A Princess is Born.....
And from one love, to another....
I was so lucky last month, to be able to meet the beautiful wee princess born at home in December to a beautiful wee family who came down from Otaki to see me.
This little girl is so loved and adored already, she will be spoilt for people to look out for her.
I got some lovely shots of sleeping beauty, and a few wide awake ones in between poses. And then her beautiful big sister came for some photographs with her new baby, and we got Mummy and Daddy in on the action too!
They are the sweetest family and I can't wait to meet this wee lady again as she grows up.
Bless....
Meet Flic Caracou.....
I was very lucky to have been approached by Wellington Burlesque Performer, Flic Caracou about helping her out with some new shots for her portfolio.
She's becoming a fairly regular customer of mine and every time we meet we have lots of fun!
This was another location shoot in a beautiful Wellington Venue that she chose.
It was a real shame that the arranged staff member decided to 'forget' the booking, but we made it work and had lots of fun while we did so. The place was nice and very fitting for the style of session we were going for.
She had a gorgeous dress and went to so much effort with her hair and makeup. She looked just beautiful.
I don't often come across an image I can't decide if I like better in black and white or colour, but this first one of the set looks so lovely in both! What do you think? Once you've decided, check out the rest of the set below.
Special thanks go to:
Model : Flic Caracou
Wardrobe/Styling : Sharyn from Photography by Sharyn
Hair & Makeup : Salacious Sugar and Jess Searle Makeup Artist
Swimsuit Illustrated Watch Out!
I've not really done a lot of proper swimsuit type shoots, so when model Forsaken Thorn approached me about a shoot on the beach I knew I had the perfect swimsuit for her and I was right!
We frolicked in the surf and she was a fantastic sport about hanging out in the water and getting down and dirty on the sand even though it was the icy cold waters of the cook strait instead of some lovely tropical beach in a warm climate... She certainly had to keep thinking warm thoughts.
I loved this series, I think it is as red hot as her amazing hair!
Special thanks go to:
Model : Forsaken Thorn
Wardrobe/Styling : Sharyn from Photography by Sharyn
Hair & Makeup : Amie from Amie Makeup
Singlet : ALC Clothing
Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm......
It's a little known fact that I do in fact own a Hummer H2 as of about a year ago maybe.....
And for the longest time I've been dying to do a shoot with it, but it hasn't been until I recently met a model who happened to be available on super short notice (like a day!) and the shoot just seemed to fall into place, with the Makeup Artist being available for us, the model being super keen and even managing to borrow a portable power source - thanks Alan Raga!
So it really did seem like the stars and even the weather meant for this shoot to happen!
It was a really interesting shoot, with a model who is young and new, but clearly has amazing potential and a great attitude.
She was totally professional to work with and I enjoyed the shoot immensely, with a great team behind me and the results really do speak for themselves....
What do you think?
Special thanks go to:
Model : Jasmine Gemma-Lee
Wardrobe/Styling/Props : Sharyn from Photography by Sharyn
Hair & Makeup : Ivy Mae
Dia de los Muertos
At the end of last year, I went through and did some super fun sessions with a few local ladies here in Wellington.
This one was a studio session, where the model did her own makeup and costuming for a session she won on Facebook.
The results were simply stunning.
Check out Miss Amy Moon!
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Friends & Family
While it was lovely and warm, I've totally been taking advantage of the weather.
I am blessed to be friends with some amazing photographers. One of whom kindly did a shoot swap with me and she did some beautiful images of me at the end of my pregnancy.
It was my last baby and the only one I've had maternity images done with so they are very special to me.
In return, after baby arrived I went out to her place on what turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon and I took some family photos for her, of her parents and her two adorable children.
They were so much fun! We played outside for ages and I got some lovely shots of them!
Check out these two gorgeous kidlets!
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Woodland Magic......
So after the recent session with Jasmene, I've been thinking about the rest of the series of images I have been wanting to create and the people I wanted to use to make these ideas in my head come to life.
Then, by absolute chance I came across the delightful Ashleigh Jane and she was just perfect for my next set of images!!!
i'm pretty sure that the powers that be agreed with me too as in a matter of just a few days I managed to get this session locked, loaded, shot and to print! Go team!
We enlisted Grace's help for makeup and hair, I styled and Ashleigh did a fabulous job of looking pretty after a very long afternoon. A quick shopping trip beforehand for supplies and to pick up the beautiful headpiece from the florist and we were ready to start.
Ashleigh sat in hair and makeup all afternoon.... I sat on my hands and knees sewing a fabulous gown and petticoat for her to wear...
But it was so worth it, just check out our gorgeous woodland nymph result!!!
Special thanks go to:
Model : Ashleigh Jane Cole
Wardrobe/Styling : Sharyn from Photography by Sharyn
Hair & Makeup : Grace Krishnan
Floral Headpiece : Estelle Ballandis, Flowers Rediscovered
Summer & Sunshine
After my newest addition was born, and I felt better, I decided to go and focus on my elder boy for an afternoon.
So we dressed up and went for a walk up through the reserve. It was such a beautiful afternoon and so sunny and warm. We took his new Darth Vader mask and fought bad guys with stick light sabers! We explored the jungle and laughed a lot.
It was such an awesome afternoon...
I love my little man and the amazing little personality has has, with such a big imagination.
A Whimsical Princess...
So I've been on a bit of a hiatus and while I know I should play catch up, I will get to that I promise and I'll post up some of the sessions I've missed as and when I can. I've been doing limited work while on maternity leave. Lots of fun work and the session I did yesterday was no exception and was so lovely I have let it inspire me back to the blog!
I hung out with a fairly new model who goes by the name Forsaken Thorn. She's absolutely adorable and the images we got were so beautiful! Whimsical, colourful and fun!
She arrived with the prettiest makeup on, thanks to Lulu's Body Art and it fit perfectly with an idea in my head.
I draped her in luscious fabrics, added in a beautiful corset, a wig and a fanciful headdress.
We went for totally ethereal and beautiful and it worked perfectly!
Here are some of the magical creations we made...
Special thanks go to:
Model : Forsaken Thorn
Hair/Wardrobe/Styling : Sharyn from Photography by Sharyn
Makeup : Margo from Lulu's Body Art
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Same Sex Marriage. A special union.
April 17 2013 is a special day for New Zealand, seeing as we just became a country that supports same sex marriage!
