We are currently looking for Spokes Models to represent our photography studio for the 2012-2013 school year. Models will receive a fashion session, complete with hair and makeup, their senior portrait session free and also have the ability to earn super cool senior picture products like albums, 411 cards and proof books. Models will need to purchase their senior portrait collection. Models who meet the Seattle Models Guild requirements will have their images submitted to SMG and have the chance to earn a modeling contract. Only students interested in having professional senior pictures should apply. Download application here.

I’m excited to announce that Photonuvo will be giving away two $500 senior picture scholarships to the graduating class of 2012. The scholarship includes $500 to be used for senior pictures at Photonuvo, but includes no cash value. This scholarship will be given to students that really want to have awesome senior pictures but something in their life is making it difficult to afford the pictures. If you would like to apply, please “like” Photonuvo on facebook and send an email application to info@photonuvo.com stating why you think you deserve the senior picture scholarship. The more details we get from you, the easier it will be for us to make the decision. Scholarships will be awarded on October 28th, 2011 and must be redeemed in November 2011.

I just hung the images from the last four model shoots at the Daily Record.  The Daily Record was kind enough to allow us to display all our model images in their window on main street.  It’s been really exciting for our models to have their pictures displayed where everyone can see them.  Congratulations to Hannah Bain, Jacob Sparks, Jolyn Hull, Katie Crawford, Kiley VanAmburg, Kimberly Van Horme, Madeline Renner, Tiffany Peralez, Aislinn Kuebel, Alex Ryan, Ashley Bacon, Erin Rose Heen, Jacob Ferris, Karissa Mahre, Shaw Mahre and Shay Shattuck.  Also thank you to our participating businesses:  Gaylyn’s Salon, Mauices, Mountain High Sports and Melanie Grace Designs and a big thank you to the Daily Record.  If your in Ellensburg, come by and take a peek.  The display should be up for about a month.

One of our Photonuvo models, Karissa Mahre, called me up a couple weeks ago and told me she was interested in entering the NRS (National Roping Supply) “Fresh Face” contest.  She needed a head shot and full length image to enter the competition so I got her scheduled right away.  Karissa is a very striking girl so creating beautiful images of her was easy. Karissa uploaded the images and then had to wait for the judges to narrow the entries down to 15.  She was notified that she was one of the 15 finalists!  Yeah Karissa!!!  Now we can help Karissa win.  The girl who gets the most “likes” on facebook will be the winner and model in the NRS fall catalog.  Voting will last from April 26th to May 2nd at 2:00pm.  Please help Karissa win by going to http://www.facebook.com/nrsworld, “like” the NRS facebook page and then “like” Karissa’s photo.  We are all very excited for Karissa.  Good luck!

I just adore all my models!  They are fun, outgoing, beautiful/ hansom and amazing!  I feel so fortunate to have a job where I get to play, be creative and work with amazing individuals!  I really enjoy coming up with ideas for my model shoots and creating “sets” if needed.  Sometimes my big ideas cause me a little stress, like setting up a whole set outdoors in the windy spring in Ellensburg or like putting girls in prom dresses in the middle of winter and then having the temperature plummet to below freezing.  I know sometimes my ideas are not always the safest…… but if you always play it safe then life would be….. well….boring!  So after two weeks of horrible Ellensburg weather, I was stressing that this model shoot might either get rained out or the wind would send us indoors.  But we got a brake! The weather report showed a calm, overcast morning with winds picking up to 30 mph about 1:00pm.  Yeah, we had a calm morning to shoot!  So the night before I started loading the tables, chairs, trunks, and flowers into our trailer.  I had these wonderful flowers that a friend gave me but I didn’t have a vase large enough so I made a vase out of an upside down stool and some fabric.  It worked great! The next morning while I was setting up my outdoor “table set”, Sara was getting the models to their fitting and the salon.  We used clothes from Maurices and hair and makeup from Gaylyn’s Salon.  As the models got ready, Sara sent them out to the location so I could start photographing them.  We were racing again the wind! All the model were great!  They were fun to work with and knew how to move!  The set was simple so I pushed them for more model like poses.  They all rocked it!  I photographed them individually and then as a group.  The wind was starting to pick up and right after the very last shot of the group, the giant flower arrangement on the table blew over and hit the ground!  We all cheered because we sidestepped the Ellensburg wind!  Great job Jolyn, Hanna, Katie, Kiley and Jacob!

So Exciting!  Images from our first three model shoots are now on display in the Daily Record windows on Main Street in Ellensburg.  These are 20 x 30 prints of all the models participating in the first few model sessions and they are creating quite a buzz!  Congratulations to Rachel Roll, Kaely Sauriol, Samantha Simmons, Sierra Wammock, Ashley Ommen, Brett Almon, Briana Nelson, Chandler Forman, Mackenzie Forman, Brooke Reeves, Diana Acevedo, Elyssa Granger, Fabio Pena, and Rachel Hall.   A display of your images is also up at Gaylyn’s Salon.  Come check them out if you’re in town.  Here are a few snap shots from my iphone.

