Jeff Wilson has photographed plenty of famous people over the years; a very partial list of his subjects would include Rick Perry, two of the Dixie Chicks, Lance Armstrong, and Bun B. But he says his mother and father have never been more excited about his work than when he told them that he’d be shooting Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines for the cover of this issue. “My parents are from Belton [an hour south of Waco], and they love the show,” the Austin-based photographer says. “They were not all that thrilled when I shot Bun B or the Dixie Chicks—they’re not that into popular music. But they’re way into HGTV.”
When Wilson and our art department met with the Gaineses in Waco for the shoot, he was pleased to discover that in person the pair were pretty much the same people his folks watch on TV. “The persona you see on the show is what I got over the course of the four or so hours that I was around them. They have a great banter and seem to enjoy each other’s company. They were a lot of fun.”
