Pinned. Outdoor Movie
Not to rush the seasons, but is it summer yet?
Well, here in SoCal we’re rockin’ the summer temps already . . . I so want to do the outdoor movie party!
In your opinion, what is the perfect outdoor movie kind of movie? Casablanca? Happy Gilmore? Hope Floats?
Found this gem while perusing through Pinterest.
Images by the amazzzzing Brandon Kidd featured on the Oh Party Blog. Lovely!
Until next time,
- Skye, xoxo
Showcase | Hope & Memory Photo
I was thrilled to receive this submission by Seattle photographer Sarah Vasquez, of Hope & Memory Photography.
Don’t forget to submit your concept shoot to Reverie. Information can be found by clicking here.
Please join me as I chat with Sarah about her shoot below.
skye | Tell us about the inspiration behind this shoot?
About 9 months ago I was watching Queen Elizabeth: The Golden Age and my imagination was totally captured by the fleshing out of this major historical figure. I wanted to know what she was like as a child, and I could find nothing beyond mere facts about her childhood. However, seeing this movie and knowing about her life gave me an idea of what she must have been like as a woman and this began the formulation of a character in my head (I come from an acting background and this is how most of my concept shoots begin.) and it just kept snowballing up until the actual shoot.
skye | Okay, the outfit is perfect for the shoot – tell us how you put this together?
My daughter has modeled for my fine art photographer friend and I knew she used a woman that goes by the business name SINched for some of her sessions. I contacted SINched, knowing that she wanted to branch out into a children’s line, and asked her if she would be interested in creating an Elizabethan gown for me and she totally and completely knocked it out of the park. She even included a lovely necklace and headdress. I was stumped on shoes, so we just went with sparkly gold shoes from Target, which seems to be a go-to for me since they have so many colors and are just really simple shoes that are quite popular with little girls.
skye | How did you choose the small details to include with the shoot (books, candles, etc.)?
Once I realized that this was going to happen in a forest-like setting, I knew I had to have something for her to sit on so she wouldn’t damage the dress. I originally had an old wooden chair that I planned to use even though it didn’t fit the period because I knew it would be covered by the dress; unfortunately, that chair broke so I went thrift store hunting to find a replacement. Luckily, I stumbled upon this bench and it fits the theme so much better! I also knew I needed books for the story I was going to tell. Antique books just felt right and it added to the feel of actually learning instead of just reading for fun (although I don’t imagine that children of that era did a lot of reading for fun so it may be a moot point). Once those things were in place, the candles just made sense. Of course you need light in a dark forest, right?! I looked at local antique stores trying to find candle stick holders first and there were none to be had so I headed back to the thrift stores and found these 3 beauties on my first trip. The actual candles are just from the local big-box store and I felt like they needed to be white in order to be realistic (something I strive for in all my concept shoots). I feel like it is also important to mention that the photos with lit candles are a composite and I did not actually have flames around old books, elaborate dresses, and children. 
skye | Like the dress, the location sets the mood for the shoot – tells us more on the location:
Originally I had envisioned this in a castle like setting, which Seattle has no shortage of, but every location I checked ended up having elements that gave it away as being very urban. I finally found a castle replica which would have been PERFECT, but they wanted to charge me over $800 an hour just to be on the grounds with my camera. Obviously this meant I needed to take a different direction. I began to think about this character I had created in my head and I imagined her traipsing through the forest, all her servants in hand, with a governess trying to maintain her royal appearance and attitude while Elizabeth clearly would rather daydream or play. It just kind of all fell into place from there. And I knew this spot (across from a dog park!) was going to give me the perfect isolated feel that I wanted (which, by the way, it is totally NOT isolated).
skye | What inspires you these days?
History, theatre, foreign cultures, music, literature, movies, television shows, and languages are my typical inspiration sources and I definitely drew off of that for this shoot, but lately I’ve been working on advanced compositional techniques and incorporating traditional art composition lines into my work so I am finding paintings and art to be inspiring of late.
Until next time!
