Blowing Rocks + Studio Shoots.

What a great time, had by all :)
Got to work with a great and creative team, Christine Rose (fellow photographer), Alice (new muse), Jarad Gibson (great model, great guy) and Jenn Yates, the most awesome MUA I've ever worked with.
Alice and I crashed at Christine's place where we did nothing but eat bad food and do studio work at ungodly hours of the morning :)
We woke up at 5:45 am for the 1st shoot, where we traveled to Blowing Rocks Preserve, a section of beach in Jupiter where the rocks are so awesome and pole out of the water and then look like cliffs at low tide.
We met up with Jarad G, a new face and make up artist Jenn Yates.
Here's a few shots of Jenn doing her magic on Alice...


Jenn's amazing portable MAC studio..


Christine shooting Jarad, Jenn doing touch ups on Alice:


An awesomeish shot of Jenn doing more touch ups:


Eventually we got super hot and dehydrated and took a break...we ate at a diner where we solicited the waitress to come shoot with us since we were one model short and she was pretty...didn't work out but she was a sweet heart and even said yes.

Then we all realized we needed caffeine..



And yet even another MU shot from inside Jenn's car...



After reluctantly saying goodbye to Jenn [she had us all in a great, happy mood!] we returned to the rocks, eager to take advantage of the nice overcast conditions.

Got some great shots that day:









Of course, we loved working together so much, Alice and i stayed another night at Chris's and we did yet another shoot the next day..Studio this time :)

Jenn doing Jarad's face now!


I haven't edited all the pics from that but here's a few I took of Alice in the beginning...




And the day was looong. After Jarad and Jenn left, Chris, Alice and I went on an adventure to Richpeople Island Aka PalmBeach Island...didn't do those photos yet but I do have this.



Made his day, I think... :)

Oh and before I sign off, take a moment to appreciate the fact that models DO eat. Junk food. with their photographers.

"The Other Boleyn Girl"

As promised, I finally got around to organizing a small creative team and executing this concept that's been festering in my mind for months :) Along with Christine Rose, a fellow photographer and Cara, a talented make up artist, the shoot was pretty successful.

I cast 2 lovely models, Crystal Eckstadt and Amber Coyle as Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn, respectively.

We took the trip down to Miami, ready to shoot as Vizcaya, where I shot with Cristina Morales..we were running pretty behnd schedule and it got even worse when it began to pour! Just my luck. Even still, we were able to get some makeup done in the back of Christine's car.



Knowing the place closed at 5:30, we attempted to get in at 4:45 and they wouldn't let us :( So all looked pretty doomed and we were all pretty bummed, especially the poor models who were swimming in heavy costumes 5 times their size in the hot and humid air. But we managed to shoot a few shots of Amber in the area around the parking lot while Crystal was getting ready. Here's my favorite:


Jesus, the mosquitoes were insufferable! But they always are. Thank god for repellent.

So after that, we drove aorund for somewhere else to shoot, with the sun sinking, I was getting pretty anxious but Christine is a genius and we stubled upon this beautiful old church, with a yard and everything..so we stopped there :)

"Anne" single Shot:


"Mary" single shot:


"Covet"


"Face Off"


Getting touched up and taking peeks at the shots...


Christine shooting Crystal:


Amber taking a break with Cara:


Some more gems.




And more behind the scenes:
Christine, shooting the girls:


Crystal, me, Amber and Cara...Christine took it because...grumble.


They were so ready to get out of the costumes! Haha.


The end! :)

First actual shoot with Alice the amazing.

So one night as I sat at my computer, I get an urgent message from Alice Lopez saying that we have to shoot..Immediately! As if I were going somewhere the next day. So I said sure let's do it tomorrow! And so without much planning or thinking, we did. :p

With no place to really shoot, we decided to stick around my house. Bringing along her brother Mitchell and her boyfriend Eric, it was definitely an interesting time!
Alice getting ready:


Also my first shoot using my brand new offbrand flash! It's really not bad for what it is. Here's a shot taken with the flash:



While Alice and I shot, her boyfriend and brother traveled to a nearby playground, where we had to go retrieve them...


After a while, we decided the 98 degree weather was perfect for shooting in a desert like area, so we packed up and took a short drive to the farming area across the street from my neighborhood. While sinking in the sand, and waiting for Mitchell and Eric to come back from their journey across the field, I managed to get a few shots of Alice....:
redoing the makeup.




Alice and me:


And then the two boys came back..looking a little like they've been stranded on a desert island, and really having fun with it.


Eric was just a little more modest than Mitchell as you can see.
And then we learned that a very stereotypical farmer guy had kicked us out of the field. Private property...hmm..that usually means "Good pictures here!"
We went to a gas station and stocked up on liquids and headed back to my apartment.
We shot some more..





And when the sun went down, we went over the photos and Alice and Eric ended up staying till the early hours of the morning, don't remember much, just watched some hilarious Muffins video on youtube. :)

That's about it for now!
Alice's MM account: http://www.modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=438924

Cristina @ Vizcaya

So this past Thursday, Cristina Alexa Morales and and I had a great shoot. Her mother took us down to Miami where we decided to risk shooting at the Vizscaya Mansion and Gardens without a permit, hehe. It was SUCH a lovely, amazing location and I really couldn't afford the $125 for the permit. Besides, the site said for Professional Portrait Photographers...hmm, I don't remember being a professional...! So we came in and saw that there were around nine other photographers doing sweet 16 and Quincenera shoots. We blended right in!

Cristina's mom doing a little grooming :)


A shot from the "Secret Garden"


And the fountains


A balcony..


And one of the many lovely staircases in the gardens


After that, we were going to go to Fairchild Gardens..we tried asking a few officers where it was

And no one knew.
So we opted for dinner at Mediterranean diner near south beach...


and the waitress found out from someone in the kitchen where the garden was. We went there, and it was deserted! So strange.

The rest of the night was spent at the shops on South Beach. Lots of interesting people in Miami...


And even better clothes shops. :) Anyone wanna buy me this? Only $1K.


More soon!