Last month we shared an Instagram photo that wasn’t one of our usual casual snaps — we even mentioned in the caption that we’d put on makeup for it. That image was taken on the set of a photoshoot for Richmond Magazine’s annual Best & Worst issue, a reader-voted roundup that highlights favorites across categories ranging from Best New Restaurant to more playful picks like TV Anchor Who Never Ages.
To our surprise, we didn’t just appear in the issue: we were named Best Local Instagram Feed. When Richmond Magazine called to tell us, we were genuinely stunned — and thrilled. The short blurb they included about our feed made the recognition feel even more special.
The magazine invited us to be photographed for the issue, which was a fun change of scene since we’re usually photographed at home. Photographer Matt Licari, along with set designers Stephanie and Chad Jacobson, created a striking black-and-white backdrop that gave the shoot a bold, graphic look. It turned out to be a fantastic substitute for our usual surroundings.
Because the feature was Instagram-themed, the setup called for selfie-style poses. For authenticity, we pretended to take selfies with a phone — in fact, the phone used on set belonged to the magazine’s Creative Director because our own phone cases were considered too distracting. The onscreen image was composited later in Photoshop to complete the look.
Matt kindly sent along several outtakes from the session, and we loved seeing the candid moments behind the final shot. The outtakes reveal the playful side of the shoot — including a few expressions that prove not every photo requires a wide-open mouth, though plenty of ours do.
We tried a few shots with Sherry holding the phone, which left me in an awkward squat for balance. Clearly, being a model isn’t always comfortable, but it was a lot of fun to play along and get creative for a change.
We want to extend our thanks to Steve at Richmond Magazine for inviting us to participate and to Matt Licari for letting us be silly in front of his camera. Most of all, we’re grateful to the local readers who voted for us — your support made this recognition possible. As we joked with the magazine team, we’re still waiting to find out whether the award comes with a trophy, a sash, a novelty check, or a key to the city. When it does arrive, you can be sure we’ll Instagram a photo of it.
Photographs by Matt Licari, courtesy of Richmond Magazine.