Earlier last month, I was one of the lucky few able to attend a workshop with Bob and Dawn Davis. I had always admired them from afar and was so ecstatic to finally be meeting them in person. They are such wonderful and giving people – even more amazing in real life than I expected them to be.  I have to say, I was truly floored by the amount of knowledge I walked away with after two days with them. On the first day, we had an incredible shoot with several models. Bob spent time with us in the morning lecturing us on finding the light and also using our flashes to enhance our images.

While I had many successful images using my flash, the first set I’d like to share is all natural light – I focused on finding that light and documenting the dreamy feeling of this gorgeous scene. Our location was the Narnia Estate in Lemont, IL.

This location was an absolute dream! There was beautiful light peeking through the trees giving that perfect touch of rim lighting around Gigi and Carter.

They are devastatingly beautiful, no?

I cannot believe we had a horse in this shoot – so much fun!

I’m in love with dancing, so these next two images really speak to me…

A very Alice in Wonderland kind of moment – Dawn really thought about every detail of this shoot! Can I please have balloons in every session from now on?

Thank you so much Bob and Dawn for being such an inspiration. And just for being the awesome people that you are. You reminded me of what it is that I’m striving for and how to have fun chasing down my dreams.  More images coming soon… stay tuned for part 2

Shame on me for taking so long to blog about this!  This will officially be my last attempt at blaming my lack of blog posts on school. Back in June, I was one of the lucky attendees able to get into a Jasmine Star workshop. I’ve admired her work and her blog from afar for so long. It was great to be able to meet her in person! She really is just as nice as she seems. Truly. For example, she started off by giving us personalized welcome notes:

And she totally admitted she didn’t know everything and has made many mistakes along the way. Despite being unbelieveably successful, she is the first to tell you that she’s not perfect. Here she is discussing her old blog and website:

Something I really admire about Jasmine is her ability to get people comfortable almost immediately.  While this workshop was mainly focused on branding and marketing, we of course went out to shoot for a bit. She has such a way with people and you can’t help but notice!

 Jasmine gave us some tips and ideas on lighting and posing:

 I came away with my brain stuffed full of new information, wishing I had more than one day to digest it all – she really did drop a TON of info at this workshop. J* - thanks for keepin’ it real

I’ve had a couple weeks to soak it in… I was reeling after coming back from Santa Fe, after taking a workshop with Andrew Southam. If I could wake up every morning with a lesson in art history followed by a shoot with fabulous models in the afternoon, prepped by a world class makeup artist, I think that might be my version of heaven.  The Fashion Portrait at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops comes very close! 

Before I arrived in Santa Fe, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Andrew, being as accomplished as he is in his craft. In seeing his portfolio on his website, I could tell he’s worked alongside the best of the best in the industry and his work really resonated with me (ok, I’ll admit, it also intimidated me!).  I was happily suprised that when I met him in person he was just as lovely as he was on his blog, extremely humble and kind. He had a very organic approach to shooting, working with natural light and then using artificial light to enhance the image/concept. He kept reminding us to always look at what is motivating the light, and to always use that to decide how you will light your subject.  To me, he was the quintessential Hollywood photographer, the real deal. And the best part was he was really a great guy! (Side note: He shoots with his cowboy hat on. And has a killer Aussie accent. That must be the secret to his success.)

Being a natural light shooter, I’ll be the first to admit that using artificial lighting during the week made me feel a little bit like a deer in the headlights, especially at the beginning of the week. But I embraced the challenge. I did, after all, go out there to grow and I’ve learned the best way to do so is pushing beyond my comfort zone. On the first day the students photographed each other in the studio. I found myself in a stupor, staring at the grey backdrop, my classmate Ashley, and a pile of equipment and lighting and wondered how in the world I could find my style, myself, in all of this. It was overwhelming, and I thought I might fail. I did fail. Several times. But I kept trying!

Every morning we’d get together and for a lecture and review each other’s work from the previous day, then we’d go on location for a shoot. It truly was heaven for me (besides having to carry all that heavy gear around!). By the end of the week I was finally in my groove, feeling like my style was coming across (even in the studio, can you imagine?),  just in time to pack up and go home. I’m excited to keep at it!

