I'm probably the luckiest photographer on earth. I've done so many photoshoots over the last year that I've lost count. I've only been "in business" for 9 months. And yet all of my clients are AWESOME. Seriously, they are attractive and kind and fun to work with and I just feel so blessed to be able to do what I love and have these types of clients.
I met Kristine in January doing headshots for her production of The Man Who Came to Dinner at FCT. I took her "mug shot" headshot...where the director Ted, a good friend of mine, asked me to take headshots for the entire cast of 25 actors...and I had an hour to do it. :) So I literally lined 'em all up against a brick wall when they came outside, shot 3 or 4 pics of each, and sent them on their way. I knew they were just for the cast callboard (and not published pics or headshots people would actually use) but I couldn't help but want them to be really nice anyway. Only having a minute or two to not only shoot a good photo of someone but capture their personality (the way a great headshot should) is really tough. Lucky for me I had a bunch of lovely people to photograph! And Kristine was one of them. Her headshot was beautiful as she is a beautiful, vivacious person.
So when she contacted me a few months ago to take her formal headshots, I was thrilled. I was NOT thrilled when the misting rain all day nearly had me canceling the shoot. We decided to tough it out anyway, and went to Old Town Manassas to utilize some familiar stomping grounds. I knew there was a light filled parking garage and a train station with an overhang that would protect both my camera AND Kristine's hair/make up.
Our hour session stretched into 1.5 hours as we laughed and shared stories. Woman can't take a bad photo. Seriously, we had my favorite photo (the header) on shot #2. Kristine had her hair & make up done professionally by Stephanie Wickstrom at Tranquility Day Spa and she looked like a million bucks! She wore two dresses in eye catching jewel tones that flattered her skin tone and kept her jewelry simple. It was really a perfect session, and I think the results speak for themselves. I didn't feature just my favorite headshots but also the artsy pics we had some time to take. :)
It was my true pleasure to take these headshots for you, Kristine...may they bring you a ton of luck! I know that smile will stand out in any stack of casting photos. :)
Have a fantastic week! :)
So on Sunday, we moseyed over to Dana & Joelle's home in Manassas Park, to take pics of their beautiful 7 week old baby girl. We'd decided to hold the shoot indoors due to the 102 degree sweltering heat...not my favorite since I'm a natural light girl but their nursery has wonderful sunlight. Haha...a storm rolled in within 30 minutes and made the room dark. The lovely yellow walls, perfect for a nursery, are pretty much my own little photography nightmare, esp. when I hate to use flash (and even setting a custom WB with the ever changing light is a challenge)...but we made do. Sweet baby girl was having some major stomach issues, which made her a little less than thrilled to be in front of the camera. And yet we made it work, because that's what we do. I took photos that aren't necessarily my norm, although to be honest, since this was my first newborn session, I didn't really have a norm to compare it to. :) I went in with the idea that I was going to take these beautiful, serene, perfectly posed and dreamy baby shots, ones I'd planned out carefully and come prepared for. Ha! The best laid plans...the reality of a baby makes a careful plan go out the window. And you know what? That was just fine. I had just as much fun holding this little cutie as I did photographing her. I captured the strong bond that exists between mother & father, baby & parent. So that makes this session a win in my book. :) Thank you for letting us in on your special baby time, guys. You have a very beautiful and loving little family. :)
I have about 100 more photos from Bethany & Dave's wedding to finish editing. And then this Saturday I get to go to a local farm and photograph two gorgeous senior siblings, Marci & David. I'm super psyched at the farm backdrop...and at photographing siblings. How fun is that? :)
I hope everyone has a fantastic week ahead! Stay cool, stay dry! :)
Happy July! This summer is just zipping by already, isn't it? I must confess I'm not all that disappointed. As much as I love swimming and the ocean, I am not a summer girl. I hate the heat. My face becomes redder than my hair and it ain't pretty. I long for the cool breezes of autumn, the snowflakes and roaring fireplaces of winter, and the gentle warmth of summer. How I survived four years of college in New Orleans I will NEVER know. I just remember that I was sweaty most of the time and my waist length hair was a bit of a nightmare. :) We were some of the very lucky few who didn't lose power this weekend...thank goodness! Despite the a/c running full blast, we still spent a LOT of time downstairs in the living room as it's about 20 degrees cooler down there than it is up in our third floor bedroom. We fondly refer to the stair climb to it as "Ascent into Hades." :)
I've been editing Bethany & Dave's photos, exploring some new photography techniques and making business decisions for the 2013 season. There's so much information out there that it's hard to decide which path to take! I know what I'd LIKE to do, but there's only so much that a tiny new business CAN do. So I have to really weigh all of my options and decide what's the most important to focus on in this crucial time.
I am photographing a couples shoot at the end of July at a local (ok, 75 miles away) Virginia beach (the kind with a river, not an ocean)...and Brian and I decided to make a weekend of it and booked a room for 2 nights at a charming little waterfront B&B. We are VERY excited, mainly because our only vacation these days is the condo at Christmas when we visit my family...which is awesome, but Christmas is never really a vacation! :)
Trying to remain positive about the latest development in my treatment. Phase 1 of the chemotherapy worked really well and I have been ecstatic. It was a great month. Unfortunately, our insurance company (always great in the past), doesn't know very much about this chemo protocol and have refused to cover Phase 2, which was supposed to start tomorrow. The $11,000 out of pocket price tag is completely out of reach for us right now. It's horrible to think that I won't be able to continue treatment and keep getting better, but I am going to hope that an 11th hour solution comes through for us. I need to keep getting better! I love my clients (and my husband and family and friends, of course!)...and I want to give them so much more. I hate having to really struggle to keep up the energetic pace of my mind and my will when my body really doesn't want to cooperate.
