The thing about coffee machines is that they might prove to be far more complicated to operate than their simple, minimal appearance suggests.  That’s why every morning without fail, before a photo shoot begins, I gather my clients around the studio’s last generation Nespresso machine, and I proceed to show them step by step how it works. For most but not for everyone, morning coffee is essential to jump start the day. It is also the time where the team gets to meet before the craziness begins.

During this moment, I’ll catch a glimpse of everyone: from the model who just flew in from New York, is rolling on 2 hours of sleep and has already consumed probably too many coffees to the production manager who MUST keep it together.

Photographers, models, nail artists, stylists, producers, make-up artists, hairdressers, light designers, assistants will all take a sip before attacking a 10-hour day (assuming everything goes as planned, which is not often the case). Then it happens: coffees are set aside, and the show begins. Flashes go off, models come in and out of the changing rooms, sets are built and taken down and assistants just try to do their best. For at least 10 hours the studio can turn into whatever floats the set designer’s boat … and sometimes it’s literally a pool. And then, at some point, the photographer takes the last shot. The storm is over. As Ubers start coming and going, someone is already on their way to their next flight.  The studio is empty again.

And to think that it all started around a coffee machine.