Today's Shoot

I got a call this morning from the producer of the photo shoot to come in a little earlier than scheduled. "No problem," I said, "I'll be right there."

It was at a very well-known studio called Smashbox Studios. I've seen countless magazines where they've been credited as the location, but I've never actually been there. I have, however, sampled one of their matte base makeups while shopping with a friend at Sephora. She said it was the best for photo shoots as a matte powder is mixed right in. I didn't buy any, but I thought it was interesting information.

Like I mentioned, I was to play some sort of yakuza character. In fact, I was just a Japanese businessman. And I was to be photographed next to a harajuku girl and a DJ. The DJ was a cool guy and it was his first photo shoot. It was also the harajuku girl's first shoot, so I was the most trained of them all. Still, the whole thing felt a little silly.

Anyway, they asked me to get ready to shoot, so I waited around while they were setting up, and then took a look outside where a photo shoot was already taking place. A guy was standing just inside of a doorway, with a bluescreen for a backdrop. I watched for a little while and wondered if it was for the same photo shoot. Then the guy being photographed saw me and said, "Hey, how's it going?!" I said, "Hey, pretty good!" And then I walked back into the studio where they were setting up.

I walked up to one of the assistants and asked if the photo shoot outside was for the same production and he said no, it was for someone else. I said he looked kind of familiar. He was tall, with semi-mussed-up brownish blonde hair. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

The assistant said the guy was some "famous, famous guy. You know the one. Ashton what's-his-name..."

"Oh, Ashton Kutcher. Yeah, I thought he looked familiar. Hmm..." And then I went back outside to take another look. Immediately, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed up my girlfriend and told her I was just standing about 10 feet from Ashton Kutcher in a photo shoot. Truthfully, I was about 20 feet away, but who's measuring?

Oh, about the girlfriend... I just started seeing someone who I also happen to work with at the aforementioned office job. It's been a couple of weeks now and it seems a bit premature to call someone your girlfriend, but maybe I'm just being optimistic or hopeful. Then again, we're a pretty good fit and I won't question that part of it. I suppose I'll update my status as we go along. And yes, she knows about this site.

So there I am, on the phone, watching this photo shoot take place. And then I realize, as weird as this seems, it's actually pretty normal in Los Angeles.

And so I'm called in for my shoot, posing as the Japanese businessman, and somehow, I just don't feel so silly doing this anymore. After all, some famous guy next door is doing it, too.