I've worked with same sex couples celebrating civil unions and showing off marriages from overseas, but now everyone is entitled to marry I am so excited for those couples that this news affects in the most amazing and exciting way.
Check out my special offer for same sex couples, marrying in 2013.....
To help you celebrate this huge milestone in New Zealand's history and in your lives, I'm offering a very special deal.
Book a Platinum, Gold or Silver wedding package with me and receive a complimentary designed highlight photobook AND an A3 Blockmounted print of your favourite image from your special day.
I love weddings. I think that the celebration of two people joining their lives is an amazing thing and I am always so privileged to be a part of those days, but the joining of those who have been waiting patiently, or fighting for the recognition that they are both equals in their relationships is just such a sweet victory for people across the country - and the world.
New Zealand is a country of firsts and I'm proud to be a Kiwi right now.
We were first to give women the vote, we were first to legalise prostitution and now we were the first in the southern hemisphere to legalise marriage equality!
Way to go New Zealand!
Annette and Melanie, held their wedding in Canada before they came home and celebrated with friends here. Such an amazing couple!
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So yesterday was a rather interesting day, as last week Venus booked me to shoot some aerial silk work for her.
I happen to have a set of silks hanging about in the building, conveniently. So we decided to see how they really performed and she put herself through her paces on them giving me some amazing shots.
I love watching her work as she's incredibly talented and almost superhumanly strong! It never ceases to amaze me that someone so tiny and fragile looking, can bust out some inspiring and extremely difficult moves which require so much strength - and yes I know this as I've tried just climbing up those things and boy oh boy I ached for a week after....
So we spent some time getting the shots she wanted on the aerial silks, before we decided to take advantage of my wardrobe (and her sharing the same size feet as me!) and we decided to get a few shots on the ground as well.
For an impromptu shoot, they came out brilliantly. I was really pleased with the look and feel - and of course Venus always looks fantastic anyway but she did her usual superstar performance and gave me some intense and sexy poses.
I couldn't wait to share these as they have been so much fun to put together!
So enjoy.... first our impromptu session;
And before we took advantage of the location to it's full potential, here are the images of Venus on the silks....
Special thanks go to:
Model : Miss Venus Starr
Hair : Colour by Natalie from Lady Bonnet Hairstylists
Hairstyle : Rachelle Merina Smith
Find Venus online!
Venus on Instagram | Venus on Youtube | Venus on Model Mayhem
This beautiful lady is another of the Tease class girls who I was lucky enough to meet and get to hang out with.
Run by the director of Miss Burlesque New Zealand, the Tease classes give real women, who are amazing. A chance to get a taste of the wild side and learn to let some of their inhibitions go.
With a photo shoot at the end, these ladies do wonderful things for their self-esteem and their image.
I really enjoyed helping Rosemary by capturing these beautiful images of her sexy and sassy self.
Isn't she something special?
Lady Cash Mere and I had an absolute blast when we shot these in studio a wee while ago.
Such a gorgeous lady and so much fun to work with, we started out with a basic black corset outfit, but once we'd done that she showed me the most amazing costume that she had made herself - corset and all! This girl will be a force to be reckoned with! Talented much?
I got to have a close look at the outfit and it was just stunning. So I couldn't let her leave without shooting in such prettiness.
I can't wait to see what this lovely lady comes up with next as she's going to be one to watch closely.
So keep your eyes peeled for her performances and check her out on Facebook!
So over Christmas, I decided to take a little downtime, for health reasons I had to chill out and slow down my hectic schedule which was some well deserved rest time for me.
But I did manage to sneak in a few little teeny tiny sessions with some of my favourite clients. Just because I love them so!
So here is a sneaky peek of what Miss Allegra Valentine and I found to do, on a beautiful hot sunny evening in Wellington. We found a peaceful little piece of paradise, with the most amazing light as the sun was setting and boy did we have some fun with it!
This session had been in the works for a while, with her and I putting our heads together a la Sue Bryce and making her the most fabulous floaty skirt to make her outfit just WOW.
Bless having a sewing machine - just don't keep my crooked stitching between you and I and we'll be good! It worked out wonderfully and as you can see, perfect with the hair, makeup and the rest of her beautiful fairylike ensemble.
I hope you enjoy my welcome to 2013 session as much as I did!
Special thanks go to:
Model : Allegra Valentine
Hair & Makeup : Claudine Stace, Claudine Stace Mobile Hair and Makeup Artists
Now this blog is a wee bit late, due to my enforced rest period over Christmas but this session was so much fun!I squeezed this one in just before Christmas and we went with a much darker and deeper theme than I've done in a while. Fun, fun FUN!
Oh and did I mention fun?
Working with Miss Flic Caracou is always guaranteed to be a laugh as she's loads of fun to hang out with and this was no exception. She also comes up with super cool locations and for this shoot, we hit up a crazy little cemetary in the middle of town, that is crazy as it has a whole lot of headstones, but no people under them! Or very few anyways.
The historic Bolton Cemetary was moved, yes moved in the 70's when they built the motorway right smack through the centre.
Almost all of the people interred there, were exhumed, and reburied in one mass gravesite, which is outlined in the grass, with a beautiful surrounding of trees, a natural ampitheatre laid in concrete and a lonely plaque detailing only the number of bodies. Which is well over 3000.....
Many of the remaining headstones, particularly close to the mass site, are merely stones and are in a terrible state of repair. Cracked, broken, falling down the hillside as it succumbs to erosion and land movement and they are a sight to behold. It's a beautiful and serene spot, which we took full advantage of!
Here are a few sneaky peeks.....
Special thanks go to:
Model : Flic Caracou
Makeup : Roslyn Marlow
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So, when I think of a Bon Bon, I think of something sweet.... but Miss Bon Bon Rocher who I was lucky to have in front of my camera today seemed anything but!I'd love to know which you think she is!
We had a blast today in the studio, with some fabulous outfits and stunning hair matched with impeccable makeup. There is nothing I love more than a creative hair & makeup team you can give your direction to, and they just seem to instinctively know what you need and want to see.
Marry those two with a model who is just the business, and who has grown and developed immensely since the last time we worked together and there is no way a bad photo can be taken.
In fact they were so good, I was totally tempted to post most of them completely straight out of camera! And while I often could... I usually just want to put 'my' spin on them. But not today!
Mind = Blown.
Today the combination of incredible people and of course some credit to my new equipment stash and really.... I just couldn't go wrong.