- Skye, xoxo
PS. Loved it? Share it!
| Credits |
Sarah Vasquez of Hope & Memory Photo
Images © 2011 Sarah Vasquez
Hope & Memory on Facebook
Dress Sinchling by Sinched
What’s the Deal With Posing?
Natural posing. Big hairy deal, right?
Well, you might be surprised (or not-so-surprised) to learn this is one of the top struggles photographers write to me about — how do I pose kids?
What’s the top beef among photographers? (yeah, I just said “beef” in reference to complaint — that’s my late 80′s upringing bleeding through)
“. . . Will someone please tell me . . . what do I do with their hands?”
Thought I’d share a quick posing tip for all of you who struggle with posing those hands.
Of course, more posing tips can be found in my ultra-convenient Posing Guide - Pocket Full of Poses. Those of you who already have this down (or already own my Posing Guide), hopefully you’ll be nodding your head in agreement.
I feel your pain. In the past I too have struggled with the dreaded awkward stiff-as-a-board arms or hands that can easily double as claws (think Wolverine). And the hands/arms factor is important — it is a dead giveaway to how relaxed your subject is in a portrait.
Yes, their smile can be fun, their eyes can be warm and inviting, but if there is unnatural tension in the arms or hands, you know they were not relaxed. Why does that matter? Because who wants to buy a portrait of themselves (or their child) when they look scared, stiff, uncomfortable, etc? I sure don’t.
Natural poses can help your sales.
Sometimes there’s a simple solution. If I notice a subject’s too stiff what I do is ask the child to relax and say something like “Okay, you’re feeling tense, that’s cool, but right now those hands need to relax. So on the count of three I want you to shake them out and then just relaxxxxxxx them.” — they might do a nervous laugh, but it always works. I might even do a demo with my own hands with what I want them to do. Kids love visuals! Kids also like validation that they are feeling tense or unsure and that it is okay – you’re there to help them chill.
I did the above tip for the images below.
Let’s do a comparison below.
Image on the left (shown in a closer crop for emphasis) notice the right arm/hand (technically her left, but viewer’s right) — this was one of my first shots of her, she was very stiff and unsure of what to do with that particular arm. It shows.
Image on the right was after we chatted a bit, she was more at ease, and I just swung her arm over to remove any issues of stiffness with that arm. I continued to work with her a bit further to get her fingers more relaxed — yes, you can “grip” something in a relaxed way!
Granted, take into consideration your subject’s age. If a two year old is standing still for a nano-second, to heck with worries over stiff arms, I’m thrilled! Also, consider the moment captured. If you captured a sweet moment where brother kissed sister on the cheek (without you having asked, begged, bribed, etc.), you can let some of the awkwardness slide (now technical issues like out of focus shots, don’t let those slide folks).
Moving on.
Can’t think of what to do with the hands? Look around you — sometimes the environment around you provides a (hopefully) artistically appealing place for the hands. See images below.
Practice different hand/arm positions — step back, see what looks more appealing. Sometimes when shooting on fences arms can look awkward (think “splatted octopus”) — avoid this. Having a slight bend in the subject’s arm is key too for a more relaxed “on-the-fence” pose.
Lastly, if you’re completely stumped on what to do with those hands . . .
. . . give those hands a thing (or two) to hold. {wink}
Now you are on your way to becoming a posing-machine. Pat yourself on the back.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful – if so, why not share the link with your photography-minded friends?
I’d greatly appreciate it!
And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to purchase a copy of my Posing Guide - Pocket Full of Poses.
Use code “springtime” to purchase my Posing Guide for 50% off limited time only.
Until next time!
– Skye, xoxo
| Copyright + Credits |
Skye Hardwick of Work of Heart Photography
Text + Images © 2012 Skye Hardwick
All images registered at U.S. Copyright Office
Do not use without permission
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Showcase | Sassyfras Studios
Introducing Lauren Wagoner + Christen Lucas of Sassyfras Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Two mega-talented sisters with a style all their own . . . visit their website + check out their engagement + wedding work too!
Please join me as I chat with them about their shoot below.
skye | Tell us about the inspiration behind this shoot?
