Oops—our bad. We briefly mentioned our photo shoot for Better Homes & Gardens’ Do It Yourself magazine two weeks ago and then left you hanging. Here’s the full story: what happened, who was involved, and what we learned about how a national magazine stages a home shoot. We hope you’ll forgive the tease and enjoy the behind-the-scenes look.
For anyone new around here, Do It Yourself is a quarterly special interest publication from Better Homes & Gardens. Their team arrived in Richmond with a van full of props and spent 48 hours at Casa Petersik photographing almost every room in the house. The plan is a before-and-after feature that will be distributed across their 2009 issues, and to our delight they invited us to contribute. Not only will we appear in print, but we were asked to write all four accompanying articles. We’ll be able to keep our own voice—first-person, blog-style—but with magazine polish.
The experience was a crash course in professional photo production. The crew arrived with a clear plan and ran an efficient operation: styling, staging, lighting, and shooting room after room. Below is a quick introduction to the team who transformed our house into a magazine set.
On the far left is Beth, the editor for Do It Yourself, who managed the creative direction. Sitting beside her is Cat, who helped style and coordinate the shoot. Together they decided on placement, accessories, and the overall look for each room—flowers here, an ottoman there—ensuring every frame read well on camera. Their attention to detail was impressive and generous: they took time to explain choices and to make sure the rooms showcased both the house and the personality of our home.
The photographer, Erik, and his assistant Piper were in charge of translating the styled scenes into photographs. Their professionalism was evident: they adjusted angles, controlled depth of field, and used reflectors and diffusers to shape light and mood. You’ll have to wait for the spring issue to see the final images, but their approach emphasized clean composition and real-life warmth.
Outside, the crew worked just as carefully. Even on a sunny front yard shoot they used reflectors to balance light and avoid harsh shadows on the house façade. It was fascinating to watch how subtle adjustments—moving a throw, cropping a vignette, or changing a vase—could improve the visual story of a room.
We weren’t just observers. Sherry and I pitched in when needed—holding a reflector steady in breezy conditions, rearranging items for better balance, and doing small housekeeping tasks that helped the day run smoothly. I, being the dutiful spouse, spent part of my time photographing Sherry hard at work, because documenting the behind-the-scenes felt important too.
The pace was intense—they captured 32 different rooms, scenes, and details over two days—but the atmosphere was upbeat. The crew were funny, thoughtful, and collaborative, and when the long shooting days wrapped up we enjoyed their company over a couple of dinners around Richmond. Those breaks felt like the perfect reward for a productive day of creative effort.
Part of the shoot involved a few quick shopping trips to add extra props. Our house was nearly ready for the camera, but small additions—colors, patterns, and tactile elements—helped the images pop. Sherry will share more about propping techniques and styling tips in a separate post, which should be useful if you’re prepping your own space for photos.
Finally, a reminder that magazine shoots are about storytelling as much as aesthetics. Even furniture placement wasn’t sacrosanct: sometimes a table had to be moved to improve the line of sight or to strengthen a composition. So if you see our coffee table missing from a page, don’t worry—it surrendered its spot for the sake of the shot.
Overall, the magazine shoot was an incredible learning experience: a mix of meticulous planning, creative styling, and technical photography. We’re excited to share the final spreads when the issues are released and to write the accompanying pieces that describe the work and the stories behind our home. Stay tuned for more propping tips, styling notes, and, of course, the glossy photos.