Upcycled Tie Necklace - Bo Peep Knitted Scarf

I've had several requests to see the tie necklace in action. Link in the previous post on how to make one of your very own. Of course the concept is to upcycle a tie that is wasting away in the wings... but I LOVED this tie. I had visions of how lovely it would look on Alyssa... what do you think?

I'm obsessive about making props and accessories for all of my sessions to give them a little something special.... I found this adorable scarf pattern on Etsy called Bo Peep and whipped it up for the session.

Necktie Necklace

Super simple project that you can complete in less that an hour. A perfect accessory for portraits. This little darlin' was whipped up for a senior session I have this week. Tutorial can be found HERE. Go UPCYLCE a tie today.

A day in the life..... Photographer

I wanted to share this post with you to demonstrate how much time and preparation goes into a single session. In fact, I feel that for me, this first stage is where I spend the majority of my time. The planning stage is critical to my work. The complete success or utter failure in achieving the kind of portraits that clients come to me for hinges on preparation.

I am not sure how other photographer's plan for sessions but I begin by getting to know a bit about the client's interests. I let that marinate in my mind for a few days. Eventually I'll get an idea - sometimes it's just a hint of an idea. I will then start doing research.I look for inspiration based on the information that I have and a theme begins to emerge. These concepts begin to dictate the types of props and wardrobe needed to pull it all together.

Most sessions require more than one look. Therefore this process has to be repeated for each set, wardrobe, and prop change.

For instance, a client came to me for family portraits. She had a particular vintage-y line of clothing in abundance. I spent 3-4 hours pouring over the site putting together looks so that the children wouldn't look too matchy-matchy nor too busy or contrasting. Because time was of the essence (I didn't have time to wait for items to be shipped) I had to hand make accessories (25 frayed fabric roses to be exact) mustaches, eyeglasses, and lips on-a-stick. I also made a vintage style banner strung on twine to display the family's last name. I purchased bushel baskets from a local antique store with over a dozen apples.

Next I had planned vintage finds with petticoats and satin sashes. The client was supposed to get the pettiskirts and I was instructed not to buy them. The night before the shoot - NO PETTICOATS. I had already planned and purchased props for this look. Soooo, I spent an evening at the mall desperately searching for any kind of petticoat or crinoline for little girls. Out of options and out of time, I had to concoct pettiskirts made out of slips that were not even available in the girls' sizes. An evening of sewing-on-the-fly for me. Floral wreaths and vintage hats were purchased at antique stores to round out the look.

Later that night, I head over to my studio to spend the night as it's 30 minutes away from where I live. I pack the car up with all the props (if on location) print out inspiration guides and make sure I have yummy snacks on hand and bottled water.

The actual session is a juggling act. Trying to get everyone to relax and be natural. You've got to be a comedienne and a conversationalist all in one. All this while trying to adjust settings for creative exposure,bokeh, lighting, focus and composition. Coming up with a variety of poses and angles that flatter. Whew.... I'm worn out.

Lastly comes the editing. I usually spend no less than 8-10 hours on editing. I know that I shouldn't spend this amount of time but I really enjoy expressing my creative point-of-view during this process. The images are then uploaded to online galleries for viewing and custom products. The CD's are sent in custom packaging with handmade touches.

Ahhh... a day in the life

The petticoat slip before...

...now proper pettiskirts with dupioni silk sewn to create the skirt waist

Frayed Fabric Roses

Fun props-on-a-stick

Rock The Shot Photo Challenge - Elements of Fall

Growing up in Texas, I remember raking leaves into ginormous piles and then jumping around scattering them everywhere.  Living in south Florida we don't really have a fall season. Rarely if ever, do the leaves even change colors. That being the case, this certainly was a challenge on how to create the sense of fall for this month's RTS www.rocktheshotforum.com photo challenge.

This picture was taken two days ago for The Measure Designs fall/winter line. I wanted to add elements of the cold seasons so I incorporated rich colors and a Red Riding Hood theme. What says fall more than a basket of new crop apples for Grandma?

Red Riding Hood - Child Photographer Riverview Florida

What a beautiful little girl I had the privilege of skipping through the grassy fields with!

I received a message asking if I'd like to photograph the latest design from The Measure Designs. The only problem was she needed the images within less than a week. Of course I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this but I'm so OCD with planning for my sessions... and I didn't have a model, yet.

When I saw a picture of the dress I'd be working with, visions of Red Riding Hood were swirling around in my mind. Thank goodness this cape was easy enough to whip up in an evening. Aliyah was the perfect fit for a modern day Red Riding Hood. A big thank you to Aliyah and her mom Jessica for being such willing participants. I must send out a BIG THANK YOU to Ms. Measure Designs for picking lil' ol' me to photograph her beautiful dress.

A dozen roses......fabric that is

These are simply the easiest fabric roses EVER! I have literally made tons of these in no time at all. Why oh why did I not do this before? I cannot believe I used to hand sew this little stinkers. I think I will glue metal prong clips to  the back of the flowers. Then I can easily clip them to headbands, hats, hair, and clothes. I puffy heart love these!!!

Good thing I'm a quilter... I have lots of scraps laying around. Make a your own bouquet today.  Best tutorial HERE! pssst she even has a video. Thank you Cherry Street Cottage!

Prop Craze!

I usually make all of my props and accessories. I like them to be customized to coordinate with each session. I've got a family session coming up this weekend so of course I couldn't miss out on the latest prop craze - The Mustache on a Stick. Of course, I couldn't stop there... we have to have glasses and lips. They are so easy to make and for a fraction of the cost of what they are sold for on sites like Etsy.

Free templates can be found easily online. HERE is just one source. So get to crafting. These are so much fun!

Mommy in the making - Maternity Photographer Pensacola Florida

During my last Pensacola Special Event I had the privilege of working with two expecting moms Jessie and Justine. They both had that glow..... so beautiful!


Jessie is the sweetest cutest lil' preggo ever. So much fun working with her... she was game for anything!

Justine, sigh talk about the most beautiful hair and flawless skin.... such love in her eyes.