I love my job, and my absolute favourite thing? When the model looks at the RAW files, and asks if I've slimmed her down or something... No lovely lady, you are just absolutely beautiful and when you are posed so perfectly, there is just no slimming required!
I think I just found my new favourite session..... What do you think?
Special thanks go to:
Model : Bon Bon Rocher
Hair : Angeline Thornley, Rodney Wayne Lambton Quay
Wardrobe/Styling : Natalie from Lady Bonnet
Makeup : Keryn Ward Makeup Artist
This month has been crazy busy, but thankfully it's starting to settle down a little now and I've got some blog making up to do!
A few weeks ago, I was super lucky and I got to hang out with the fabulous Fanciforia Foxglove, right in her element at the equally fabulous Foxglove Bar in Wellington.
A hidden treasure down on the waterfront, I felt like a kid in a candy store when the manager was showing me around! It was seriously all I could do not to jump up and down as literally everywhere I looked there were more amazing spots where I could envision images I could take there... however. I couldn't be selfish and we were running to a tight schedule.
So this time around I chose only a couple of places, which teamed with Miss Foxglove's finery worked out to be just stunning.
I certainly hope to go back there again with another model as I have some other plans in my mind for other little spots there, but for now I'm going to share with you a few from Fanciforia's set that I just love.
She's always stunning and her teeny tiny waist (helped along by a fabulous corset by Purdy Corsetry) was accentuated even further by the amazing backlighting from windows overlooking the water.
We had so much fun with this shoot. Location shoots are always fascinating as no matter how you plan them, I find there is always a huge element of the unsure with them. As even with scouting, you just never know how things will turn out. Will the weather play nice, will the furniture be in the same places, will there be issues you didn't think of to pop up and surprise you.
So I really enjoy the challenges of moving out of the studio and I'm really looking forward to my next location shoot.
Stay tuned, it's not far away and I have some amazing ideas coming to fruition as I type this.
Exciting stuff!
In the meantime........ Miss Fanciforia Foxglove!
Special thanks go to:
Model : Fanciforia Foxglove
Hair : Natalie from Lady Bonnet Hairstylists
Corset : Purdy Corsetry
Venue : Foxglove Wellington
Weddings.
That word that instills fear in the hearts of menfolk and is the one thing that little girls have been planning since they were 4......
I love weddings. As long as they aren't mine and I'm the photographer....
They are always beautiful, while stressful and a lot of hard work, they are absolutely a crucial day in a couple's life together as a couple will learn more about themselves and each other while planning one, than any other endeavour they will ever embark on.
They will have to endure endless interjections from well meaning family and friends, a stream of you should's from random strangers, never ending appointments/to-do lists/tasks, bridezillas, family feud disentangling, the chaos that is seating arrangements and don't forget the money thing......
But a crucial thing, that often gets pushed to the wayside, is photos.
A bride will organise her special day to the enth degree, but sometimes she misses out, or scrimps on the thing which to me, should be almost more important than anything - her photos.
People seem to forget, that while the day is so special, it's the photo's that will stand the test of time.
And something that took me by surprise the other day, was after quoting a bride, she decided to use someone who was going to be far cheaper for her. Which was fine with me and I wished her luck thinking I wouldn't hear from her again in regards to the wedding.
Until I got a surprise message which left me shocked to say the least - as I'm always surprised when people seem to have so little idea of what a photographer goes through, when we take on a wedding.
Because of that message I've decided to write this post, to try to give people an idea of the work, time and effort that a good photographer will put into each and every wedding client, to ensure their day goes smoothly and the photos are beautiful.
Her message, probably seemed innocuous enough to her, but was one that made me realise how undervalued and disrespected photographers are.
She asked me if I could help her put together a shot list to give to her wedding photographer.
Which shocked me that
1.) her photographer was already showing a lack of commitment and skill
and
2.) that she felt my work was good enough to want my ideas and skills, but not valuable enough that she would pay for them
Now, I know I'm not alone in my work process, as I know many wedding photographers who are just as thorough.
So I thought I would share how I work and how much time I put into my clients.
When a new client contacts me, I try to respond within a day with an initial email leading them to my website for packages, prices and most importantly images so that they can get a feel for my work and costs and decide if they would like to go further.
Next, I arrange to meet them. I take my portfolio book and enjoy a coffee with them, while we get to know each other a little and they can view my printed work and quality. While I'm there, I will spend a good half an hour taking notes and learning about them. Their personality, what they love and hate, how they feel about photos and their importance. If a booking is made, contracts will be signed and deposits arranged.
If they book with me, we arrange a second meeting, where (after the deposit has been paid) we will start to get into real detail. I will spend an hour or two going through all the details. Dresses, colours, locations, people, ideas. And the couple and I will start to put together a rough layout of the day working out what images they need, when we will be aiming to shoot them and timetabling. We also put together lists of ideas and props they would like to use.
At the third meeting, we will lock in the shot list, schedule of the day and nail down the final preparations.
So before the wedding, I've spent approximately 4 hours with my couples and I've probably spent another 8 hours researching.
Looking for inspiration, motivation, locating the props, scouting the venue and portrait locations and making sure we can get the shots they chose at those locations. Mapping out distances, travel times between the portrait spots and working out how long we would need to be at each spot. Creating a timetable and shot list for the day. Booking assistant and second shooter where needed. Making worksheets for the staff.
That's 12 hours work so far. Plus expenses.
The day before, I will be busy charging batteries, packing equipment and props up and ensuring cameras are charged, cleaned and in good working order. Cleaning lenses and checking them all for faults. Just in case, you know!
There's another 2 hours.
On the day, I will be up early to pack snacks and drink, load my car and drive to your prep location, and I'll start to shoot.
I will have had a meeting with my team before we started too, so that everyone has a brief for the day and they know where to be and when. They will have been given handouts with all the information they need.
Another 2 hours easily.
Only then will my day start. I will liase with the bride, send my second to meet the menfolk.
And I will shoot for anywhere between 3 and 12 hours depending on the chosen coverage.
In that time, I won't sit down, I will likely not eat (other than snacks) and I will have my camera in my hand. Because I belong to the couple for that day.
So add on average, 8 hours for a full wedding.
Then once I'm home, I've cards to unload, files to backup in case of emergency and then the processing phase begins.
Processing can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks. Roughly 20-40 hours of processing for a full wedding.
So by the time you see your beautiful images 2-3 weeks later, I will have spent 44-64 hours working on your wedding.
