It was a rainy and cold Valentine's week here on the East Coast but we were already thinking summer movies. In fact, we've already done a fun photo shoot with three of the big-name actresses you'll see in the sure-to-be blockbuster summer fare: Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) and Liv Tyler (The Incredible Hulk). These three talented women and young mothers gathered in New York and our deputy photo editor Sarah Claxton was there to make sure the day went smoothly. That's not as easy as it sounds, considering there's a walk-in closet full of designer clothes, a stylist, photographer assistants, hair and makeup people, catering and...well, you get the picture.

Sarah's day began with an ice storm in Washington, D.C. and rain in NYC but as she tells it, "Luckily, I had stolen my roomate's umbrella in the rush out the door at 6 a.m. so my hair didn't suffer the effects of
the torrential downpour. You want to look your best when standing in a room with three gorgeous women. I won't even tell you how long it took me to decide what to wear." 

The shoot took place at a large studio in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and Sarah, with photo editor David Baratz, began by reviewing wardrobe options - a task Sarah says "will make any girl dream of being a stylist.  We had a walk-in closet and racks and racks of the most beautiful designer dresses."  The stylist had narrowed down choices to the ladies' favorites. David, photographer E.J. Camp  and Sarah were able to choose a couple different outfits in a purple palette. "They really complimented each other and each of the girls — not that it's difficult for them to look amazing."  Each of the very tall stars had her own hair and makeup person so it didn't take too long to get them all looking even more perfect.  "They looked fantastic in their dresses and two were wearing heels," says our petite 5-feet-2-inch Sarah. "For me it was like staring at giants."

For the first set-up there was upbeat music (but, no, no Coldplay or Aerosmith.) Says Sarah: "It was high energy and super fun.  We were on that set for about half an hour, then we had a quick wardrobe change into more beautiful dresses but same color scheme and went to the next set. This was a little more relaxed.  We listened to some Aimee Mann and some acoustic covers. It felt really intimate and comfortable, a great ambience." 

Given all the people and the tasks at hand, the ladies seemed really comfortable, says Sarah. "They really seemed like old friends, so sweet and a lot of fun."

(photos courtesy Paramount Pictures, flickr and Columbia Pictures)