Behind the scenes at an interiors shoot

What really goes on when you see a perfectly lit, perfectly styled image in a magazine? Do people really live like that? Read on to find out...

I have never been very good at sharing snippets and images from my life to that other place – whisper it – Instagram. It all feels a little too public and, as someone who values the beauty of a great photograph, I’m not sure I want to see piles of unwashed laundry and messy kitchens on my feed. I appreciate it might be interesting to discover that Jennifer Aniston’s dog did a wee on her rug or that Julianne Moore leaves wet towels on her bathroom floor (showing you that Hollywood stars are ‘real’). But do you really need to know that I haven’t yet washed up last night’s supper dishes?

Image for You magazine shot by Michael Sinclair, styled by Nicole Gray

That said, I thought it might be fun to share a little of what goes on behind the scenes of an interiors shoot for a magazine. You see only that perfectly styled, beautifully lit image – but what is the reality? Do people really live like that? Where are the piles of unopened bills, the stacks of magazines and recipe books with Post-It notes sticking out? Do they really add that many cushions to the bed every day? And - hang on a minute - how to they even see in that room, which appears to have no visible light source? Actually, come to think of it, there are no plugs visible for that lamp, either.

The other side of the room when the first shot was taken