The publicity photos you see in magazines like the one at the left may look
simple enough, but a lot of work goes on behind the scenes at Days
and NBC to make sure those photos come out perfectly. Of the hundreds of
shots NBC photographer Chris Hansen takes, only a few will be selected
for use as publicity stills. Now while we all know Kristian is naturally stunning,
getting her ready to have her picture taken does require some help from hair,
makeup and wardrobe.
The first thing Kristian did when she arrived for this shoot was look through the wardrobe racks for something to wear. After a lot of searching and consulting with Days wardrobe stylist, Richard Bloore, Kristian settled on a navy cotton shirt and navy cargo pants for the first set of photos, and a cream-colored suit and ribbed top for the second set. This year's crop of pictures called for the actors to wear either black, cream or navy, and Kristian chose the latter two colors.
The next stop is hair and makeup. This particular day was a busy one for the hair and makeup staff because in addition to getting some of the actors ready for the photo shoot, the staff was also putting cuts and gashes on those whose characters were caught in the earthquake that hit Salem during May sweeps.
Hairstylist Garry Allyn begins by blowing out Kristian's freshly washed hair to make it smooth and sleek. Her hair has a bit of wave to it, so Garry uses a big round brush and a hairdryer on low heat to pull it out straight, misting it with water to prevent any frizz.
Once Kristian has her hair straightened, it's over to the makeup chair where Corina Duran works her magic. Kristian doesn't need a lot of makeup, but Corina applies just enough to enhance her natural beauty. Like all the actors at Days, Kristian has her own huge, clear, plastic makeup bag that Corina and Kristian select products from, but occasionally, Corina comes in with something new. On this day, it's a tube of Chanel Glossimer Extreme lip gloss in Whisper. Kristian really likes it so she applies it over her neutral colored M.A.C. lipstick. Corina skips the lip liner on Kristian, whose lips are so well-defined they don't need it.
Corina sweeps some NARS blush on the apples of Kristian's cheeks. On her eyes, she uses Chanel shadow. She also sweeps a darker shadow below her lower lashes with a liner blush to define them. Kristian's lashes are then curled with a Shu Uemura eyelash curler and are finished off with a couple of coats of mascara. A dusting of M.A.C. Studio Fix powder keeps Kristian's makeup looking fresh.
Then it's back to Garry's chair where Kristian has the finishing touches put on her hair. Garry smoothes out her hair here and there with a curling iron, then teases it and applies hairspray to hold it in place.
Now it's time for pictures. We head over to a vacant soundstage on the NBC lot that the publicity department has set up for the cast's photo shoots. It takes weeks to get through everyone because of all the schedules that have to be juggled, and Kristian (and Peter) was among some of the last to be photographed.
On the stage, there are two backdrops, each with a chair placed in front. At the back of the stage is a rack of clothing and the changing area. Peter emerges from behind the curtain wearing a blue shirt and a pair of jeans.
Plenty of people are milling about, including the publicist for NBC Daytime, and the Days publicist and intern. Corina and Garry have also made their way over to assist Kristian with any last minute touch ups. Photographer Chris Hansen has his camera set up on a tall tripod that requires a small ladder to reach. The camera is connected with cables to two Macintosh computers, and as Chris snaps away, those who are watching can see the images instantly as they pop up on the screen.
Finally Kristian
and Peter are ready for their closeups. Chris has already taken Peter's
solo shots, so now he photographs the two of them together, both dressed
in navy blue. Upbeat music plays on a nearby stereo to liven the
mood and keep the actors spirits up. It helps the photographer mainatin
his level of energy as well.
Kristian and Peter are so comfortable with each other that they move around from pose to pose pretty effortlessly. When Chris is satisfied he has some good shots of the two of them, Peter takes off and Kristian poses for her solo shots. Then she changes to her cream-colored outfit and Garry fixes some stray hairs that are out of place, while Corina helps Kristian applies a fresh coat of lip gloss. Then it's back in front of the camera for a final round of shots.After nearly three hours, we're finally finished. Kristian thanks everyone and poses one last time with Garry and Corina for my camera. It's been a long day for everyone, but the pictures have turned out great. Kristian is lucky to have such a great team behind her helping her to look her best and do her job.