Behind the Scenes at a Parents Magazine Cover Shoot

By Aileen Corr
August 28, 2008
Credit: Emma Creighton
Meet the Parents Cover Model Search finalists! After weeks poring over hundreds of thousands of photos, Parents judges selected the top 20 cover-worthy kids. All semifinalists were asked for a few more at-home snaps to help narrow the field and then five finalists joined us in New York City for a professional cover photo shoot.
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The Winner Is...

Name: Trevor Fowler

Age: 1 year old

Hometown: Okay, Oklahoma

See how Trevor transformed from a small-town cutie to a national cover model at our finalists' photo shoot.

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Meet the Models

Credit: Emma Creighton

We checked in on the shoot to see how cover kid Trevor and finalists Trey, Lauryn, Camden, and Hailey spent their day in the spotlight.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Getting one kid at a time to stay in the shot can be challenging. Getting five kids to stay in place? Five times as challenging.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Sharon Elcock, Parents Sittings Editor, described the cover model's on-set style: "Trevor's our silent star.... He's really laidback, just taking it all in. He models like he does it every day."

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Here's Trevor in his first outfit of the day, which he also wears on the November cover—a brown-and-blue striped onesie by Oeuf.

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Credit: Aileen Corr

Hair and makeup groomer Thora Gudmundsdottir applies some finishing touches to Trevor's look. "No groomer is going to use visible [hair and makeup] product," Gudmundsdottir explains. "It's more about making their skin yummy. I'll put on some lotion, like Kiehl's, just to make their skin look very soft and fresh. The great thing about kids is that they have great skin, so it's more hair than makeup...for kids from 4 on, I can do their hair, maybe use a curling iron, but younger than that I'll usually stick to spritzing with water."

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Credit: Emma Creighton

"It was so much easier when I took him to get pictures last time," Trevor's mom, Amanda, says, "He was 6 months old, and he couldn't go anywhere!" For this shoot, everyone pitches in as "baby wranglers," waving puppets, clapping, and joking to keep Trevor happy and in place while the photographer snaps away.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

After a long day on set, Trevor's back in his own clothes and ready for a nap on his mom's lap. "I'd read in the magazine that it's almost impossible to get your child into modeling if you aren't in a major city," says Amanda. "So when I saw the contest I figured this could be his one chance—but I never really thought it would go this far!"

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Finalist #1

Credit: Emma Creighton

Name: Trey Giddens

Age: 18 months

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Credit: Aileen Corr

What Elcock had to say: "Trey's our man-about-town. He's very flirty and his dimples are to-die-for."

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Finalist #2

Credit: Emma Creighton

Name: Lauryn Joppru

Age: 1 year old

Hometown: Champlin, Minnesota

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Credit: Emma Creighton

What Elcock had to say: "Lauryn is super-friendly and easygoing ... she has a really easy smile, and I can see her having longevity in this business."

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Finalist #3

Credit: Emma Creighton

Name: Camden Bates

Age: 1 year old

Hometown: Plant City, Florida

The experts on Camden's look: "He has classic looks—very cute, very boyish. You can easily see him doing an ad campaign."

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Credit: Emma Creighton

"I still haven't really told people why we're here," says Camden's mom, Brittany. "I told my 4-year-old daughter we were going to 'a meeting,' because I didn't want her to be jealous that we were going to New York on an airplane."

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Finalist #4

Credit: Emma Creighton

Name: Hailey Nurry

Age: 4 years old

Hometown: Avondale, Pennsylvania

Hailey is pictured here with her mom, Sarah, and 3-month-old baby brother, Brennan.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Here's Hailey getting her makeup done by Gudmundsdottir.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

"The only thing I was nervous about was that she wouldn't come out of her shell," says Hailey's dad, Jonathan, as he watches Hailey in the makeup chair for the fourth time that day. "But she's really warmed up now...She loves hair, makeup, and nails. She and her mom have their nails done every week, and have since she was 1.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Elcock says that the magazine's models aren't chosen for looks alone. "You can have a really cute kid who just doesn't like the camera and doesn't like to sit still...then you'll see a kid who's not the most gorgeous, but is extremely cover-worthy because of their personality."

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Camden (and mom Brittany) and Hailey (and dad Jonathan) relax between takes. Camden's in his favorite outfit from the day: his diaper.

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Credit: Emma Creighton

Five hours, 14 outfits, and several dozen diapers later, the shoot is ready to wrap.

 

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