Stylized Bridal Shoot!

I love stylized shoots!  I get great practice while creating the pictures I see in my head when envisioning brides and it helps me to be a better wedding photographer.  In a few weeks, 4 of my lovely friends and models are donning their fluffy white gowns and letting my artistic inspiration run wild.

I'm collecting different bridal things as we speak, grabbing items from my own wedding (thank you Mom & Dad for the hope chest!) and planning items that I will be making and creating.

So excited!!! :)

Happy Shots

I finished four photoshoots in the last two weeks and they were all successful.  Two were headshots...one for a beautiful young actress who couldn't take a bad picture, and the other a talented established actor with a poet's face.  Both were a joy to shoot.  I like when there are too many choices instead of not enough!  :)

I also did my first professional jewelry shoot for a woman who creates amazing and unique pieces.  She needed some updates for her website and I hope I did her gorgeous work justice! 

Lastly, I met a terrific couple who interviewed me for their upcoming DC wedding.  We did a mini couples session and their love was tangible and fantastic.  Even if they don't end up picking me as their wedding photographer, I had such a lovely time meeting nice people who love each other.  And I caught a lot of that on film.  That's why I do what I do and why I love it so much.

Three of the shoots were done in the cold, rainy, gray muck that has been our area lately.  And somehow, it worked.  The people "popped" against the bleak backdrop, and everything seemed that much sharper.

I also went to NYC for the day yesterday and while I couldn't take any shots walking around, I had fun working my "NYC from the moving car" skills.  ;)

The Inspiration Board

I get my inspiration from many places, but most often, from magazines.  I love the stylized beauty found between the glossy pages of bridal and fashion mags, the rampant creativity of the photographers and models as well as the editors.

In my studio, I have a huge corkboard.  Before I do a big shoot, I spend weeks going through the magazines searching for inspiration.  I cut out photos and fabrics and tack them to the board.  I never copy poses or settings...I just let the "feeling" inspire me. 

Last night I went through the latest magazines and made a huge stack of things that will go on the board today.  Now I'm searching for fabrics and things that will also be up there.  I love the rush I get when creating.  I can't draw or paint, but I can make magic happen with my camera.  It's exciting and fills that creative void in my soul that has been missing since I've been offstage.  Nothing can quite replace the joy that I get from singing or acting on a stage to a packed house, but I've found it comes awfully close.  I still have the same rituals, technical skills, and instinct that goes along with performing.  I think it gives my photography a little something special. :)

*And I've added a pic of the completed board.  :)

Wedding/Bridal Ads

My husband brings me home bridal magazines which I devour like fine chocolates.  I love all wedding related things...especially dresses.  And flowers.  And shoes.  And cool venues.  And vintage cars.  And...you get the idea.  I noticed recently that in magazines and online, wedding photographers tend to do either all black and white ads (cheaper in print, for sure!) or black/white with a photograph.  Since my work focuses SO much on color saturation and bright, bold jewel tones, I realized that I needed to create some ads that reflected that.  Using my beautiful model Lisa from the stylized bridal shoot, I created five ads.  I asked for input from friends and family.  I have a tendency to ask for input when I'd probably be better off working alone...I like to find out what's good/bad/appealing to a large group of people, but at the same time, I have to realize that I can't please everyone.  Yesterday was a mostly positive experience and I ended up with ads that are colorful, creative, and totally the image that I want Gilded Lily Photography to have in the wedding world.

I am shooting two weddings this year with a possibility of a third that has just arrived and I'm psyched...I can't think of anything better than helping people have a picture book of the start of the happiest days of their lives.