For a $3'000 package, that's $46 per hour before tax and without me having paid my assistant and second shooter.
Or around $37 per hour after I've paid my staff. And that $37 still has to have expenses come out of it, such as any hired equipment, travel/gas expenses, insurance and the like.
Doesn't leave much behind does it? Most of that will go straight back into maintaining and upgrading equipment......
But what it DOES leave behind, are the beautiful memories, that the couple will have to cherish forever.
Photos, that when they look through them, will remind them of that most important day in their journey. They will capture the tiny details that are so easily lost in the memory banks... remind them who shared their day with them and also the images will show the absolute love and adoration they have for each other in those special looks and touches that allow them to forever remember why they married in the first place.
Those images will be here in 100 years. 200 years. When the couple are long gone, but their children and grandchildren will be there to look through them and see how beautiful and in love they were.
Because memories fade much faster than a photograph.
So the next time you, or someone you love is planning a wedding and they want to go cheap on the photographer, ask them how important their day is and see whether they realize that a bad photographer could ruin their day and memories forever......
There is seriously no better way to spend a beautiful sunny afternoon, than in a place that never ceases to amaze me with it's beauty and detail..... than to spend it there with a model who was just born to rock the kind of 1940's glamour mere mortals dream of.
When I saw the dress that Little Miss Broadway brought down specially for our shoot I almost swooned.
You see, earlier in the year when I went to the Very Vintage Day Out in Auckland I had spotted it. And I wanted it! But the woman selling it was very VERY particular about even letting people try it on as it's a one of a kind genuine vintage 1940's dance dress.
In order to try it on, she was measuring people up and deciding if it was a yes or no and while my waist would have fit it, she decided my bust wouldn't. So I was denied.
Even this petite wonder was almost denied, but she pushed to try it and the woman allowed her - and not only does it fit her perfectly, but it looks like it was made to be hers.
She put it on and she just transformed into this creature of grace and beauty and it was fabulous!
The setting couldn't have been any more perfect and fitting for her, and the staff as usual were super lovely. Allowing us to have a corner to ourselves. Bringing us beautiful china and wine in vintage glasses. And even volunteering us a very handsome french man to partner her up with!
So I would like to thank Hippopotamus and all of the staff there for helping us out with such a lovely place and making it a very memorable day. Check out their website as they do a High Tea which is just to die for!
It's a photo overload in this post, but honestly there were just so many incredible images, I really couldn't narrow them down any further, so enjoy the eye candy!
Special thanks go to:
Models : Little Miss Broadway feat. Antoine
Makeup Artist : Willow Noir
Venue : Hippopotamus @ Museum Hotel
Lucky lady number three of the Hamilton trip, was the woman who made it all happen......
Meet Kim.
Kim worked so hard to pull this shoot together, arranging models, makeup artist, hairdresser, choosing the venue and being the one to liase with me to get it all to happen.
She was so determined and it was fantastic to see how the whole day came together so smoothly and was so much fun!
I almost forgot it was work I was doing as we were all having such a good time.
I shot Kim at the end of the day where we were lucky enough to have gotten some gorgeous afternoon light, as well as some sun and warmth when the weather hadn't looked like it was going to be all that great. I was very excited to see more and more sun peek out as the day wore on.
Gosh my job is so hard, beautiful women and beautiful places.....
Here is a bit of a sneaky peek at her images, which I am just so rapt with. What a foxy mama she is!
I hope you love them Kim, you are a stunner.
Special thanks go to:
Makeup Artist : Kylie-Ann Roughan | Voluptuous Devine
Venue : Vicki | Cambridge Coach House
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The second lady of the day in Hamilton, was the totally delicious Brook, who I just loved working with.
Every now and again you meet people who are a bit unsure of themselves in front of a camera, when they just absolutely don't need to be. She had such a beautiful natural grace and her looks and the little smiles she would give were just beautiful.
I would love to work with Brook again as I think she is one that the more time in front of the camera, the more amazing the shots would get with her! Fun, fun FUN!
We had lots of giggles and I got lots of fantastic shots, so here are a few sneaky peeks!
Way to go Brook, you killed it.
Special thanks go to:
Makeup Artist : Kim McGregor
Venue : Vicki | Cambridge Coach House
So this week rolled around and brought me an amazing experience. A trip to Hamilton, to spend the day in a simply stunning location a little way out of town to hang out with three beautiful ladies.
Meet the first lady of this sexy trio, Hannah who was just a dream to work with.
Now, there is nothing I love more than working with beautiful and confident women and Hannah was just fabulous. Easy, fun and we got lots of fantastic shots.
We were also super lucky that we had such an amazing venue, which was the perfect compliment for Hannah, who is a stunner with legs up to her neck and a butt to die for. She chose her wardrobe perfectly to compliment both the setting and her style.
I'm looking forward to working with Hannah again already and we've only just finished our shoot!
So enjoy the sneak peek Hannah, you rocked my socks off!
Special thanks go to:
Venue : Vicki | Cambridge Coach House
So, of all the strange places I've found myself of late... probably the strangest for me, was in an ethnic religious hall in Kilbirnie, to watch a Muay Thai fight event on a Saturday night.
A friend bought me tickets as a bribe to come along and take some photos, as well as help him learn to take photos at these events, as he's very into it and loves the sport.
And of course, who am I to turn down a chance to play with some rather fascinating lighting situations and some exciting action shots.
I was armed with my camera and I did take lighting along with me, as I had no idea what I was walking into, however the situation was rather unexpected. And if I do say so, it was downright complicated!
The lighting was from four spotlights, mounted too close to the fighters for the poor camera to cope with. So I had much fun turning my poor fingers to mush as in the very short rounds (I think they were only a few minutes each fight!) almost every single shot I took I used different settings. So I was on my dials like a crazy woman as for some parts, fighters were hiding in the shadows, then others they were in glaring hot light, then into areas where the light was uneven and shadowy.
I was rather pleased for fast glass, but next time I'll go prepared with a more capable body.
The fights themselves were really interesting. I learnt a lot, enjoyed the women fighting a lot! I also enjoyed watching the higher level fighters and the contortions and moves they were pulling out. It was madness, but they seemed so happy to be up there and it was highly entertaining watching them go from serious... to aggressive... to passive and happy in the space of 5 minutes.
Fights started with a quiet calm, then the aggression hit when the bell went. Only to completely dissipate into hugs and grins when the final bell went. Very very cool atmosphere.
