We’re back to share our latest “Try This” column in Richmond’s R. Home magazine.
This time we offered a handful of backyard entertaining ideas across a three-page column. The chaos began, as it often does, when we had to shoot months in advance — a familiar challenge, like hunting down seasonal items long before they belong in stores. In this case we photographed our not-yet-blooming yard in March, hoping it would read like late spring in print.
To create a greener backdrop, the photographer and we positioned the patio table where evergreens and shrubs would fill the frame. It made sense for the tight magazine shot, but the behind-the-scenes placement was far from normal. Take a look: do you see the left table leg sunk into the mulch?
We swapped our usual black outdoor chairs for white indoor ones to achieve a lighter, fresher look — a choice that works well for a dry summer gathering. In our case, though, the weather had other plans: it rained for three days straight before the shoot. The first scheduled date was rained out, so we used our rain date instead. Wet grass meant extra precautions for the picnic setup, so we layered cardboard under the borrowed blanket to keep it clean and returnable.
We often get asked how our contributing editor process works and how ideas become a column. The editor-in-chief tells us the upcoming theme — travel, architecture, holidays, outdoor gatherings, etc. — and we spend a few days brainstorming concepts and pitching them back. For this issue, we proposed both a dressed patio table and a casual picnic, along with specific styling details to make each one pop. One idea was using a cake stand topped with fruit as a centerpiece.
Another suggestion was cheerful, handmade cheese labels to add charm to a picnic spread.
We also recommended filling a metal silverware caddy with ice to chill beverages — a simple, attractive serving solution.
From our list of ideas, the editor-in-chief picked her favorites and approved the column concept. Then the shopping begins. We source props and often borrow items “on approval” — stores allow magazine use provided the items are returned in excellent condition. Once the props are gathered we schedule a shoot at our house and set everything up for the photographer. There’s usually no prop stylist or lighting tech, so we improvise: holding up a sheet to block glare, crouching behind an arrangement to steady something, or otherwise adjusting details while the photographer captures the shots. It’s rewarding to see an idea evolve into a magazine spread months after pitching it.
We also like to do a trial run of the styling before the shoot. It’s far less stressful to discover a setup looks too crowded or too sparse in a practice session than on shoot day. For this issue we staged a rehearsal on the dining room table while the rain poured outside.
Here’s the finished spread from the magazine — the glossy, cheerful result of all that planning and improvisation. The odd table placement and the cardboard under the blanket are invisible in the final layout, and everything we borrowed was returned the following weekend (though we admit we were a little sad to give up that striped picnic blanket).
So that’s how our outdoor entertaining piece came together for R. Home. We’ve already completed another column slated for July — it’s a fun theme — so stay tuned for more.