Browse Tag by california
Photography, Uncategorized

Fairy Tale Maiden

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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Alyssa Lumpee (model) again on this fairytale inspired shoot that I’ve been daydreaming about. I have probably driven by this location too many times to count, and am always wanted to take a look around for future photoshoot possibilities. It’s tucked away and hidden behind a car dealership, but it’s a little gem. Who knew there were castles in California?

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If you know me, you know that I love the Renaissance era…especially the clothing. You can often find me working on a new sewing project for the Ren Faire…challenging myself with yards of unique fabrics, and corset based patterns. The dress in these images was made by me when I was in high school. There is a gold blouse that usually goes under it, but I took it out for this shoot because of the cape. Corset was purchased from a friend of a friend, cape was given to my by a friend who found it while antique shopping, and the dried flower crown was purchased from a merchant at the Ren Faire.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/25496148518/in/dateposted-public/

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I’d like to continue to explore with photography like this. It hits right at home for me. Magic, whimsy, dreamlike. Trying to incorporate this into engagement photos, or weddings would be nice. It’s always nice to meet adventurous people who aren’t afraid of getting a little dirty to capture the right shot, and having the patience to let me create the perfect shot. It’s the photo that you’re going to blow up and frame on your wall, the one you could stare at forever, the image that captures the essence of the day as a whole. Sometimes the shot I think I’m going for ends up being something completely different, yet better than I imagined. That’s the magic of it all; it comes to you in a spontaneous way.

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More images from this series can be found on my Flickr

 

Photography

Photo Adventure feat. Krystle M.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/35177913392/in/dateposted-public/

Long before I purchased my first DSLR, I was shooting black and white film on a 35mm camera with Krystle alongside me inspiring my creativity. The ongoing photo adventures we would embark on, always brought out new discoveries about myself as a photographer. We are unable to go on as much now that we lived in separate states, but when we get together, the cameras come out. If I can give any advice to new photographers out there, it’s to get out there and have an adventure of your own!

This past Thursday we wandered into a nearby hiking trail/park area, and captured some much anticipated magic. Taking turns every couple of exposures, her shooting me, me shooting her. You can find her photos of me here!

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I love this location! There’s endless photo ops in this forest-like haven. The photos below would be a great place to take someone’s engagement photos down the road.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/34497483224/in/dateposted-public/

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/35215275021/in/dateposted-public/

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Until next time…

Uncategorized

Journey to the Poppies

This week I finally had the chance to run away for a few hours and visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, CA. The super-bloom has almost come to an end, with most of the wildflowers gone, and a few patches of poppies left gracing the earth with their warm orange glow. Thursday morning there wasn’t a large crowd of people to navigate through, and it was just all open fields. More images can be found on my Flickr!

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/34293624946/in/dateposted-public/

The winds were extreme, it made it very challenging to enjoy a steady walk through the trails. I also had trouble reviewing my photos, and had to wait to peek at them until we got back to the car.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellagurl/34293618036/in/dateposted-public/

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One of the reserve personnel was pointing out how the poppies were, “going to seed” If you look in the photos below, you can see the sort of pink base with a green stem shooting out. Hopefully we get enough rain again this year, so that they will all rise from their slumber and bloom again next spring.

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Who doesn’t want to fall asleep in the poppies and dream like Dorothy?

Photography

My First Wedding…As “Photographer”

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Weddings are a beautiful thing…and everything happens so fast, if you stop to blink you might just miss that perfect photo-op moment!

I have avoided photographing weddings for quite some time now…due to the high physical and emotional artistic demand it requires. Maybe some (photographers) may think differently, or maybe it’s only because I haven’t shot weddings, but the way I work is a little different than others.  My brother in-law has been pushing me to try and shoot weddings for a while now too, but I alway explain to him my hesitations…and how as an artist, it’s just very stressful!

Well I finally caved in after I was approached by a friend of a friend who asked me to shoot her wedding at The Castle Green, on November 11, 2016. Congratulations to John and Kelly! Also, thank you for trusting me with your wedding photos.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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It really was a lot of work. If you are questioning photographer’s rates for your wedding, I would really stop and think about how much value good photography is worth…personally I think it’s the most important aspect of planning a wedding (but I am a bit biased as the photographer of course)…I don’t think people at the wedding are thinking about it, but the photographer is right there with the bride from start to finish (depending on how long you hire your photographer to be there of course-but I didn’t want to miss anything) and has to basically turn into a photo journalist for what feels like about 12 hours (not including the editing process)! I felt like a photo making machine/energizer bunny, going going…you get the picture. Finding it hard to run away for a second to keep myself hydrated!

I was very fortunate to have been able to hire a second shooter to capture a handful of photos while I was distracted with other things…I feel like when you are new to wedding photography or even in the long run, having a second shooter is vital. Although, after a dozen times, I’d personally want to take a run at it on my own.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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No matter how many photos I looked at for reference, or inspiration, or youtube videos I watched to try and better prepare me for the day of the shoot, I knew it would only come together when it was time to take the photos. I tend to work more organically, finding the art within the moments, and that’s why I had a little bit of a struggle at first. I did have my bride create a shot list of images, so at least I had a personal guide if I got stuck on the timeline, I could prepare myself for what was coming up next for photos, or what I had missed.

Sifting through the many images, I seemed to gravitate towards mostly the unplanned images as my personal favorites. I hope that as time goes on, perhaps I might have more opportunities in wedding photography, maybe as a second shooter, so that I can gain more of a feel for it all in general.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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(See more images on my Flickr!)