I’ve had this idea for some time now, to do a photo shoot in an old train yard and this year I was able to make it happen thanks to an old friend of mine who works and restores trains at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish.  Doug was gracious enough to give us permission to use the cars and premise for our fourth model shoot and it was a blast to photograph there.  We had four beautiful models for this shoot Erin, Aislinn, Alex and Ashley and they all attend Ellensburg High School.  We started at Maurices to pull clothes for our models and then headed over to Gaylyn’s Salon where Gaylyn and Kim worked their magic on the girl’s hair and makeup.  Once the girls were ready to go we caravanned South, I had my car loaded with camera gear and Sara drove the models.  Everyone at the train depot was very helpful and they opened up several cars for us to use.  The weather was sunny and fairly warm so I used the sun to back light the models and burn in the rich color of the sky. I used my off camera flash to light the models.  All the models did a really good job and were completely game to climb in their heals and dresses onto the trains and dangle precariously over the edge or railing.  I love the pop of color the cars gave the overall look of the shoot.  It was really fun working there and also with all the models.  Great job girls!  If you’re a train lover or have small kids, you should check out the Northern Pacific Railway Museum website.  They have special events for families on Halloween and Christmas and it sounds like it’s a great time for the whole family.  It’s also a great organization to support.  They are preserving a piece of American history.

I had the privilege of hosting a Portrait Birthday Party for Karly who just turned 14 and seven of her best friends. Karly’s mom was looking for something completely original for her daughters’ birthday; something special that the girls would not forget.  I told her about our portrait party’s.  She loved the idea!  I designed an invitation and came up with a theme of “Black, Bling and Jean”.  The day of the shoot, the girls had their makeup done before coming to the studio.  I photographed each girl separately and then together in a group.  Everyone had a blast.  I stayed with a black background for the individuals and then piled everyone on my red velvet sofa for some of the group shots.  Each girl received one 5×7 of the group shot and I gave Karly a 10×20 custom designed storyboard of her party for her birthday.  I’d like to share some of the girls images below.  Portrait party’s are great for all ages!

This was a really fun model shoot!  I was able to get access to one of the upstairs building in downtown Ellensburg that hadn’t been used since the 50′s.  It was the perfect setting for my third model shoot this year.  It had a big dance hall and several smaller offices, one of which was a doctor’s office (it was sort a creepy when I was up there by myself).  The building had amazing natural light.  There was a huge skylight in the main walkway and several outside window covered in very dusty lace curtains.  I mostly used the ambient light to illuminate the space by dragging the shutter and then filled with my off camera power pack and soft box.  I also played around with a flashlight that my husband bought me.  I used the warm light to add separation between the model and the background and also as a hair light.  I like the results that I got.  This shoot we had model representatives from Ellensburg, Selah, East Valley, West Valley and Cashmere High Schools.  All the girls had their hair and makeup done at Gaylyn’s Salon.  Thank you again Gaylyn and Kim for doing such a wonderful job!  I also want to thank Maurices for letting us use their clothes.  I just love the outfits!  The models did an amazing job.  Everyone was very fun and easy to photograph!  Thank you Brett, Briana, Chandler, Machenzie and Ashley!

I love coming up with the concepts for model shoots, setting up all the details and then watching it come together on the day of the shoot. I want each shoot to be different & fun and I’m always thinking and looking for new ideas.  I’m known for doing crazy things- like hualing a bed into the middle of a meadow or putting girls in prom dresses in the middle of winter to get the “look” I’m after.  Each model shoot takes a lot of planning and coordinating.  I’m very thankful for my marketing director, Sara, who keeps everything organized before and during the shoots. My vision for this particular model shoot was “vintage /Hollywood glamour”.  Gaylyn’s Salon does all the hair and makeup for my model shoots and her salon was the perfect location with the hard wood floors and old-fashioned soda bar.  I had a connection to a fashion designer in Idaho who offers limited edition garments and her clothes were perfect.  Please take a minute and check out her work at Melanie Grace Designs. (She has already posted some of the model images from this shoot on her website)  I happen to have a small collection of vintage hats that tied everything together and Gaylyn and Kim did an amazing job of styling the hats with the models hair and makeup.  I love the warmth of the building so I used a slow shutter speed to take advantage of the available light and filled with my off camera flash.  I just love the images we got.  Thank you to Fabio, Rachel, Diana, Brooke and Elyssa.  You guys did an amazing job.