The unusual lighting made for some very cool images I thought - and the fighting was so intense... I personally love the very last image I've posted on the blog here. The intensity was so palpable on his entire body!
Hope you enjoy these, and if you would like to see more then click HERE for the entire album.
Today I was a super lucky lady indeed as I got to spend most of it with the effervescent miss Phlossy Roxx who is one of my very favourite burlesque superstars, residing in Auckland. Wish she was here!!!!
I've been lucky enough to shoot with her several times now and I just love her to bits! She's got to be my most favourite model ever, as she's just so flexible! So many expressions, fantastic poses, brilliant character and her makeup and hair is always amazing.
We have so much fun, and the hardest part about our shoots is choosing the best images from the day! It's crazy! Every shot is so good that today, yet again we had the tough dilemmas of which images were the best! When you have literally hundreds of gorgeous images choosing is a tough game.
We played around with a couple of coloured backdrops and a couple of outfits today, it was just a studio shoot but as usual it was a most fun day this time involving very high ladders and some crazy balancing acts on my part with some cramp inspiring mind bending poses on Phlossy's behalf. There was much giggling and many pauses.... but the results I am so rapt with.
Stunning stunning stunning - check them out and don't forget you can post on the blog here if you would like to leave a comment for Phlossy to see! I know she would love to read them.
I just love that some weekends, rather than working, I get to play. And other weekends I get to combine the two.Like this weekend, when today I got to hang out with my little man who is growing up so fast!
And just to make it even better, the weather was stunning. Summer is coming! I even have a little sunburn to prove it!
We went out to Seaview and visited Grandad's boat so I could take some photos of it, he just loves going out there although he scared the life out of me with his utter fearlessness around the water. He was so happy to lean out over the water to reach the boat, while the mummy in me was having a minor panic attack with visions of having to fish him out of the sea dancing before my eyes!
Thankfully baseless as he was fine, but gosh! Scare me much?
After that we went somewhere I could relax a little and we hung out at the park on the foreshore, then wandered up over to the beach where we explored the sand... made rock mountains... discovered magic crystal rocks to add to his Lego Power Miners cave at home.... learned about shells and sea creatures and played chasing games on the sand.
It never ceases to amaze me how much more you look around you at the little things, when you have a little person's eyes to look through. So much he sees that adults just don't think about anymore. We have fascinating conversations and laugh a lot. I always feel so blessed on days like today!
I love knowing that warmer seasons are upon us and I loved too that I now have another beautiful spot in my head for portraits. As that area is just beautiful. So much gorgeous backdrop and with weather like today, I will be putting this spot on my list of amazing places to go as Mr 4 has given me so much inspiration today.
Now, right now I bet you are scratching your head, wondering what on earth the title of this blog post means and is leading to....Well, nothing. And nothing. Heh.
I'll be honest, I was sitting here wondering what this particular article should start with and I was drawing a complete blank. Because I couldn't think of a way to describe someone with such a big personality and such a great look, in just a few words.
So I hit up google and came upon one of those name generators - and she will possibly kill me for this one, but I typed her name in, and well, that was what it came up with.
"Break My Sanity As Revenge"
So there you go. We have a title!
Now, in some ways, the title actually fits rather well, as Mel herself has a totally quirky sense of humour and she always makes me laugh.
So I decided to roll with it.
Mel is a super talented hairdresser, who is always getting models dolled up and in front of the camera, so it was high time she had a taste of being on the other side, so we put her in front of the camera!
It was a lot of fun, she settled in super quick and we had a bit of fun with three different looks she'd liked.
Kind of Amy Winehouse inspired, I had a lot of fun posing her and getting her to really let her hair down and get into it.
One conversation that came up though, that seems to come up a lot with models, especially new ones. Is expressions.
So I thought I'd touch on that here, so that if any of you out there are models, or aspiring models, maybe you can take this and let it help you....
You see, it's so easy to get caught in the trap of a single expression.
Learning how to hold your mouth, face and jaw so that you have an expression you love on yourself.
But from a photographers point of view, that can be the most annoying thing in the world.
Don't get me wrong. Some models make millions off one expression. But for that to work, you have to be incredibly photogenic, have a perfectly proportioned body and have a very balanced look. So if you are an attractive girl, you could try it out, the whole one look thing. But don't be surprised if you don't get quite as much work as the model who is half as attractive, but has a metric tonne of personality and can flick an internal switch and turn on emotions.
You see, one expression, means that every photo of you will look similar.
Where, flexibility and range, will mean that I could take the same photo of you, but a different expression, or stance, or emotion will make the whole image feel very different.
So one thing I advise you to do, is practice in front of the mirror. Until you can convince yourself and others of your emotion.
Don't be afraid of it. Figure out how to rage... how to be depressed.... how to be happy.... how to be neutral... how to be angry.... how to be coy.... how to be haughty..... Do them all.
Become an actor......... Because there is nothing I love more than a model, who can bring me a convincing emotion on demand.
And speaking of emotion..... RAWR!
I love weekends with lovely ladies who make me laugh, and this weekend was another gem!
I had the gorgeous Miss Allegra Valentine in my studio and she was just fantastic fun! From her adorable accent to her big big brown eyes, she was delightful to work with and yet again, I had the opportunity to push someone out of their comfort box and to try to get them trying new things and having fun doing it.
I have to say, the funny thing about working with models, is that they often find a look that's easy and comfortable and they roll with it. It gets them lots of work and they look and feel good about it.
One thing that I love to see, is when a model knows her niche, but then wants help to push past it.
To take a look that's a polar opposite to them and to learn how to work it and make it work for them.
It's no easy task either. As it's so easy to slip back into the routine of the expression, the angle and the look they know works.
Shoots where I push a model beyond her usual often take a lot longer than shoots that work with an existing image, but man are they worth it! I love seeing the changes that a model will go through as they go through the stages of figuring out little tricks about their body that can help them with posing and getting themselves looking great for the camera.
Take Allegra, she's the epitome of pinup pretty! She's got giant eyes, gorgeous full pouty lips and she screams cute innocent pinup from every pore.
So with this shoot, we worked on getting her some images that were completely opposite to pinup. Something a little more edgy. With more grit. More emotion and less cheese.
We wanted images that said "come get me" with some attitude and personality.
And it was hard work. I won't lie. Because her eyes and her pout just kept on hitting back but we pushed through. And while it took some practise for her, I think we ended up with a fantastic set of images that have a really different feel to them.