Cryssi and I grew up painting Tom Clark gnomes with our mom. We were just little things {like 6-8 years old} but she would let us paint the hats of the gnomes. Since then, we have been in love with those tiny people who live in an imaginary world right under our feet Little Haven {aka Havie G} loves to play pretend with just about anything . . . I had this old stroller box that she would paint and use as her playhouse. We were meshing around the idea of a gnome shoot and have been dying to do one for forever. The idea popped in our head to finally use Havie as our gnome and make a mushroom out of her favorite box.
skye | The mushroom. We need to know about the mushroom – DIY?
The mushroom was super crazy easy and tons of fun to make. 1) We spray painted the stroller box 2) used 3 bags of pillow stuffing, 1 yard of red fabric, and 1/2 yard of white fabric for the dots as the top of the mushroom. 3) The inside was modge podged scrapbook paper that we wanted to look like wallpaper. 4) We added some curtains from scrap fabric we had laying around {WE SAVE EVERYTHING!} and added moss and fun details . . .Voila! It did not take long and is a great idea for moms to make for their kids. Haven LOVES her playhouse now {she even sleeps in it some nights} and can be a gnome every single day!
skye | Okay, the outfit is perfect for the shoot – tell us on your wardrobe choice.
This was total coincidence. The dress was a vintage 70s piece that we found on etsy at MuffN of Doom for $14!!!! Amazazing! We did not even buy it for the shoot but I was saving it for a special day. Then when we started planning the shoot, we KNEW we had to use that dress. It was perfect.
skye | Love the small details that add to the shoot (the hat, quilt, butterflies, etc.) how did you choose what to include?
The butterflies and hat were all Cryssi. She painted that amazing hat and I still stare at it. She is a painting genius, I tell ya {all i can do is spray paint! } We wanted her to seem like a real forest gnome, just lounging around . . . chatting it up with the butterflies, making soup out of acorns, and getting cozy on a log.There are times we have to step back and say “that’s TOO much” but with this shoot, we wanted to show how you can take things laying around your house and build a fun shoot for your kids {or clients} Everything in the shoot adds to the story without being too bulky. We just wanted Havie G to have fun and play . . . and she did just that.
skye | What do you do to replenish your creativity?
There are some days we just say “I am not feeling inspired” we take those days to love on our families, snuggle with our hubbies, and laugh with my kiddos. Not every day is oozing with creativity, but then there are days where it just pours out of us. We have clients who will send us fun questionnaires with their stories and then tell us “Be yourself! We trust you!” those are the best words to hear as a photographer. Why? Because then we feel the freedom to really do something out of the ordinary — to have fun and be a little nutso. We feel God has given each of us unique eyes to see the world in a completely different way than any other person. We love to take that unique vision and really push it to the limits; to view each day as a new one with limitless possibilities.
skye | What inspires you these days?
EVERYTHING! My girls giggles, bare feet and tall grass, long hair on windy days, banjos guitars and ukeleles {oh my!!!} <– Cryssi can play ukelele and i can play guitar {you might see us on the road soon- the singing sassy sisters!}
sorry, back to the inspiration . . . folk music, hipster glasses, foreign missions, our youth groups, the love of our parents, sunset kisses, the feeling of paint on our hands, road trips with the windows down . . . on and on and on and on and on!
Thanks ladies for the way inspiring showcase + interview!
Lastly, we are accepting new submissions to be considered for feature on the Reverie Blog. If interested please click here for full info.
Until next time!
- Skye, xoxo
| Credits |
Images © Sassyfras Studios
w | Sassyfras Studios
f | Sassy on FB
Mentoring Opportunity
For a limited time I will be offer online mentoring and in-person mentoring {for those in the southern California area}.
For information, please email by clicking here.
Thank you.
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Bigger is Better
Just a bit of photographer humor for you.
Let me also say, if our clients believe an 8×10 is the “big one” and they leave our studio still believing it . . . we have no one to blame but ourselves (the photographer).
Educate your client by showing them. Remember, our clients often don’t have our vision. We need to show them.
