fashion show?" "How do you audition?" "How do you prep for a Photoshoot?" "What happens at a Photoshoot?"

I can't tell ALL or I'd be breaking confidentiality, but I can tell some 😊...

The models wearing Poshd Fashions by designer and botique owner, Valerie Joseph.

So here are some pictures of the models I hired for an informal fashion show that took place last Saturday, at a Low Tea for Mother's Day. Three of these girls I trained myself, so I knew their caliber in performance would be clean, confident, walking with grace on heels, makeup done with detail and correctly, professional in attitude (which is the hardest part about hiring young models before they are experienced in out-of-school life); they were dependable, beautiful, and reputable, which is why I sought them out for my client. Luckily, our designer was amazingly open to working with them, under short notice, and happy to style them for her featured show. While the show was last weekend, it takes awhile for paperwork, the correspondences to go back and forth between the client hiring, the models, the staff involved. So my work this week I ncluded making sure everyone was satisfied with the results of performances, attendance to the event, exposure at the event, personalities of the team, and most importantly, compensation - which I just mailed out.

During the the actual show, models were required to show up ahead of time to learn the walk routine, get into the first outfit, confirm the outfit order with the designer and finalize the hair and makeup. I always bring my makeup and hair spray/accessories as there is always someone needing more concealer around their eyes, more eyeliner or an extra shade on the crease, blush, powder to soften a Cakey foundation job, or baby wipes to clean up...

The show taking place at Stage Resturant in the HOnolulu Design Center. More of Poshd Fashions can be found at Ward Center.

The Auditions. Well, can't tell you for who or where but I can say what is always the consistent thing:

• You have to be asked to come by an agent, casting director, or someone who is directly tied to that production. And then, you don't tell details about it others who might want to show up.

• Being on time to the appointment time you commit to, matters. Being more than ten min late is noted and an irritation to directors who also tell your agent...

• There is an expectation of hygiene - no bad breath, stained clothes, dirt under nails, food between teeth, sweat smells.

• there is an expectation of wearing clothes that match the part you are trying out for - that takes some research sometimes if I don't know the brand or the type of description being communicated.

• Most talent DO NOT get Most of the jobs they auditioned for. So that's the hard part...taking the risk for no pay after you've changed your work and family life to fit in that audition, washed and ironed those clothes especially for the part, bought a special foundation because that week you were so stressed you broke out and your Reg make-up won't cover it... It's not all glamour or everyone would do it.

• A lot of people are involved in the audition process so sometimes you are meeting multiple people at the casting, or being interviewed, being asked to bring photos, compcards, resumes, a portfolio book of work or sometimes not asked to bring anything because THEY'VE ALREADY GOOGLED YOU 😳 ...basically know, you can't please everyone or have all the perfect self marketing materials so, you are just a human meeting other humans like all other jobs 😉...except with heels or with a camera in your face.

What I wore to today's audition and my portfolio that was not looked through, since they already recognized me from previous work. By hey, you never know...

Today I was asked to speak many different lines in different tones, expressions, and scenarios all while standing in place with a blank colored wall behind me. Imagination. Comfortable being cheesey. Can't be shame in this biz.

And then there is right now... Getting the clothes together for a shoot. I have to make sure they are not wrinkled or stained and have matching shoes and underwear that won't show through...I hang them up on the mini garnet rack that will be then put in the car to drive them to the outdoor shoot location. Portable garnet rack - one of the things people asking me to bring thinking I had one so guess it's about time I had one. Business investments. Part of it.

While I'm waiting for the designer to come over (we are getting ready and going to location together), I am eating. Greek yogurt, oranges, blueberries, granola, flax seeds, cacao nibs, and honey. I eat light before a shoot so not to bloat or get tired. I try to eat before the makeup retouch so I'm not messing that up or having to Reaaply lip gloss after brushing teeth. Hair straightener is plugged in on standby, ready when I've finished this bowl.

So, I've got my hair pulled back to build on more foundation since I'm unfortuently still with hormonal skin (more in that in another post)... Talk after with updates from the shoot 😊...

Update: Shot in the hills above Kaimuki around sunset. Since it was a jewelry shoot, the shots were mostly focused on the face, hands, chest up. I need some updated head shots so hopefully these suffice. It takes a couple weeks for 300+ shots to be narrowed down to 20 usable shots (between the photographer, designer or production team). The editing of those final chosen is what takes long - to make sure the blemishes that can be subdued, are, the lighting enhancing the desired feature, the background distractions blurred if possible. It takes hours. Bout 5 of the entire shoot becomes actually ad (print) worthy due to overexposure a, the wind blowing a strand of hair, the jewelry not being straight like intended or getting half covered behind hair, or eyes closed (first time models have that as a common frustration) or an awkward body position makes the fashions unappealing...that is why modeling takes some patience and flexibility to adjust to the factors each moment of flash at a time...

It was fun today! Starting the mood is the hardest part. But once you get into the first 20 shots, modeling becomes natural. It's learning to block out the distractions of other people in the background starring, letting the product/fashions be the focus - not you, and keeping movements very slow and minimal to allow the photographer to catch that angle & feeling you give. Actual shots to come out soon...

@charity_poole

A Model Day

Mahalo