BEHIND THE PAGE

The movies make it look like the most glamorous job in the world. Celebrity photo shoots? Fancy cars? Lavish estates? Check, check, check. But whether you’re the Editor in Chief at Vogue or this very publication, there is more than meets the eye—much more. Just ask 9-year-old Ella Kijek of Lake Forest. This fourth grader at the School of St. Mary won an auction item at her school’s annual Crusader Gala that put her in a coveted “guest editor” spot for a day as she shadowed Forest & Bluff Editor in Chief Erin Donaldson. “I love art and creating stories with pictures, so I thought it’d be really fun to learn more about how magazines use photos and words to tell stories about our community,” says Ella, who lives in Lake Forest with her parents, Michelle and Jerry Kijek, and the family’s Goldendoodle, Ziggy. “I loved shadowing Mrs. Donaldson, and the experience made me realize that you can use art in different ways. I would like to learn more about being an artist for a magazine so I can keep telling stories as I grow up.” With two photo shoots on the docket, it ended up being a busy day. “I’m not sure people understand how much discovery, planning, and patience goes into creating a magazine. When we started the first photo shoot, the subject was getting her hair and make-up done and then the stylist arrived with several outfits. She told me how she shops for all of the subjects, and she usually has to pick out clothes for people she has never even met. I’m not sure how she knows what to choose, but the outfits were all beautiful and fit everyone perfectly,” says Ella. “The subject tried on a couple outfits and then had to practice posing in the living room so the photographer could find the right light. There were a lot of details and steps to get just one picture!” Next up was a shoot at the Lake Bluff History Museum. “Mrs. Donaldson and the photographer explained how the story was about a Halloween event, so we didn’t want the background to look like the hot summer day that it was.” Ella praised her mentor’s patience, likening her to a “detective” that needs to be constantly tracking down new story leads and locations. “It’s a lot of hard work to make the pictures we see and stories we read come together. And it’s about teamwork. The Forest & Bluff team really seems to understand each other and have fun doing this job. I hope I find a job that I love with people who are fun just like they have!” Was it glamorous? Very much so, she says. There was even a celebrity appearance at the first photo shoot—a super cute canine named Hank. “He was so sweet. And I got to help make sure he didn’t mess up the shot,” she says, already clearly a natural. “He even started posing!” Look out Anna Wintour.