I have an awful lot to live for, and a lot to give to the world. I am hoping I keep getting the chance to do that.
My darling husband asked me to take a few quick shots of him last night (at midnight) in his favorite birthday present, a t shirt from The Tutu Project. For those of you who don't know, The Tutu Project is about an average guy (and pro photographer) whose wife is suffering from cancer. In order to show his support, he's been photographed all over the place, in crazy situations, bare chested in a tutu (and he is a large, hairy manly man!)...it was a project that started as a labor of love to make his wife laugh (and became a huge deal to women suffering with breast cancer). It is exactly the sort of thing that my own prince charming does for me every day, especially when I'm sick and in pain, so he really wanted to support the project. Needless to say photographing my hubby in my old tulle crinoline and the t shirt, making the most ridiculous faces and "ballet poses" last night was the highlight of my week. :) He's a goofball with a heart of gold and I am ever grateful for his undying love and support. Please enjoy his um...lovely? Husky? photos. :)Stay cool and have a lovely Monday! :)
Bethany & Dave get married this Saturday!!! :) Today was devoted to creating their very own Inspiration Board. I kept a few images from Ashley & Hon's board that I can't bear to remove...like the bridesmaids and their adorable posing. And then I focused on images that reminded me not only of Dave & Bethany, but the whole essence that their wedding is gearing up to contain. Purple will play a big part...as well as elegant place settings, classic brick, well appointed rooms filled with light as well as antique furnishings and beautiful works of art...The Arts Club of Washington is classy and fun all at the same time, much like the pair who will exchange vows and dance the night away on Saturday night.
Tomorrow will be notecard day, where I write out all the various ideas I have for their photos. I should be receiving their timeline soon and I can't wait to finish mine so that I can print it out and tuck it safely in my Kelly Moore bag. :)
Wednesday will be all about chillaxing, although that for me often means scoping the blogs of the big photographers whose work I aspire to. :)
Thursday will be devoted to cleaning, charging, and packing all my gear. I'll go through my lists a million times and then pack my special little bag of extras to help my detail shots pop. Not a clue what will be in there this time but a trip to Michael's should help. :)
I am really excited that their wedding will focus so much on family. They have relatives arriving from all over. I'm so happy that I'll get to meet them all at the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. It'll be a great way to take some of the family portraits as well as get to know the people closest to the bride & groom. Makes things a LOT easier for the big day! :)
My rented gear arrives on Thursday and I am so excited not only to have the Mark II back in my hot little hands but also, the dream, the myth, the legend, the 50mm 1.2. I have drooled over that lens for so long that I can't believe it will be mine for four whole days. On Sunday after the wedding I'll probably be so tired that I won't get out of bed, but if I can I'll probably take all the portraits I possibly can of Brian and the doggies and anything else just to get use out of it. :)
I am thinking wonderful thoughts all this week for Bethany & Dave. They're such a sweet, genuine couple and I hope to do their wedding justice! :)
Happy Monday!!! :)
I will surely make time this week to eat some amazingly delicious Sea Salt Caramel Talenti Gelato. :)
I know, I know...I'm focusing on wedding photography. But I can't seem to stop taking headshots. I love the art of them, trying to capture the very essence of my subject, taking not only a flattering photo with good light and color and angle but something that will leap out of the pile of headshots in front of any casting director. They need to be shots that show the actor/artist to their best advantage in an accurate way, with enough expression to convince a director that the person is versatile, and they need to tell a story.
On Saturday, I met up with Kevin, a talented local actor who was sorely in need of new headshots. We utilized his brother's gorgeous property complete with infinity pool, waterfall, and woods. While the backdrops must be neutral and obviously not the focus of the photo, it doesn't hurt to have a change of scenery from my usual urban settings (parking decks, brick walls)...and in this case, I think the backgrounds enhanced the photos.
We took lots of good shots...which was easy since Kevin has rugged good looks and piercing blue eyes. But the shot above, one of my favorite types of up close & personal face shots, really jumped out at me while I was going through the film. It captured so many facets of his personality, and I think it's a shot that would really get some attention whether it's one of a hundred in a casting pile or hanging on a callboard outside the theatre. I've got my fingers crossed for him. :)
In other news, it was my darling hubby's birthday this weekend. Brian turned 29 on Sunday and we celebrated on Saturday with a lovely hibachi dinner with his parents, and then a brunch with just us on Sunday, shopping at Barnes & Noble with gift cards from my parents for him, followed by a Vietnamese feast on Sunday with our friends Krystal, Adam, Joelle, Dana, and their new baby Neva! Then I surprised Brian with tickets to the world premiere of a one man Irish dark comedy at the Keegan Theatre in DC. The show was short (about 70 minutes) and very well written, directed, and performed. We had a great time.
I always snap a lighting test photo of Brian on each shoot that I do. Generally it's just one shot in each location. Well, the first shot I took in the first location resulted in the photograph below. Even with a simple polo and lots of disreputable stubble, he's gorgeous. I am a lucky, lucky woman. :) Anyhoo, I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. I have a jewelry shoot for Natural Treasures by Deb this Saturday, and then the following weekend it's Bethany & Dave's glam DC wedding! I am so excited for them. :)
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