Tom Corbett traveled – by ferry, and with his team and equipment in tow – to Mackinac Island for the holiday issue of Somerset Collection magazine. The Grand Hotel, located in the 3.8-square-mile city between Michigan's peninsulas, provided a magnificent backdrop for "Grand Tradition," one of Corbett's fashion stories in the edition. "The theme of this year's holiday magazine is classics – elements that remain forever – and there's a huge sense of tradition at the Grand Hotel," pointed out Kathy Moore, creative director. "Guests still have to dress in a very formal way for dinner and there's other customs; however, the space is world-famous and has been photographed again and again, so we wanted to bring a new, modern perspective. Tom shot it in a way that it appears unknown to most people."

Moore and Corbett scouted much of the island ahead of the two-day shoot and storyboarded enough frames to convey the full Mackinac experience. "At each and every location, Tom surprised me with the level he's able to take it to," Moore remarked. "He photographed in diverse areas – some were interior, dark hallways and a lot were outside, even in the water. A member of his crew stood in the cold water outside of the frame to get the correct lighting for the picture of the model standing on the rocks." She called the photographer innovative and open to other's ideas, noting: "For the image of the girl laying in the hay, where it looks like the sun is coming in through the sides of the stable, it's actually artificial. There's artistry in that."

Interestingly, the team had to traverse the island using horses and buggies. "There are no automobiles on Mackinac, so we moved the equipment with those," Moore said. "The Grand Hotel refers to them as 'taxis.' "



Credits:

Stylist: Cannon at Judith Casey

Hair: George Ortiz at B&A

Makeup: Keiko Sudo at Bryan Bantry