Here are some of my favorite images from the week, in no particular order.

I was one of the fortunate few able to attend a workshop hosted by the one and only Jessica Claire. She is one of the best photographers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and is so absolutely down to earth. And her business savvy… don’t even get me started. It truly was a wonderful learning experience, and I made some good friends from all over the globe. Jessica arranged for a mock wedding to be set up in a beautiful park nearby, and being in Orange County I got to experience the kind of setting that would be very hard to come by in the Midwest! There were hills! Gorgeous green hills that I couldn’t get enough of. I actually felt like I was in the middle of some movie set and for a few moments had to sit down and write down a few things in my journal so I wouldn’t forget what was going through my head. We had all kinds of amazing light, bold colorful flowers and ornate details.

After looking through some of these images, they really gave that sense of being in some kind of magical forest. So, I’ve decided that everyone should at least consider having a forest wedding. Anyone game?

Thanks to the team of people who worked on every detail to make sure it was perfect! CREDITS: Workshop:  Jessica Claire , Stylist: Duet Weddings, Flowers: Kate Holt of Flowerwild, Models:  Braedon & Lindsay Flynn, Cake: Erica O’Brien, Linen & pillows: La Tavola, Rentals: Classic Party Rentals (flatware and cake table), Rentals: Badia Design (Spanish door, iron screen, Moroccan poufs), Plates/glassware:   Anthropologie, Invitation: CEVD

Four weeks ago I flew into Albuquerque, NM and made the hour long drive into Santa Fe not knowing what to expect for the next 7 days. I knew it would be different than anything I had ever done, and I was completely thrilled about the opportunity to gain a new perspective. What I was not ready for however, was how profoundly these next few days would impact my life. I left Santa Fe with a new pair of eyes, a confidence in myself that I had never been able to attain, and a deep, deep understanding of what photography meant to me. I left Santa Fe finally feeling like I was a photographer. Starting a photography business was a pretty bold move for me, without having had any formal training in it. I sometimes had a hard time believing I could ever be a legitimate photographer.

Studying with Elizabeth for a week changed my mind in so many ways. She would talk to us every day about the feelings behind what we were capturing in our cameras. I began to realize that all this time I had been capturing feelings in a box, grabbing moments that resonated with my spirit and sharing them with people. It is a gift to be able to share my perspective with the world.  The way that life has impacted me has given me a unique view and interaction with the world around me, and this reflects in every image I make.  In so many ways, the photographs we take are all self portraits. I never understood this until that week.

I watched Elizabeth working from her heart without questioning the technical aspects. She said it was important to know the technical stuff, so that you can forget about it and get to your art. I got the sense of encouragement I needed to feel like I was doing just fine. I’m finally comfortable in my own skin.

On the third day of our workshop, we photographed nude models and I was pretty apprehensive about it before we began. I wondered if I would be able to direct the models, wondered if I would freeze up, or giggle, or just take horrible images. But when we got to the location and Elizabeth prepped us a bit more, I began to trust myself. After the first 5 minutes with our first model, it was smooth sailing for me!

Learning from Elizabeth, I tried to create images that were dream-like, surreal, and beautiful. I believe I was able to capture what I was looking for in the following two photos. I wish I had more to share, but I haven’t received word back from some of the other models. So out of respect, I won’t be showing their photos here. Thank you Tara for letting me share these with my readers! Tara is a lovely model and actress living in Santa Fe. I’ll let you look at the images to get an idea of how gorgeous she is.

A word of caution: If you are offended or uncomfortable with nudity, then please skip this blog entry and do not scroll down below.

********************UPDATE: New photos posted after receiving permission*****************

To view my personal slideshow from this trip click here.

If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you want to remember about life? This was one of the questions I was confronted with last week as we were about to embark on our final assignment. It felt almost impossible to try to sum it up with just a few photos. My mind was spinning as I gazed across the classroom at everyone. I was almost frightened as I thought of how deep I would need to dig into myself to get what I needed. At the end, I ended up with a handful of emotions I wanted to represent. But before I even fully processed what we were being assigned to do, scared that I would somehow fail, I looked over at the smiling and friendly face of Carole, the woman I sat next to through most of the workshop. Suddenly I knew what I needed to do. While there are several feelings I’d want to remember, one stands out so clearly to me: what it feels like to be in love.