No cheesecake here tonight......
Enjoy..........
Meet Elijah!
I was very lucky to have this little bundle of dynamite in the studio on Friday, to run rings around me and really give me a challenge! The cheeky smiles tell you exactly how funny that would have been to watch! I am totally sure without Aunty Bec there blowing bubbles till she almost passed out (Thanks Bec!) I would have had far more trouble with this one as he was your very typical active and busy little boy! His constant busyness reminded me of my own little boy who is a similar bundle of energy!
We had lots of fun though and while I was processing these, I was loving the cheekiness of him.... those big sparkling eyes that I am sure were laughing AT me the whole time and all the things about him that make him so special.
The least of that which is that Elijah has Prune Belly Syndrome.
So he doesn't get to live like other children. Which is a bit heart breaking when you have met him and seen what a cute little mischief maker he is.
He spends most of his time in a 'corset' of sorts to help his tummy and body and he travels in a wheelchair - if you go through Lyall Bay you may well have seen his lovely mother pushing this happy wee man around as they don't have a car.
If you would like to know more about Prune Belly Syndrome, then go check out their Facebook Page Elijah's Prune Belly Page and also if you would like to help, as his Mummy is currently trying to raise money to get Elijah the surgery and care he needs that isn't available under the public system, which is leaving him very much at risk!
They recently had a garage sale to raise money and are trying to raise as much as they can for Elijah.
So please, go take a look!
Now, I'm not sure how many people in the world don't use Facebook, but I'm sure it's a lot.I know a few...
And everyone has a different way of using it.
Some people (guilty party here) have a tendency to overuse it with the misguided idea that it's a good thing. Then we suddenly realise that no, we've just been suckered into that consumerist vortex that Mr Zuckerberg has created.
I know I am terribly guilty of accepting every friend request, whether I knew them or not. Whether I liked them or not. Or whether in fact the irritated the heck out of me. Then I've gone through phases where I've had mass deletions and at one point I had the list to under 200 - I remember being so proud!
However over the past year, the list again has grown to mammoth proportions. With more than 1200 people on the list, most of whom I barely know (if at all) and am constantly having to check pages to figure out how those people managed to connect to me.
I'm sure a lot is to do with photography, at least I think that as I often can't think of any other reason!
So anyways, today I deactivated Facebook. At least I deactivated the very public me.
I do however wish to remain in contact with my clients, and friends who are close to me, so I've made a decision to use a very private account, with only close friends and family on it. So if you are a good friend, you will either be added over the next few days, or if I do inadvertently miss you (yes I'm human) then please message me and give me a prod!
But if you are a client, model or fan of my work, then like my Facebook Page by clicking HERE as I will be keeping my page up to date and that's where you can always contact me about work matters or questions and that will help me keep my work and personal life more organised as I know all work enquiries are on my page!
It will also hopefully give me a lot more time in my day as I used to lose so many hours to Facebook it's actually scary! I'm looking forward to a lot more peaceful evenings....
I know the whole Facebook politics thing can be frustrating and difficult, so thank you all for your patience and I hope that we can continue to chat and connect through my Photography by Sharyn page!
I also wanted to share with you, some beautiful images I captured last week of two lovely little ladies who go to Mainly Music with my son....
Miss Paige is an absolute stunner, the daughter of a very good friend who I love to photograph. She's just too photogenic and way too cute! Look at those amazing blue eyes!
One thing that I really don't do enough, is photograph kids being kids. Just in their natural environment and not posing or looking for a camera.... but just being kids! And I got a chance today, so I took it.
I was down at preschool with Mr 4 to help with their Zippity Zoo visit, which was Zippity Zoo bringing a whole lot of farm animals to the preschool for the children to interact with.
They had guinea pigs, rabbits, lambs, chickens, baby chicks, a goat, a dog and a rooster!
As you can imagine hilarity ensued... although I did love that she had the coolest wee enclosures that the children could go into one at a time to pat some of the animals.
The children got to pet almost everything.... feed lambs... hold guinea pigs.... it was all very exciting for them.
I grabbed a few snaps from the day - as many as I could whilst supervising Mr 4 anyway.
As part of working with Purdy Corsetry and as a bit of a follow on from yesterday's post, The rest of the team for the shoot who were absolutely wonderful to work with, were Makeup Artist Petrice McCarthy and of course the lovely model herself, Bailey McCormack aka Fanciforia Foxglove.
Both girls were an integral part of the shoot, and they were both great to work with.
Petrice's makeup skills were flawless and it was great to have here there the whole shoot, she was very good at getting in and getting the job done, as well as minor touchups between poses, which was very appreciated when it came to processing the shoot!
Bailey was a fantastic model, easy to pose, had a fantastic look and she was chatty and happy through the whole session. I always love her smile, she's just so incredibly happy and easy going that it's totally infectious!
I took a few special images just for them, some close up's to show the makeup and for Bailey to add to her portfolio.
Hope you enjoy them ladies, it was a pleasure to work with you both and I am really looking forward to more!
Model : Bailey McCormack Makeup Artist : Petrice Mccarthy Corsetière : Purdy Corsetry
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So this weekend, my Saturday was spent with an extremely talented Wellington lady, and Corsetière extraordinaire from Purdy Corsetry as we did a photo shoot with two of her recent creations.
These two beautifully crafted corsets were custom designs for the stunning, wasp-waisted Miss Bailey McCormack aka Fanciforia Foxglove.
Fanci is a well known Wellington Burlesque superstar and she was a fantastic model. We had so much fun, with a few hiccups along the way as some minor technical difficulties reared their heads near the start of the shoot - but thankfully I always have a backup plan! So with some quick adjustments we were back in business and the rest of the shoot went as smooth as the high quality silk Bailey was wrapped in!
Purdy Corsetry do custom made corsets, that are extremely high quality and she is an utter perfectionist.
Her attention to detail is intriguing and having seen a lot of her work around Wellington, you can spot a Purdy corset a mile off by the amazing design, the perfect detailing, the beautiful classic couture feel, the perfect colour and fabric combinations and the shape of the waist.
They are just divine - and the best part is that unlike a lot of corsets, they are so comfortable to wear, allow you to breathe, yet give you that voluptuous hourglass figure.
So when you next need a corset, now you know where to look.......... Also, watch this space as I have been given the pleasure of working with Purdy Corsetry for her Official Collection shoot, which is coming up!
