Going for It
Model search grand-prize winner Danyelle Harp reflects on her experiences at the 2016 Chrome fashion shoot.
By Alannah Castro
 
When Danyelle Harp of Lake Stevens, Washington, stumbled across news of the Chrome model search contest, she summoned her inner courage and dove in. After being selected as a finalist, she rallied her friends and family during public voting and captured one of the coveted grand-prize winner titles.
Heading into the shoot, she was unsure what to expect. A pro photographer herself and owner of Magic Look Photo & Design, Danyelle’s more accustomed to being behind the camera.
“I didn’t really have any expectations because I’ve never done a photo shoot like this before,” she said. “I’ve done photo shoots as a photographer, but I’ve never modeled someone’s clothes before.”
After traveling to Fort Worth in August, Danyelle joined fellow grand-prize winner Jeremy White and several other finalists in a whirlwind two-day photo shoot at Three Nails Ranch in Cisco, Texas, for Chrome’s 2016 Winter fashion issue.
“It was really cool how they had all of our outfits laid out, and then they would accessorize it based on the hair I happened to have. That really took the edge off because I felt like they really personalized it ahead of time and during the shoot,” Danyelle said. “I didn’t realize how many things we would be doing. I was surprised by how efficient everything was, and having the other finalists there really balanced things out.”
Danyelle picked up a few tricks for her own style during the shoot.
“Looking at a rack of clothes, I probably wouldn’t choose the clothes we had. I’m a mannequin shopper: I cannot put outfits together, and I’m pretty basic,” Danyelle said. “It was really cool because we would do the basic tank top or t-shirt, and then layer it with fall accessories. I am obsessed with the boots we wore.”
Danyelle encourages everyone who’s interested in the opportunity to possibly model for Chrome to go for it.
“It’s perfect for someone who has experience in front of the camera, but it’s also great for someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time modeling and might be nervous about getting photographed,” Danyelle said. “I felt comfortable the whole time. It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m so glad that I found the contest and entered.”