Archive for March, 2011

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.

I’m really excited to share some of the images from our first Senior Picture Model Shoot. Our Model Team is made up of high school juniors who represent Photonuvo thoughout the school year. They receive a free senior session, earn really cool senior products and also get to participate in our model shoots. These shoots are made up of 3 to five students and each one is completely different and fun. It’s a great way for high school students to experience what a true model session is like.  This particular shoot was inspired by the movie White Christmas.  I wanted to photograph my models in beautiful dresses outside in the snow.  This turned out to be harder than I thought thanks to the erratic weather this winter.  Luckily it snowed a couple days before the shoot was scheduled and it stayed on the ground.  The down side was the temperature plummeted to 20 degrees.  Yikes! All I have to say is that these girls are true models and extremely tough!   I asked them to bring their own prom dresses and we all converged on Gaylyn’s Salon at 10:00 am Saturday morning.  I really love working with Gaylyn and Kim!  Both are very talented stylist and make the models look and feel beautiful.  Once everyone was dressed,  (we paired prom dresses with cowboy boots- so cute- I think it might catch on) we headed out to our location. After about 10 miles of dirt road, we finally reached an abandoned house that I had scouted earlier in the week.  It was perfect to tell the story I had in my head.  We worked quickly because of the freezing weather with each model and then got some fun group shots together.  Thank you Kaely, Rachel, Samantha and Sierra for doing such an amazing job.  You definitely “Rock the Frock”!