(Of course, even then, not everyone will “get it” . . and that’s okay!)
Here is the non-commentary version if you’d like to share with clients!
Until next time!
- Skye, xoxo
PS – thanks to Shawn Richter for the inspiration!
PPS - Use code “springtime” to purchase my Posing Guide for 50% off today only! http://www.pocketposingguide.com/
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Showcase | Lemonade Stand
The Lemonade Stand . . . an icon of childhood.
For a commercial project last year I decided to (finally) do a lemonade stand. In almost nine years of business, can you believe I’ve never done one yet? (I have done a farm stand though . . . )
I’d like to do one again in the future. Due to our schedule I only had less than twenty minutes to shoot this particular scene. Sigh.
My husband made the stand on our front porch – I love him. What’s great is he made the stand foldable so it is more transportable + easy to store. If you’d like to see us do a tutorial on how we made our stand, leave a comment on the blog!
Details, Details, Details . . .
.
✤ The quilted stars I picked up at an antique shop outside of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I bought them for our barn wedding in PA in 2010 and added the right touch of color (tied in the blue in her outfit to the stand) with a shabby feel. The mason jars were leftovers from our wedding as well.
✤ The dress is from an older collection of Matilda Jane (still one of my favorites). I chose blue as I did not want the color yellow or green to over-power the setting. The boots were from Target about two seasons ago.
✤ Most of the crates + the wire basket were borrowed from one of my photographer assistants (who has an impressive prop collection herself!)
✤ The labeled cans I picked up at various local antique shops. Something I can use at many future shoots.
✤ The straws + strawberry baskets were from Etsy. I’ve used both at various shoots as well.
✤ The chair I bought years ago dirt cheap at an antique shop in PA.
✤ Lemons + lemonade from the store; the plants and flowers were supplied by the florist.
✤ Technical info: shot with the D700 + 50mm f1.4g + tilt shift lens (rented).
Due to time constraints, we had to start our shoot day at 2pm, which as you know means super bright light (especially here in SoCal where clouds are scarce). The key was to find a good patch of open shade (I did, though not perfect) and make the light work. We had the scene set up and by the time I was ready to get started, the light had changed and everything had to be moved over a foot or two because the scene was covered in dappled lighting.
This particular spot was at the edge of a wooded area. I kept to the edge so the shadows would not be over-powering inside the woods, but the main reason was the open sky in front of my subject would light up her face and give good catchlights.
There are numerous ways to do a lemonade stand. Just playing with the colors alone can give you an entirely different look. And why keep to just lemonade — a stand can be used for many session ideas; kissing-booth, christmas ideas, farm or fruit stands, etc. If you come up with some great ideas, be sure to submit them to the Reverie Blog!
Until next time!
- Skye, xoxo
| Copyright + Credits |
Skye Hardwick of Work of Heart Photography
Images © 2011 Skye Hardwick
All images registered at U.S. Copyright Office
Do not use without permission
Lemonade Stand by my amazing husband, Gary Edmonds
Hair done by: Allison Tartari
Set Styled by: Nancy | So Happi Together
Assisted by: Leslie Houx + Renee Hindman
The Workshop Workbook Spring Sale
Spring!
Time for a fresh start in your photography business with my Workshop Workbook + new Posing Guide!
The Workshop Workbook will help guide you along the way with over 200 pages packed full of information and inspiring imagery. I share the secrets to my success in building my child photography enterprise, including all the lessons I had to learn the hard way (so you don’t have to.)
Click here or image below for all the details!
The Workshop Workbook shares my personal process and shows you how I have made a successful career as a child photographer; including strategies, in both business and creative inspiration, to help guide you in becoming amazing at what you love to do.
Everything that I taught in my Soulographer workshops is now right here at your fingertips, for you to work through at your own pace and always have at your disposal to refer back to. In the workbook you’ll find amazing how-tos on working with, posing and styling children.
And since the Workbook is available in a convenient .pdf format, you can access the teachings right from your computer – for you to work through at your own pace and always have at your disposal to refer back to.
Until next time!
- Skye, xoxo
125 x 125
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