Alice in Wonderland Family Portraits

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly...I got to help a family create a lifestyle family portrait session photographed by good friends, Session Nine Photography, centered around this family's favorite story, Alice in Wonderland. SOOOOOOOOOO FUN!!!

You may recognize Christine Valero from a disco styled shoot I did a while back. I mean, how can you forget her awesome red hair?! Christine is a hoot! This girl is a fireball of energy and joy. I LOVE being around her. Her family is just as awesome, even their ridiculously strong, fluffy dog Delilah.

The Valero family drove all of the way up to the Westfork Trail in Sedona, Arizona to have their magical dreams come alive. I would definitely say it was WELL worth the drive. We got to use a run down apple orchard that had old stone and brick. Of course, the green ferns and grass were just as perfect to create the setting.

Christine didn't want the clothing to be the exact costumes of Alice in Wonderland, so we took what we could find in closets and created the Queen of Hearts (Christine), the Mad Hatter (Steve), Alice (Paris), Tweedle Dee (Valen) and the White Rabbit (Delilah the dog).

Christine also had great props such as vintage chairs, glass apothecary bottles, keys, mushrooms and the story of Alice In Wonderland, of course.

I mentioned this in the 40's style engagement shoot I posted about yesterday, but I LOVE working with clients that aren't afraid to think outside of the box and express what they enjoy. This shoot was not only fun to create, but the family REALLY enjoyed themselves. It was awesome to watch them bond during something that can often times be wild and nuts. Sure, there were some crazy moments - most can be attributed to Delilah the strongest dog in the world - but I don't think many families get to be creative in mall photo studios.

If you could have a creative family portrait session, what theme would you center it around?

I think Ryan and I would do something about being nerds. We both consider ourselves to be nerdy. We have glasses and geek out on our computers every night.

Make sure to check out more photos from the family portrait session on Session Nine Photography's blog!

40's Vintage Engagement Shoot

Last week I had the opportunity to style Annee and Scott for their engagement shoot with Stephanie Fay. Talk about some DREAM clients, Annee is a HUGE fan of the 1940's vintage style. ME TOO!!! So, naturally, Annee wanted to portray that in her engagement photos.

Once I arrived, she shared that the photography location was going to be in an airplane hangar with old airplanes. Is that perfect or what!?! She was already prepared with about 20 different outfit choices, and really just needed some help figuring out which dresses would be the best for the camera and location. Scott and Annee had even done some vintage shopping in NYC way before the shoot, and scored some perfect old man trousers for Scott.

I chose three different looks for Annee and two looks for Scott with a variation of a leather jacket.

I think this engagement shoot is a great example of walking a fine line between costume and reality. This couple appreciates the 40's era - it's a part of who they are as a couple, and I think that's very important to think about when preparing for a photography session. If you're going to invest in professional photos, make the most of it. Show your personality!!!

Even take your pets along with you!

Don't worry about what's cool, in style or if it's "cheesy". If you're creating something that YOU love, it's going to come through in the photos.

Of course, it always helps to hire an amazing photographer. Stephanie Fay is AWESOME!!! Seriously, check out her work and check out more photos from this amazing engagement shoot!

Eye Primer Battle

I'm a long time user of MAC paint pots, but recently decided to switch to Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer because I'm a person that likes change and trying new things. So, which product do I like best? Well, let's break it down...

Urban Decay's primer costs $19.00 at Ulta, which is more expensive that MAC's paint pot. It comes in four colors in a plastic squeeze tube. I like that you can't break it if you drop it (I do that a lot. Darn butter fingers!) There is 11ml in the tube, and a little dot goes a long way. It dries in about 10 seconds to a matte finish. I don't like the 10 second wait, but I do love the soft matte finish. BUT..the BIG question is, "Does it last?" It lasts for about 6 hours or so. I definitely end the day with some creases, but my eye shadow application is effortless.

MAC's paint pot only costs $16.50 and offers 9 different colors to use as your eye shadow base. It's .17fl, and is a gel consistency, which keeps you from grabbing too much primer. I don't like that you have to stick your finger into the pot or having to use a brush. A tube would avoid contamination or bacteria build up. I also don't love the glass container, but at least MAC recycles all used packaging. Application is just as easy as Urban Decay's product. It's ready to go the second you put it on your lids. Love that! As for the big question, it definitely lasts a good 10 hours. I have to take a wet cloth to my eyes and press pretty hard to get my eye shadow off.

So, in the end, I'm still a MAC fan!

944 Fashion Trailblazer

Something you should know about me is that I'm INCREDIBLY critical of myself and my work. I rarely take time to celebrate, and instead plow through to the next thing pushing myself to be better than before. BUT...TODAY...I'm taking a moment to stop and celebrate because 944, an awesome fashion, entertainment and night life magazine, included me in their picks issue.

AHHHHHHHH! (pause.) EEEEEK! (pause.) **HAPPY DANCE**

They have given me the title of "fashion trailblazer" and picked me as one to watch - words that I'm incredibly honored to be associated with. They mistakenly mentioned I'm a photographer. I would love to add that to the list of things I do, but I'm just going to stick to the styling part. =) Click here to check out the mini article or you can pick up a hard copy of 944 at one of their several locations. Click here to read the latest issue.

Pleated Skirts & Dresses

When I think about pleats ugly old man khakis and private school uniforms come to mind. However, this year I've started to see pleats in a whole new light.

Long, flowey pleated chiffon skirts, bright colored knee length skirts and origami pleated dresses have caught my attention.

Tell me, are you in love with pleats? Do you own any dresses or skirts? What are you pairing them with?