My first photo shoot with kids! And it was so much fun. For our Mother's Day campaign, we had the idea to create a Superstars Reborn gallery. Portraits of babies and toddlers inspired by WWE Superstars past and present. There were so many directions this shoot could go, but keeping it sweet and simple was our approach. We brainstormed current and legendary wrestlers that were most recognizable and paired them with wardrobe or props that would drive their character home. We settled on 13 wrestlers.
Let the casting begin! I decided to start with the children of my colleagues. They would be the most excited and really enjoy the experience. There were so many great candidates! I didn't even need to hire through an agency. We went into this with the mentality of whatever happens, happens and it will be great. And it was. We had props and wardrobe that worked for each child so whatever they naturally did or could be directed into would make for great portraits. All of the children were so good and Chad found so many "in-character" moments. I think I laughed for most of the day. A child crying, giggling, or uncooperative was welcomed!
Chad Griffith recently started a personal project photographing kids so I collaborated with him on this. I really enjoy working with Chad and knew he’d make it an enjoyable day. Sofia Karvela pulled some really amazing options that she further customized on-set. My photo coordinator, Mary Poulos kept the day on track so that David Hilton and I could be on set. Charlie Hess captured the entire day for a WWE.com exclusive video.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the gallery, see the full gallery HERE.
Photography by Chad Griffith
Production and Photo Direction by Christine Reilly
Creative Direction by David Hilton
Wardrobe Stylist by Sofia Karvela
Photo Coordinating by Mary Poulos
Videography by Charlie Hess