If At First You Don't Succeed.. Try, Try Again!

One of my best friends upon getting pregnant, decided two things: first, I was going to do her newborn pics (well, duh, we are best friends) and second, she wanted something totally country.  So, for nine months, okay, eight months, we schemed and looked up photos and came up with some great ideas.  Then, the day came, and her little MR was born.  However, while little MR was being born, I was on my way out of town for TWO WEEKS!  In newborn photography, days are like years.. the older the babies get, the less likely they are to stay asleep.. and little MR was no exception to the rule.  I spent a lot of time sitting and waiting, hushing, and cuddling.. then, when we finally got the saddle ready- HE DIDN'T FIT!  I know, total let down.. RIGHT?  I had to give up on my friends dream.. RIGHT?  Not only did he totally hate the saddle, but he didn't fit.. what else could I do.. RIGHT?  WRONG!  lol, sorry, my own re-dramatization just made me chuckle.. please realise I am not the best story-teller!  So, this is what I had from my saddle visit (please be kind, as these are SOOC-straight out of camera):

So, you're probably laughing to yourself right now.. poor Cindy, and her crushed dream.. well, that's how I felt.  But, luckily for my friend, I'm not a quitter.. so, I sat, stared, (facebooked when I was bored) and thought about these pictures.  I started fumbling around with them to see if I could create something.. and then an AH HA moment caught me off guard.  I had already posted a not-so-flattering image of the saddle on facebook, ready to surrender and say that's the best I could do.  But, then it hit me.. if he's too big for the saddle, then make him smaller.. okay, so I'm sure all of you saw this conclusion a mile away (my dad is like that.. don't ever watch a suspenseful movie with him) but for those of you who find joy in this journey with me, well here we are, at the end:  Please, let me know what you think of my creation!

While I'm at it, I'll give you a few of the others that little MR was more than willing to participate in and that didn't take a whole lot out of me or Mr Photoshop!  (I do give respect to the highly-criticized, yet highly-useful CS5 who has changed my photography life with every shoot I take, every move I make, every single day.. no wait, that's a PDiddy song..if that's what he goes by now..) Enough babble, on with the show:

G-L-A-M-OR-OUS!

 I got a request to do a fun shoot with a girl.. the only direction she gave me was this: I want it at a vineyard.  The only catch: she only had one free day and I was already double booked that day.  But, since I knew she would be a great model, and, let's be honest, her sister was one of my best friends in junior high, I squeezed her into the not-so-appealing mid-day slot.  First step: find the most beautiful setting: because if it's going to be scorching hot and super bright, I at least want the background to SHINE!  In true Looky Loo fashion, Jeff and I packed up our 2 boys and headed out to scour the few and far between bazillions of vineyards in our area for that perfect place!  One would think that I would choose an area heavily shaded, to mask the sun and time of day.. but, I really wanted to stretch myself and challenge myself to shoot at the exact worst time of day (besides night, but that's a whole other story and a whole other shoot I will soon show you!)!  You have to really know what you're doing to shoot in broad daylight and not just get a bunch of white skies and white faces covered in dark shadows.  At this point I was so very grateful for everything my professor taught me and how strict he was about skies being blue!  Anyway, we found two locations that I loved and knew my client would adore... when Saturday came, I packed along a camera, a reflective shade, and a red chair, and this is what happened:

                              On The Road To Success! I'm not going to lie- I love themes and being cliche!

                                                        My Personal Fav from the shoot

She was so fun and free-spirited and literally let me mold her in every which way!  I had so much fun!  AND, as a huge bonus, and major side note, she used these pictures for a modeling interview and GOT IT!  Not that I'm surprised, she's beautiful and so easy to work with!  What a splendid, challenging, and totally fulfilling day of work! :)  thanks for stopping by!

Oh, To Be Young and Carefree!

Last Friday, I traveled down a long and winding road, with zero expectations.  I was doing a senior portrait session with a girl I'd never met on a property I'd never visited.  So, with a tank low on gas, a mind racing with ideas, and two cameras charged and ready to go, we set out on our adventure!

This is the beautiful young woman we met on our way in.. who was fun, carefree, and make-up-less!  And, need I mention, flawless!

While traveling around the property, getting inspiration and clicking pics, I came across this truck and was immediately in love.  Once we found out it was hers, we knew it was a MUST as a prop!  I love adding that special elements to pictures that makes them only yours!

Did I mention that she lives on some amazing property?!  Everywhere we turned we found amazing spots.. my mind was spinning with ideas with every glance in a different direction!  Such a fun shoot!  Please enjoy! ;) 

Nests, Tee Pees, and PINK... OH MY!

While perusing one of my favorite blogs recently, I came across this article ( http://confessionsofapropjunkie.com/?p=4311 ) ... and if you know me or have seen my house/decor/garage, you know that indeed I am a prop junkie!  So, upon reading about the ease and adorable-ness I decided to hit up dollar tree, scrounge around for an old sheet, and throw together some scraps of fabric for my very own pink tee pee!  While step one to this process was quite time consuming, step 2 (find willing client) came with great ease!  Willing client= cute little girl on the cusp of 1 with endless smiles, engaging eyes, and elaborate curls!  YAY!  So, here, for your viewing pleasure is what I came up with.. I also stopped by Michael's for a make-shift nest, and raided my decor for a feast of extras.. Who says building a fort can't be beautiful? .. please enjoy! :)

Antique Love

We had the most wonderful time shooting this ADORABLE family in St George, Utah!  It was nice to get away from the usual scenery of our home-town and move on over to the red mountains and desert plains.  Besides this amazing shack on the side of the road, we were also able to shoot at a historic site in downtown Washington!  This home, the background of the little girl shoot, was SO amazing and built in the 1800's!  Throw in an amazing pink chair, simple white dress, and one beautiful little girl, and we had one fabulous shoot!!