Model : Bailey McCormack Makeup Artist : Petrice Mccarthy Corsetière : Purdy Corsetry
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It's funny, more than anything I seem to find myself with stunning women in front of my camera, as fashion is a real passion of mine but very few realise I think that my actual favourite thing to photograph are newborn babes.
There is nothing more amazing to me, than a newborn. They are so tiny and precious. So completely reliant on us for everything.
And I don't get to see nearly enough of them lately. So having the opportunity to do a photoshoot for a good friend of mine who needed images, well I was so excited I could barely sit still all weekend!
I have a huge prop collection, and a lot of them have been made by a very talented and sweet woman who lives on the Kapiti coast Jaimie from Fragile Rage so when she needed some images specifically for her advertising I didn't hesitate to put my hand up!
I had a friend whose brother's wee baby had just been born, and so we organised her to be our model and what a fantastic choice that was.
Mikila was just stunning. The most amazing full head of hair and gosh such a placid and wonderful baby to have in studio. She was a total superstar - no diva moments here whatsoever!
Enjoy, these are just a few of the images we captured... and watch out for her modelling debut on the Fragile Rage Facebook page as well as her business cards and advertising!
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And when I say sugar, I really do mean it.I had an afternoon with the fabulous Salacious Sugar. A relatively new Wellington performer who has been taking burlesque by storm with her hilarious stage antics.
The first time I met Salacious Sugar I had an idea for a shoot for her, as I just love the film noire era and I am a total sucker for that glorious old black & white movie star imagery.
As soon as I saw her, she reminded me of Clara Bow - personality and all as Salacious Sugar is every bit as cheeky, naughty, seductive and tempting as Clara and the look she has is like Clara reincarnated!
We talked about putting together a film noire shoot and this is what we got!
I just love these images, choosing my favourites was terribly hard as she worked this look perfectly. And a sweeter, more humble and easy going model you will never meet. She was a total superstar.
Thanks also to Claire from The Vanity Case for the fabulous hair & makeup!
I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed making them!
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Saturday certainly was a day with a whole lot of sweet.... as along with Salacious Sugar in my studio, I was very lucky to have also had the wonderfully delicious Candy Thorne with her beau Bandit, a little bodypaint and a whole lot of awesome!
Margo from Lulu's Body Art spent a good part of the morning turning this cute couple from sweet to spunky going with the ever awesome Captain America theme.
Bandit was a gorgeous Captain America, patiently being painted up and then posing for me and showing off those muscles and that body! Just stunning.
And Candy was an absolute delight as usual - although she showed me she's been practising her model poses as she was much more pliable this shoot and much more competent and confident with posing in front of my camera.
We've worked together a few times now and it's always a lot of fun, but this was probably my favourite shoot with Candy as this one was all her plan and I just rolled with it. We got some stunning images of the both of them and it was easy work - in fact, so easy that I had the first image up on FB within 20 minutes of wrapping up shooting!
I can't wait to see what Candy comes up next for me to shoot..... Mind. Blowing. Ideas.
Here are some of the shots, for your enjoyment!
So I had the absolute pleasure to have Miss Salacious Sugar in my studio on the weekend... adding a little spice to her life with a shoot that was just a little bit different for her and was a lot of fun to create.
She is a stunning Wellington burlesque superstar and when we arranged to work together, we arranged to shoot two wildly different things.
This part of the session was the 'wildly different' part and was something I wanted to do that would follow on from a series I did some time ago with Venus Starr. It involved much water... much cold air... an industrial warehouse and a little bit of intrigue.
I picked Miss Sugar out deliberately, as she has such a great personality and as a rule she is so perfectly funny and pretty that I wanted to pull her out of her comfort zone and give her a role to sink her teeth into.
When we started I could tell she wasn't quite sure, but she certainly managed to take hold of her fear and she absolutely rocked the look and feel I needed, even adding her own twist to the shoot which was awesome.
Keep an eye out for another blog post with the other half of the day, but for now, here are some of the amazing images we put together...
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I know, I know... if you are a follower of mine you will have seen some of these before, but as my blog is still pretty new and I'm still finding my feet I thought that I would pick out a few of my favourite shoots to feature on the blog even though they aren't brand new - and this one was such a gem it had to be up first!
Before I tell you more about this amazing woman, I will let all you wonderful people reading my blog in on an exciting article coming up this week.
As you will all know from previous posts, I traveled up to Auckland a few weeks ago to do a Newborn Workshop and yes there is a review article coming complete with images as soon as I get it finished.
It's blown me away how many of you are asking about it, so once I get through choosing my favourite images from the day I shall share with you my perspective on that workshop, workshops in general and the things I learned from my experience.
So I worked with Miss Phloss once, some months ago and we had an absolute blast. Me getting her wild side up and evil and her laughing like a madwoman between takes.
Anyhow, we had so much fun that on her last trip down this way she got in touch and asked if we could do it all again.
I'd had so much fun, how could I resist!
She turned up with an incredible hot pink latex outfit and woweeeee! We slid her in, most literally, polished her up and then after some deliberation we decided that a matching wig from my costume collection was going to work perfectly to finish the outfit off.
Once she was dressed to the nines, it was go time and I had the absolute privilege of getting to watch the superstar come out to play once again.
I absolutely love working with her as she is just breathtaking. Lots of fun, lots of laughs and interesting tales. She's also so professional. Never a diva, always full of grace and every time I see her photos on screen they make me smile as those eyes are so full of mischief!
So here are a few from the day for you to enjoy....
Check out more from Miss Phloss on Twitter or on her website!
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I've been seeing it more and more often. So often that it's really making me scratch my head in wonder at what these people are thinking! You know who I am talking about, the newbie photographers, who are just starting out in the journey of photography and they get so very excited about their 'launch' as they build flashy websites and create Facebook pages. Then they sit back and realise that they don't really have very many photos that they like to put on there.
Now, we've all been there without a doubt.
Even experienced photographers simply changing their genre face the same battle... Myself, coming from spending over a decade photographing extreme sports and deciding to move into portraiture. I started out with very little in my Portraiture Portfolio.
However I do believe that the true test of your mettle and integrity is how you deal with that.
I understand, truly I do that starting out is hard. It's why most businesses will fail in their first year.
But as surely as the internet has made the work of others easy to access, it has also made it just as easy for you to be caught out.
So if you are that person, entering photography as a career, and you are contemplating 'borrowing' some images from a photographer you look up to for your portfolio, then I have one word for you...