Over time, we age and evolve. We change. But what remains when all is said and done?  It is that current that runs between two people; that epic love story that makes the impossible, for a fleeting moment, feel possible. I want to remember that feeling forever.

Throughout my week in Santa Fe, I had the pleasure of spending time with Carole. Her husband, Les, had come to Santa Fe with her and was busy writing his book while our class was out shooting. Every day, at lunch time, I would watch the two of them meet and set off together, hand in hand. They still said “I love you” every single day. For the final assignment, I asked Carole if she’d do me the honor of allowing me to photograph the two of them. She was so touched by my asking I watched her wipe away a few tears. We set off to pick up her husband and found a spot that was perfect.

As I photographed them in a beautiful field next to the school, I posed them for a few shots, then took a step back and asked them if they had a song. Carole looked at Les, with a dreamy look on her face as she envisioned their wedding day. She began singing “Strangers in the Night” to him and then they danced. I was fighting back tears.

As Les twirled Carole toward him and the wind blew in her hair, I was reminded of that epic love story. It was my very definition of a successful life; everything I could ever hope to achieve in my own time. And I was more grateful than ever before that I have found someone to share my heart with forever.

Thank you Les and Carole, your example of love was truly a gift to me.

A couple of the lovely ladies working at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops were kind enough to model for our class. Here are a few photos of Molly and Katie.

The great thing about Elizabeth’s class was that we had a small group of people – just 7of us total – working with 3 different models on any given day. Our groups were pretty autonomous, each of us getting a turn to direct the models. Elizabeth stepped in when she saw the light we couldn’t see and helped us create images that were much more powerful than they would have been without her help.

The first 3 photos below are Molly, followed by 2 of Katie. Thank you ladies!

Today was another day for breaking through boundaries. We photographed nude models today, and while I can’t share those on my blog I just thought I would say a few words about it. I had never done a shoot like this so at first I thought it would be awkward for me to handle. I thought I might freeze up or not know what to do or say! But you know what? It was not as big a deal as I thought it would be; it felt like any other shoot because our models were so comfortable in their own skin. The human figure is so expressive and seeing it bare just amplifies the feeling that can be conveyed. It was a great experience!

Here are a few more photos of the fabulous model Rulan from yesterday:

Wise words from the amazing Elizabeth Opalenik. In the very short time I have been here in Santa Fe, I have learned far more about myself than I had ever believed possible. Elizabeth has guided me to a place where I am starting to understand who I am. I am just beginning to trust myself. I was brought to tears today, acknowledging some things I didn’t realize I had going on. It is hard to explain the things that I’ve felt and experienced because there are no words, just feelings. Today I’ll share just three of the many images I created. It’s late and I’m emotionally spent, but I do want to share!

This first one is a very talented dancer named Michelle… I got that WOW moment the when I first saw the image on my screen!

The next few are images of Rulan, who as you can see is a natural beauty, with a grace and flair that’s all her own…

I just got off the phone with Justin and he’s at a beach party for work. On Laguna Beach.

I, on the other hand, am about to walk Rolo in the pouring rain. In my soggy gym shoes that I walked home in, also in the pouring rain.

Well, to cheer myself up, first, I bought a really awesome pair of rain boots on Zappos – because clearly, I need them right? (The appropriate response is to agree with me.) Next, I found some pictures I took last year that reminded me of what nice weather feels like, in good ol’ NOLA at ImageX 08. These were taken in October, on a gorgeous 75 degree day:

Now, this of course reminds me of the fabulous beignets that I had from Cafe Du Monde… having one of these on a night like tonight would really hit the spot! Mmmm <mouth watering>

The weather lady is saying that it’ll be mostly sunny on Saturday, so I’m hoping she’s right. I’m getting excited for the first full out wedding I’ll be shooting this weekend – it’s a major milestone for me. And I’m ready. So bring it.