Jeff...

Jeff contacted me from ModelMayhem and I decided to shoot with him. He had a lot of really great work in his portfolio which made me a little nervous. Shooting a male was really different. I felt like a fish out of water. I was very nervous, and awkward. I am not sure if I will be shooting anymore guys any time soon, but shooting with Jeff was definitely a great experience. He knows how to pose and has many expressions which is always nice. All I was hoping for was to get him a couple images that he actually liked. I think I succeeded but I still have a few more to edit.

I tried to use harsher lighting and not try to shoot him how I shoot the women that I work with. I wanted to add a bit more of a manly element to the shoot, but he also wanted some more commercial looking images as well. He was very understanding in the fact that I don't usually shoot men, but he still wanted to shoot with me anyway.

Thanks Jeff!

Collaborations...

I am definitely going to start working on more collaborations. A couple weeks ago I did a shoot with a great model, Lauren, and she proposed that we shoot with her friend that has a jewelry line. After that was set up, she contacted a makeup artist and I contacted a hair stylist. We had such a great time and everyone was so incredibly talented!

The jewelry designer was Katie of www.dollybirddesign.com. Her pieces are handcrafted, and so incredibly uniques and gorgeous!

I just loved working with all of these ladies. I am hoping that we all collaborate again in the future! Here are a few shots we got.

Karina...

I scheduled a last minute photoshoot with a girl from Model Mayhem. I wasn't sure how it was going to be as the girl didn't have very many photos in her online portfolio.

When she showed up at my place with no makeup on, I was floored. She had such an incredible natural beauty. Not only was she beautiful, she was talkative, funny, and nice.

It was probably one of the most fun photoshoots that I have had in a long time. She was a little nervous at first but that is expected for new models, she quickly loosened up and was a natural at posing.I did her makeup for the shoot , and she did her hair. It was a blast working with her, and I hope to work with her again real soon!

Logo...

I am trying out new logos. I have always known that I wanted a simple logo and a simple yet beautiful business card. I want something that says something about me but is also professional.

I think this design fits me well! I added a bit of hot pink in there just for a little flare of personality but overall, I shoot clean and professional work so I wanted my card to be a very clean, simple, yet modern design.

Here is what I have so far:

Perfection, what I thought I wanted...

It's funny how things happen in your life that finally make you go "Aha!!". I had that moment today. I was looking through the work of a young photographer and I kept thinking to myself, "wow..,what creativity! man, he has some talent." Well, I am sure he does have talent, but one thing he has that I lack is the power to make images that he carefully creates and thinks through, images that say something about him and his vision.

I constantly feel like I am striving to make photographs that other people will love, or that other people will think are amazing. I have been going about this all wrong. I think that the minute that I finally let go and try something different for a change, is going to be the day that my photography starts blowing ME away.

I want to take pride in the work that I do, but I also want to have fun doing it. The last few shoots have felt like a chore. I feel like I need to make everything perfect for the perfect portfolio. Well the truth is that I have not been doing this that long! I need to experiment and grow, I shouldn't be limiting myself to what I think I am good at right this minute because I have only had around a dozen photoshoots.

This experimenting that I want to do will cost me though. I need more lights. I have decided to save up to get speedlights so that I can further my creativity by not being limited to a studio setting with cords, I will not be tied down.The, even modest priced, speedlights are about $200 per light then you need adapters, modifiers, and stands...but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

I need to be able to know what it feels like to just grab a person and run to any location that inspires me and start shooting something that feels right. I need the experimentation, I need the freedom, I need to be able to be creative again, and most of all I need to know what it feels like to make mistakes so that I can learn as much as possible. I just need right now. I have been so busy giving, giving all of myself...well more of myself than there is. I have been spreading myself too thin and trying to force a perfect portfolio from my camera without any imagination or creativity!

I will continue to shoot beauty work, I will shoot portraits, but I also want to shoot ideas and feelings, moods, and just anything that makes ME feel good. I need to feel good about the choice I am making to start a career in photography. I need to not worry so much about getting clients, being professional, doing things perfectly...because if I let myself go and I feel good about what I am shooting then the rest will take care of itself.

At least...that is what I hope happens!!

Alanah...

So, the shoot went well. Alanah was an awesome girl. She is very new to modeling so I kept it simple and only worked on getting her a great portrait for her portfolio. I think the results are great for her being so new to modeling. She was great to work with and hopefully we will shoot together again sometime.

I did the makeup myself. I kept it very natural with a bronze look. She has a great tan and I had a background paper that matched her coloring. I loved how everything was so cohesive. I am a bit of a perfectionist and sometimes I feel that interrupts the artistic flow because I am so wrapped up in all the little details. That is one thing I am going to try and work on, to relax and have fun with shoots.

Scheduling...

I am no longer working during the week now due to scheduling differences. I need to stay home and be with my daughter at this time. I will be working my regular job on the weekends. The good thing about this is that I will have some time to shoot! Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I would never have another photoshoot ever again. Hah.

Anyway...tomorrow I am supposed to work with a very beautiful girl. We are set to do some natural type beauty shots. The only thing is that I do not have a makeup artist scheduled because the shoot was scheduled last minute. I am going to be doing the makeup. I think I have decided to go with a very natural golden summer type of look. I am very nervous but hopefully everything will turn out ok.

I am going to keep everything very natural and easy because I am no makeup artist, that's for sure. Moisturized skin, golden eyes, bronzed cheeks, a really light but shiny lip, natural looking false lashes if we need them, and a shimmery highlighter. I should probably pick up some golden or nude nail polish too.

Wish me luck!!!