DON'T.
It's just not worth throwing your career over and becoming another Megan Kunert or similar.
My best advice to those starting out?
Shoot for free.
Offer portfolio building shoots, then once you have gained a following, had some practice and are able to consistently deliver quality images start to charge people and take actual clients.
Yes it may take time to build your skills, education, reputation and portfolio. But doesn't it feel so much better to know you did it with your own hard work and ethics intact?
A lot of good photographers take advantage of the indentifier applications out there to check up on where work is posted, with or without credit and apply credit appropriately or they will happily issue DMCA and similar takedown notices to web hosts and site owners.
So if you steal images, you will get caught. It's simple.
It might take a day, it might take a week, but they will find you - so just don't do it! Please!
Photography is about hard work, creative vision and the photographers eye. You can't fake it, so learn it. Better yourself and have some fun doing it.
I love taking photos, I work extremely hard to get the results I want and the thought of people stealing that work and claiming it as their own is heartbreaking. I practice on my children as you can see below, one of my gorgeous practice subjects. Practice practice practice.
And love what you do.
I'd also like to say a quick shout out here to a couple of people who are avid supporters and identifiers of those who steal images, making sure the real photographers see who is using their hard work.
http://stopstealingphotos.tumblr.com
and
http://www.garyfong.com
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So, a couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a Christchurch Burlesque Superstar, Miss Ruby Ruin as she was coming to Wellington and wanted to do a concept shoot surrounding a beautiful egyptian styled headpiece she had and she wanted me to do it.
She sent me a few images and gave me a couple of ideas and we organised a time.
I have to admit, that everything was going swimmingly until last night when the weather forecast turned a bit sour and I ended up making a completely alternate plan in case the weather really didn't want to play ball with us. But lucky for us, the weather gods must have had their listening ears on this morning as we drove out to the location to chance it, and I went hiking up the hill to check it out.
In the carpark, we had gale force winds and I was nervous, but up the hill it was amazing. Sunny, calm and beautiful.
So the shoot went ahead exactly as planned and we had fantastic fun!
I'm posting a few sneaky peek shots here for you all to enjoy of the regal Ruby Ruin... channelling Nefertiti in the beautiful late afternoon sun.
On the weekend, I was lucky to have had the opportunity to blow off some steam from last week on my dirt bike.
We decided to head up country as just a couple hours drive north of us is a Motocross park that's open all year round and has a Moto track, a couple of short forest loops and a kids track.
Taikorea, as I've learnt is a fantastic place for hitting up if you want to play around, casually session the forest, or even hit up the track as even I was getting some air off the jumps - although not as much as some of the guys we watched there.
I grabbed the camera out when a couple of guys hit the track, set myself up in the middle where I had a great vantage point and I got some stunning images. These guys were good!
Super friendly too and we had a good chat about bikes, dirt and motocross.
All in all it was a fantastic day, it had been so long since I'd been out on my bike with all the home renovations going on so it was a great day blowing out the cobwebs, getting a feel for the bike, learning a few new tricks and conquering a sand hill with a bite!
I was rather proud of myself for not letting it beat me, even though it tried! Could definitely feel I've not been riding anywhere near enough lately. But that's about to change.....
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I don't usually take very many images of sunsets.
It's not that I don't want to, but more that with an active toddler at home, sunset usually occurs around dinner/bath/bedtime in our house which means that sneaking out to watch the sun go down just doesn't happen for me often when I'm not working.
Not for lack of wanting to.
But it does have the effect that when I do manage to be out and with my camera handy - usually I am without child when I manage to be somewhere beautiful where the sun is setting (or rising for that matter!) then it's really nice to be able to look around, find a good vantage point and take some beautiful images in the golden hour.
Last weekend I had one of those moments.
I call them moments as sunsets always seem to be gone before you realise, so you really do have to grab the opportunity while you can and get in quick before the beautiful light disappears.
I took this photo, looking out over the beautiful Pukerua Bay while on my way home from Foxton.
Every time I look at it, I just marvel over how calm the sea is on this notoriously violent piece of the coast. It's usually crashing waves, bouncing spray and so rough it's almost scary. So the complete calm and peace, of it bathed in the beautiful golden arms of the sun captivated me completely.
I love it!
I'll be blogging about the Workshop I did once I've had time to process all the information and my thoughts on how I thought it went next week.
Only because I think it's going to be a very long post, with a lot to cover in order to do it the justice that it's $1000 price tag begs. So be patient with me on that one.
In the meantime however, I thought I would share some photographs from today, as I'm back home in Wellington and today was a bit of an average day weather wise. Bit of a shame when I was welcomed home with such a stunning day yesterday!
I didn't think it was terribly warm out but the child had other thoughts. As I discovered when I was called for and the request came to bring my camera and hurry.....
So outside I rushed, to see what all the fuss was about, to find my son outside, stark naked, climbing himself into a bucket of extra warm water!
Apparently he'd gotten dirty feet, deciding he didn't want to wear gumboots and wandering around playing in the dirt with bare toes having a great time. But his father knew he couldn't send him home filthy so he filled the bucket to wash his feet in. Then the child decided that apparently it looked pretty warm in there and next thing he was stripping off to "have a bath" outdoors and cold be damned!
I thought it was very cute and since I've not blogged in a long time and I need practise, I'm going to share with you some of the photos from today.
Enjoy!
Tonight, I reside in Auckland, while I excitedly wait for tomorrow and what I am hoping will be a very interesting day.
Tomorrow I am signed up for Amy's workshop on newborn photography. So I am looking forward to seeing how much I can learn and what I can learn from her. From the little details to the big, it should be very interesting.
The workshop was almost $1000 and is one day, from 9am to 5am so it is a huge investment but the game plan looks solid. Hopefully it lives up to it's reputation and delivers an experience which will prove it's worth. I am going in with high expectations of enough learning and information to make my own business more productive and earn me back the money invested in this day. Which will of course include flights, accomodation, food and transport.
And since I am unfortunately computerless and since Auckland has put on lousy weather and I could barely see past the bonnet for the rain and mist I have borrowed a photo of this beautiful city from My-D4 on DeviantArt.
They say eyes are the window to the soul.
I have to agree, I love photographing people's eyes. They can tell you so much about a person no matter what angle you capture them from.
I do have to ask though, why are men always blessed with beautiful lashes!!! Gosh!
