Every summer on the Fourth of July, people across the United States gather in backyards across the country to celebrate our independence. Like any tradition, there are certain requirements for a great Fourth of July barbeque: hamburgers, hot dogs, backyard games, and red, white, and blue decor, for example. But, Family Fun Magazine recognizes that the key factor of any party is in the details and your own personal touch. Family Fun featured games, decorations, crafts, and recipes in their July issue to give their readers a little inspiration for making their barbeque unique. NYC photographer Sabrina Helas was enlisted to create the essential images.
“Ryan, the Photo Editor at Family Fun, emailed me on a Saturday morning asking me if I would be interested in shooting the story in Los Angeles. I replied the second I read it with a big fat YES! I had just moved to NY from Los Angeles so I thought it was funny that my first job in NY was going to take me back to LA.”
The art directors at Family Fun had specific shots in mind and created a story board for most of the shoot. They described the look and feel that they were going for to Sabrina, and then let her and her team put their touch on the images.
“I work with the same people most of the time so it was pretty much business as usual. The first person I called as soon as I was awarded the job was Heather Rome, my favorite stylist and friend. She is so creative! We bounced around ideas in regards to locations, casting and wardrobe and then presented them to Family Fun. Since it was a kind of homecoming, I wanted to cast a lot of my favorite kids who not only are so fun to work with but who I knew had the temperament to be on set for a fair amount of time. They were amazing!”
During the shoot their biggest challenge was the wind. Thankfully they had enough people to hold everything down and ultimately the wild Santa Ana winds left as quickly as they came in. Family Fun was happy with the images, and the process allowed for some new relationships to be built and old relationships to be cherished.
“I started working with a new Digital Tech, Zac Hardy, and he blew my mind. He was so nice and incredibly knowledgeable, not just in regards to digital capture but with everything it takes to create a great photo. I am sure you hear this all the time but it really boils down to the collaboration; everybody had a vital role to play and they did it with ease and joy. Being a part of a good crew is really one of the most rewarding things about this work for me. Oh, and the kids rocking out to Rihanna had us in stitches, I can’t hear “Work, work, work, work, work!” without laughing now.”
To view more of Sabrina’s work, work, work, work, work, check out sabrinahelas.com.